This is Part 2 of the “Becoming the Rices” series. If you missed Part 1: How We Met, check it out HERE! 

 

 

This story is one of my favorites (as it is with most brides, of course)! To rewind a bit, after only 3 months of dating we knew we were going to get married. The only problem was we were broke as a joke! I was working as an intern at the church (yep, the same church we both grew up in…and both work full-time at), and he was delivering pizza at Dominos.

We both knew we couldn't get married with those incomes, so we put together a plan. We created a budget to see realistically how much we had to make together to be able to support ourselves, set an income goal, then started praying! We believed that God would open the doors that needed to be opened and would provide for us to be able to get married. Over the course of about 9 months, I was promoted to a real, full-time position at the church and Daniel started a “big boy job” with a real income. At that time, we were making EXACTLY the amount we had been praying for!

Then the fun began!

Daniel and I had been ring shopping. I let him know what styles I liked and left the rest up to him. Like any girl preparing to get engaged, I told him I needed some sort of time frame so I could make sure my nails were done and I wasn't looking like a slob. He had me completely convinced that he'd be proposing sometime that February. We were now in December (dating for 15 months, 20 years old), so I thought we had a couple of months.

On December 28th, 2014 we were going out on a double date with our best friends, Sarah and Nathan (who were also dating at the time, now happily married as well!). The plan was to go out to eat at the Maggiano's right by my parents' house. Sarah and Nathan were in the phase of talking about getting married, too. Earlier that day Nathan had asked me if I'd be offended if they got married at the Chapel in Adriatica…the place I already knew I'd be getting married. At first I laughed and said I'd be totally fine with that, but as the day went on I knew I wouldn't be fine with it…who gets married at the same place as their best friends?!

When we loaded up into the car to head to dinner, Nathan asked if we could make a stop at the Chapel just to check it out, since they were thinking about using it as their venue…it took everything in me not to scream! I couldn't believe the audacity I was hearing! Daniel agreed that it would be a great idea (WHAT?!), and we could stop by his parents' house on the way to go pick up my Christmas present.

Both Daniel's parents' house and the Chapel were in McKinney. We were in Carrollton. We were eating dinner in carrollton. Nothing about this plan was making sense!! Why wold we drive all the way to McKinney – PASSING the restaurant – to drive all the way back to eat? My Type A self was a mess, but I wasn't the one driving…so to McKinney we went!

We stopped by and got my Christmas present, a new radio for my car, then headed over to the chapel. By this time I had decided to just go with this crazy plan that made no sense. When we arrived, it was dark and no one was at the chapel. Sarah had just gotten a new camera for Christmas and happened to have it with her, so she asked if we'd model for her to take a few test shots. So we walked over to the chapel and Daniel and I started posing for photos. We laughed, we danced, he held me and we smiled.

Nathan yelled out, “Come on Daniel, you can be more creative than that!” The next thing I know, Daniel is down on one knee holding a STUNNING ring in a box! I couldn't believe what was happening! Here, in front of the chapel where we'd soon be getting married, I was becoming a fiancé!! All I could manage to say was, “WHAT?!” over and over. He asked me to marry him, and I was finally able to formulate the word, YES!” The plan was all starting to make sense. He wanted to ask me to be his wife before we went to dinner so we could enjoy that time with our friends as a newly engaged couple.

 

It was the most special moment, and I still smile when I think about that day. My thoughtful man orchestrated this moment 2 months earlier than expected! Our best friends were there, somehow my nails were done, and we were all dressed up for date night. I couldn't have asked for a better way to become Soon-to-be Mrs Rice!

 

Stay tuned for the story of our wedding day coming soon!