I don’t know what’s going on with all you grooms-to-be making sure to bring the cameras to the proposals lately, but my goodness we love it! Getting to share the excitement when she says “YES” makes our day a little more exciting. The Youngrens helped capture the surprise for these two sweeties, and I’ll tell you what. The gallery can make the greyest day bright, and the brightest day even brighter, if you can imagine that!
Click here to see the sweet proposal in it’s entirety!
When they pulled into the valet circle at L’Auberge Del Mar for lunch, an upscale boutique resort and a favorite spot of these two, Megan shrieked with joy. They enjoyed a delicious meal at the ocean view restaurant at L’Auberge and over wine, steak, salmon and ocean breeze, the two caught up more from their three weeks apart when Megan had been on a trip in Ukraine.
After lunch they went to retrieve the car from valet and a silver scooter was returned to them instead of Garrett’s Rav4. Garrett and Megan drove to the spot they normally hike at Torrey Pines Reserve, hopped off of the scooter and started to walk. Then Megan saw the first picture glued to a handcut piece of wood. It was attached by twine to one of the posts that guides the trail. It was in that moment that she knew without a doubt what was happening. Instead of nerves or uneasy excitement, they both experienced a tranquil and joyful sense of peace. It just felt right.
They continued on the path and stopped at every picture. The process was only broken up by laughter, hugs, kisses, tears evoked by certain pictures, and jumps of joy as what was happening continued to sink in.
At the end of the path, Garrett led Megan, guided by a path of rose petals, to a lookout accompanied by a bench and an expansive ocean view. She sat and he bent down to where a bucket of water, soap, and a towel lay. “Meg, I want to serve and love you each and everyday as Christ came to serve and love. I choose to commit to you. Can I wash your feet?”
Speechless, she nodded. He gently and lovingly washed her feet and dried them. “Well, can I wash yours then too?” “Um, yeah!” They switched places and she proceeded to wash his feet. He hurried her along out of excitement to just ask the question he had been dying to ask.
After the two shared these moments, Garrett couldn’t wait any longer. He pulled the ring out of the blue bucket that had held the towel and got down on one knee, “Megan Christine Hallock, will you marry me?” She hadn’t cried yet, but at the sight of Garrett lowering to one knee, the intensity of the moment brought tears of overwhelming joy to her eyes. “Umm yes! Duh! Yes!”
But the proposal was not yet over. Over their year and a half or so of dating, Garrett and Megan would meet at a special tree on their college campus. It’s located at Point Loma Nazarene University (where they both went to school), and overlooks the ocean above Sunset Cliffs. Garrett had contacted Carter and Cook, a fabulous wedding design team, and asked them to help him set up a Greece-themed tablescape at their tree because it was on a trip to Greece that these two fell in love. Ashlyn Carter did an amazing job and the scene was breathtaking. Hanging on the tree were pictures of Greece and of Garrett and Megan where their story first began. The couple dined on Greek food, reminisced and fell even deeper in love as this marked the beginning of a new chapter in their journey.
Photography: The Youngrens / Tablescape Design: Carter & Cook Event Company / Venue: Torrey Pines State Reserve / Restaurant: L’Auberge Del Mar / Tablescape Venue: Point Loma Nazarene University