PACK YOUR BAGS! We’re getting married in Mexico!

Key West, Florida is one of our favorite places seeing as it was our first vacation we ever took together and now, it is even more special for us! As I’m writing this, I (Arielle) still can’t believe he got so much by me and kept things a secret for so long! I booked this trip for Devin as a birthday gift because if anyone knows him, as well as I do, he LOVES to travel! When it came time to pack, and he didn’t even do his typical midnight fashion show the night before we were set to leave so I should have suspected something then! After about eight hours being delayed in the Charlotte, NC airport, we finally made it to Key West! After some much-needed sleep, we woke up the next day to a very stormy day so unfortunately, we canceled the sunset cruise that I booked because there is no way we were all getting on the water when it was thundering and lightning. Devin then asked, “ what do you think we should do now?” And I replied, “ I don’t know maybe we can go barhopping?” he then showed me a steakhouse he had found on TikTok and said “what if we try here?”..SOLD! As we get to dinner, and we start off with cocktails, then salad and steaks with mashed potatoes, mind you his face is glued to his phone, scrolling as I’m listening to the couple next to us clearly on their first date, counting the ceiling tiles, watching some man in a blue shirt eating his meal, waiting for Devin to get off his phone. When he does, he’s pushing for dessert, which we never get. I decline because I’m so full and he goes to the restroom. When he comes back, I can’t help but see a middle-age woman rounding the corner with her arm extended and who’s phone does she have in her hand but Devin’s. I gave this poor woman such a stink eye (if you’ve seen the video, you know!) because I just couldn’t think anything else other than what is she doing with his phone?? I knew it was his. It had white crusty paint on the phone case. He looks back to make sure she’s there after taking a sip of water and gets on one knee! My jaw drops to the floor. “WHAT?!” as I sob. I get out of the booth, and I grab his face and kiss him! Now, in hindsight, when Devin tells me he was on his phone googling, how to, and his settings, turn off his pass code, so that this woman could easily use his phone to take a video… that’s how you know we’re old. He tells me this isn’t really how he had planned it. He really booked a photographer to hide on the beach and do a sunset proposal the 4th of 5 days we were going to be there, but he just couldn’t wait that long. I’m still sobbing. I still get choked up because I’ve never in my life had someone do for me like I’ve done for others and it makes me feel so lucky that he went through so much trouble to surprise me. With help from his mom, Kim to be the behind the scenes right hand in this whole thing, I was GENUINELY surprised. We're so excited to celebrate this next chapter in our lives with you. See you in Mexico!