OH MY GOODNESS, YOU GUYS. I have greatly anticipated this blog post! I am so excited, I almost don’t know what to say. But if you found out on my Instagram, the rumors are true – I. AM. ENGAGED. This is no prank, no test – it’s the truth and I am so blissfully happy!

*takes a deep breath*

I’m sure you all want to hear the juicy details, especially since most of you had no idea I was even in a relationship, right? So let me give y’all some backstory and tell you about the proposal, and then I’m planning to make a little blog series. 😀

My fiance’s name is Andrew Lewis, and he’s a chemical engineer in Missouri! He virtually met my parents through mutual friends and after long phone calls with my dad, drove out to meet me! We entered into a courtship on June 13th, 6 days after we met in person. We saw each other two more times before my parents and I drove out to see him, and then he came for Thanksgiving and proposed Thursday morning!

Don’t worry, I will have so many more details to share about our story later! But for now, I think I’ll just tell y’all about the proposal.

When Andrew came in October, he unofficially asked my parents if he could marry me. After receiving an affirmative, he began planning the proposal. Somehow, he found my best friend Allison’s blog, contacted her, and asked her if she would help him out. She very excitedly obliged and they began looking for rings. Allison told me that at one point, her entire family was in the living room looking at rings for me! Besides the rings, they also started planning the proposal. (Andrew chose three and decided on the final one without telling anyone else. 😉 )

Andrew knew that what would mean the most to me would be if he proposed on the farm. But he wanted to make it special, longer than just the proposal. He knew that the thing I talk about the most is how much I wish Allison would come and visit, so he asked Allison if she would come! They figured out the logistics, and Thursday morning, after we hugged for the first time, Allison came running out of the woods, shortly followed by Andrew’s best friend Fleet!

Allison and Fleet had arrived early that morning and hidden in the woods with their cameras. Andrew and I were already planning to go on a walk (which I was very suspicious he would propose at) and take pictures. We got to the bottom of my driveway and there was a rag (hiding an audio recorder) on the driveway. Andrew said to me, “Huh, that’s funny – what’s that?” “You got me,” I replied, extremely suspicious but not showing it. Immediately, Andrew pulled a book (Becoming Mrs. Lewis) out of his jacket and dropped to one knee.

“Aria,” he said, “Will you marry me?”

“YEEESSS?!” I replied, grinning. I put my tripod down and looked more closely – the ring was in the book! I held out my hand and he very shakily put it on. It was a slightly tight fit and he was worried it wouldn’t fit, but it did, and after the ring was on my finger, he stood up and we hugged for the very first time.

Then I heard a rustling and a scream as Allison ran out of the woods. I turned my head to see and I yelled “NO! NO!” and we crashed into each other, hugging so hard we almost fell over. I couldn’t believe that Allison was there for Andrew’s proposal! The thought had crossed my mind, but I put it away because it seemed impossible.

Andrew, however, knows me so well and achieved the impossible for me. We group hugged, and then Fleet came running out of the woods and joined our hug. XD I don’t think I’ve ever hugged so much as I did last weekend! It was so surreal to be with Andrew AND Allison, my best friends, at the same time.

After we gathered up all our things, Allison and Fleet did an impromptu photoshoot of us as the sun was rising, and it was simply magical. I love those pictures so much because we just look SO HAPPY!

We spent Thanksgiving together with our friends (more on that later) and did two more engagement shoots (more on that too!). I can’t wait to share the rest of the pictures, but I hope y’all enjoyed these! I’m so happy. We’re getting married next year and hopefully setting a date and getting a venue within the next couple of weeks, and there are going to be a lot of changes. But they’re so exciting.

I really can’t explain my feelings right now! I am so, so thankful for Andrew – God has fulfilled my biggest dream in him. I am so blessed to be engaged to him, and I can’t explain how excited I am to spend my life with him! Andrew is sweet, thoughtful, caring, Godly, a wonderful leader, very smart (I mean come ON, he has a B.Sc. in biochemistry?!?), and absolutely perfect for me in every way. I am still overwhelmed at God’s provision. So. Much.

I would love to answer any questions y’all have, so feel free to ask them! I may answer them directly or in a post. I hope you all survived this very exciting post! XD