I'm excited to share a blogpost about the day my boyfriend became my fiancé! You guys may have already read about the proposal on How They Asked, but I wanted to share a more detailed story with behind-the-scenes photos and more!
We arrived in Thira, a town on the island of Santorini. Since we traveled by cruise ship, the ship dropped us off at a port. We then took a cable car ride up the cliff. Afterwards, we tried to figure out the best way to get to the town of Oía. We probably should've done a little more research beforehand, but I quickly went on Pinterest and found the answer. It stated that the best (and cheapest) way to get to Oía was by taking a bus. Unfortunately, there weren't any buses heading there that day. Instead, we took a taxi and made it to Oía, the pearl of Santorini.
Santorini is known for its cable car rides to go up the cliffs, but riding a donkey is an alternative mode of transportation. I personally preferred the cable cars because I felt bad for the donkeys having to carry people in the heat. They were too cute. Check them out below...
I had been dreaming of going to Santorini since 2014. I especially wanted to go with my significant other, even though I was single AF back then. I had even posted a "relationship goals" type of picture on instagram. Around that time, I met a guy in my Secured Transactions class... I casually sat next to him on the first day of class. Months went by and we hadn't really talked, but one day he passed me a note. He made fun of my super colorful folder that had two big fishes on it with a heart in between the fishes. The note said: "nice folder #fishlove." We wrote on that tiny note until we ran out of space and then exchanged phone numbers. I never would have thought that a note could lead to a relationship with my best friend and future husband, but here we are. I still have the little note in the same folder.
*Fast forward to the proposal date* Justin had been plotting the proposal and I don't know how he kept his cool in the desert sun! Looking back now, I realized that he even asked me what shirt he should wear that day. That morning, Justin saw my outfit and told me to take my heels for our pictures. I was planning on just wearing flip flops since I knew we were going to walk a lot, but he offered to carry my heels in his backpack. The thought that he might propose popped into my head, but I tried to forget about it because I didn't want to get my hopes up. Throughout the day, I forgot about it because I was so distracted by the destination. Justin kept walking ahead of me to scout for cool picture spots. I didn't read into it because I thought we were just trying to get cool pictures in Santorini. Then, he told me that he found a good spot. This is me walking down to the spot he found...
I walked down to the white umbrella (pictured above) and saw the view in the picture below...
That's when I literally said, "This is perfect!" Justin then gave me my heels for the pictures. That was my first time putting the heels on. He started taking pictures of me. Then, he gave the camera to my dad. Side note: Justin bought a Nikon camera for the trip (aka for the proposal) and coached my dad up on how to take pictures with it.
Justin walked over to me and pretended like we were just going to get our picture taken. He stood by my side, but I felt his heart practically beating out of his chest. That's when I started getting nervous/excited. I hugged him to calm my nerves. Then, I felt him reaching into his pocket. I held onto his hands while he got on one knee and asked me to marry him. I said, "Yes, baby. Of course."
Accurate representation of the proposal:
Justin: "Phew! I did it!"
Me: "Shinyyy!"
I'm so happy both of my parents were there and witnessed the whole thing!
The rest of the day was a blur! We walked aimlessly around Oía and enjoyed the views.
What I wore:
Top and shorts set: Choies.com.
I saw this outfit on Pinterest and found it on the Choies website. I thought it was perfect for Santorini since it's blue and white, just like the houses and church domes there.
Shoes: I wore Tory Burch sandals for walking and Steve Madden nude heels for the engagement pictures.
Handbag: Rebecca Minkoff.
Justin gave me this handbag for Christmas last year. It's my fave. Very comfy, spacious, and it goes with everything.
Hair: If you read my last blogpost, you know by now that my hair straightener overheated and never came back to life. I use my straightener to curl my hair too! I roughed it in the Amalfi Coast, but I knew I had to get my hair done before we got to Santorini. So, I went to the hair salon on the cruise ship and asked for a 'beach waves' hairstyle.
Places to see:
The Oía Kastro House
It was on my list of must-see places in Santorini. It's actually a restaurant too. Since most of the houses there are white, it stands out and isn't too hard to find.
Justin and I ended up buying the hats pictured below at a boutique because the sun was beating down on us pretty hard. They made for nice personal souvenirs.
Tip: don't just take sunglasses on a trip to Greece, take hats too.
Places to see:
Atlantis Books
RANDOM! While we walked around Oía, we found a cute bookstore. You can go there to read and leave a donation and/or buy a book. This is a good spot where you can chill for a bit and hide from the sun.
FOOD & DRINKS:
Idol, Restaurant & Cocktail Bar (Thira, Santorini)
This place has great drinks and unique lounging chairs.
One of the only videos I took that day (below)
Overall, Santorini was extraordinary. It was more quiet than I expected it to be. It's definitely a place where you can relax and take in the views while visiting cute boutiques and restaurants. Five out of five stars!
Couple goals 😍
Bellísimo ❤️💋