Photos: Nellie Kay Photo
Isabella + Braden
Snow Day Proposal
I woke up on February 3rd to see that the predicted snow storm had in fact come to fruition. I looked out the window to see the snow banks had grown exponentially and the wind was howling. I was grateful to be curled up in bed. It was around 11 AM that I got a call from my boyfriend. “Hey, so my car just stopped working. I’m stranded on the side of a street. Can you please come get me? It’s so cold out here!” I started freaking out. He had been in a hit and run accident in January, so having another car issue was not a surprise or flag for me to be suspicious.
I hadn’t seen him in a couple of days, and we had talked about going to a coffee shop that afternoon if the weather wasn’t horrible (it definitely was), so I decided to opt out of looking completely homeless. I threw on some jeans, my signature ball cap, some mascara and blush, and my coziest, star-studded coat before sprinting out the door. Braden had stopped sharing his location with me for a couple months leading up to February 3rd to prepare for the engagement, away from my prying and curious eyes. He re-shared it and called me back saying, “Okay, I stumbled across a flower shop and they let me in to stay warm. Please drive safely!” I thought to myself, why is a flower shop open in a blizzard?! But I went with it, still suspecting nothing.
On my way to pick up Braden, I almost got in two or three car wrecks myself due to how icy the roads had become. After the longest 30 minute drive of my life, I finally reached the flower shop, Morrison Floral Greenhouse. And there was Braden’s car, sitting perfectly fine in the parking lot. This is when I started to get suspicious. I walked up to the door with snow slapping my face viciously. His sister was waiting at the door. “I can take your coat and purse.” My heart started racing. I realized I was about to be proposed to…while wearing a baseball cap. My eyes widened as she led me back through the shop. I opted to keep my coat on. I walked to the back of the store to see a beautiful greenhouse, with the most luscious plants and white paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling. And there was my love, waiting for me at the end of a long line of candles and our favorite photos together. I walked down the line to meet his tear-filled, smiling eyes. “You are my best friend. I don’t want to spend my life without you in it. Will you marry me?” He got down on one knee and showed me the most perfect ring I’ve ever seen – he picked it out for me himself. He knows me so well. And, of course, I said yes!
He knew he had accomplished surprising me, he said, because I walked in with a hat on. I never thought he could accomplish surprising me, but he did. And I did not care one bit how I looked. Braden told me the owners of the Greenhouse graciously stayed open during the storm. He told me he had a completely different plan to get me there, but the snow changed everything. I couldn’t imagine an engagement story that is more on brand for us. And the snow pictures were magical. Our photographer and friend, Nellie Waldenville, graciously braved the weather as well to be there to capture our special moment and snowy love. This day was the BEST of my life, and I cannot wait to become Isabella Canino on May 27th.
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