FROM THE BRIDE // It was July 14, 2017. A Friday evening when I came home from work to a sign on the door. Jeff had written to me to meet him at the beach, that he had already had wine for us, and that I didn’t need to grab a jacket. We live just a few houses away from the beach, and during the summer we always take a walk on the beach with a glass of wine before sunset. But this was odd as we usually wait for one another to get home.
As I headed down there, looking like a complete mess after working at the hospital, I see Jeff dressed up in a button up collared shirt. Immediately my suspicions arose. He is a board shorts and backwards hat kind of guy. When I made my way to him he started telling me how much he loved me and so many sweet things that I wish I wasn’t so nervous I could remember! He then gave me a gift bag to open. It was a sweatshirt that said “It’s a Behrendt thing, you wouldn’t understand.”  This had been a running joke with us for so long! We always seemed to get junk mail advertising his last name and that saying on clothing all the time. So he would always joke around and say that to me. And I always told him I want one of those silly sweatshirts if we ever get married.
After a few laughs over the sweatshirt, he got down on one knee, opened a little black box with a gorgeous ring inside, and asked me to marry him. I of course said yes! Luckily he got the ring on my finger right before fumbling the box into the sand. At the same moment, completely unplanned Jeff claims, a 7 piece mariachi band started playing behind us from our neighbors balcony. More laughs and kisses ensued.
That evening we watched the sun go down, listened to the musical elements of the trumpets and violins, toasted to our engagement, took a million pictures, and called our family and closest friends.

Kayla