Rachael and Sean

Posted Monday, July 14, 2008 10:41 AM

How We Met

My fiance, Sean, and I originally met at work at Applebee’s. We were both hosts, but not single. I was with another man, who apparently no one wanted me to be with. Within weeks Sean and I had become really good friends. I had developed feelings for him, but I was true to the relationship I was in. To avoid the temptation to act on the feelings I had for him, I tried to set him up with a girl we worked with. I guess I believed that since I couldn’t be happy with him, I should find someone who could make him happy. It was a very hard thing for me to do.

Our friendship still grew, unlike the relationship I tried to forge for him. He and the other woman were definitely not going to become a couple, and my best friend stepped up. She knew my feelings; she was the only one who knew. With a good push from her and the undeniable feelings I had developed for Sean, I decided to follow my heart. Usually I’m the type of woman who thinks with her head, not her heart. To this day I’m so thankful this was one of the few times I went with what my heart wanted.

Our Life Together

Fast-forward two years later. We had left New Jersey to move and get a new start. Our friends and family always knew we’d get married, as did we; it was just a matter of Sean asking. Without my knowledge, he had talked to my grandma (my Oma) in May 2007, and she had given him the ring that was a family heirloom to give to me.

Recently my cousin left for Japan with the Navy this past March (2008). My Oma paid for my mother and me to fly out to Michigan to see the family one more time before he left for Japan. The trip was great and wonderful and one of the best times I ever had. What I didn’t know was that while I was in Michigan, Sean was back home getting friends and family together.

The Proposal

I got off the plane back home in New York and walked with my mother to my awaiting boyfriend and stepdad, who said they’d be there to pick us up. As I hugged Sean, I didn’t think of anything but of how much I missed him. He stepped back from me and went down on one knee. I thought that a proposal was coming soon, but I had totally put it out of my head to clear my mind and have fun with my cousins. So, as I looked down at him, I was at a loss for words. He told me I was the love of his life and the most wonderful woman he had ever known. I cried, he hugged me, and someone (there’s debate if it was him or me) put the ring on my finger. As if that wasn’t enough, right when I had said yes, about a dozen of our friends and family showed up. His family came from New Jersey, and our friends traveled 45 minutes from our hometown to be there. They came with signs and cameras. Now not only do I have wonderful memories, I also have pictures and videos of the best moment of our lives. Plus, I’m pretty sure we had many observers (like pilots and security guards) to share the story as they went about their days.