family & dear friends

We are honored to have the pleasure of your company as we speak our vows and join in marriage.
Key West was chosen as our location for her natural beauty, romantic history and perfect fall weather. Some of our fondest memories together have taken place in the Florida Keys and we look forward to sharing our most important memory with all of you.

the proposal

Every month, the night of the full moon, Pierre's and Morado Bay put on a huge party with bands, fire twirlers, fireworks and a Junkanoo band. The plan was to pop the question before the party under the full moon, next to the sea, under the flickering light of a tiki torch, just prior to the music beginning and the fireworks display. As we enjoyed various island themed cocktails at a bar in the sand, I eyeballed the location encompassing the factors aforementioned. The sun was setting, the crowd was thin and the band had just arrived. I asked Abbey if she would like to take our drinks across the property and sit at the small bistro table next to the water....she replied, "there is no way I will make it across all of that sand carrying this drink in these shoes, lets just stay here".

 As I moved the ring box from right pocket to left pocket based on the various seated positions, I began to get nervous as my personal deadline ensued. More and more patrons arrived and started to fill the bar area. Abbey struck up a conversation with a colorful, middle-aged lady from Macon, Georgia ( lets refer to her as Wacky Jacky ). She was wearing a "punchline" t-shirt with a perversion of the Dunkin Donuts logo that said "Drunkin Grown-ups". Wacky Jacky had left her table of friends to come to the bar, in order get a closer look at the television to see the score of the Georgia vs. Georgia Tech football game.

She carried on and on about the game and her life. Being the nice couple that we are, we pretended to care. 
Jacky commented about how nice Abbey was "you are so nice, I'd like to buy you and your husband a drink". Abbey explained that we were not married and Jacky asked how long we had been dating. Abbey replied that we had been dating for two years, so Jacky came back at me with, "What?!! What are you waiting for? She is so beautiful!" Jacky's middle-aged man friend walked up and told me, " if you don't, I will". I discreatly showed him the ring box...he immediately walked way.

Wacky continued to berate me for taking so long and said to Abbey, "If he asked you to marry him, would you?" Abbey replied yes of course so Jacky says to me, " I don't know what you are waiting for, you need to marry this girl". I said " "Yes, you're right" and I dropped to one knee, presented the ring, and asked Abbey to marry me. Wacky Jacky didn't know what the hell was going on, Abbey thought I was joking just to make Wacky shut up, and my knee was really getting sore. Abbey finally said yes and the crowd exploded into an uproar of applause and cheer. The band on stage announced the engagement, champagne began to flow like wine and the congratulations flocked like the salmon of capistrano.

Almost on cue, after the crying and picture taking, the Junkanoo band came out of the bushes next to us and started their procession around the property. The fireworks were exploding in the moon-lit sky, I grabbed my new fiancé to join the procession in the sand with the band, fire twirlers and stilt walkers. It was an amazing evening, one that we will never forget.