We love a great themed proposal story, don’t you? Our favorite stories feature local wedding vendors, when we found out one of their vendors had asked them to share their story with us we knew that we wanted to feature Lia & Justin’s fortune cookie marriage proposal story.
Share with us when and how you met each other.
We met in Oxford, OH. He was a bartender in a kilt, she was wearing signature jeans (literally jeans people were signing). He made a move, she gave him her number. We dated for some time, but life took us on different paths.
The friendship remained while we managed to handle all the curve balls life threw at us. After the dust settled, she said she was going to stay single, but if she was going to date, he would be the example to compare men to. He was thinking of dating and thought she was the bar any woman would need to meet. She finally accepted her family’s subtle hints, he realized he couldn’t go a day without hearing her voice. We embraced their fate and made a plan to cross state lines. That plan took too long. So they decided to dive into the chaos.
What are your favorite things to do together as a couple?
Watch movies, play with our dog, play board games, meet up and hang out with friends.
How long were you together before getting engaged?
The first time, about 6 months. The second time, just shy of a year.
Did anyone help with the fortune cookie marriage proposal?
No, it was all Justin!
Share your marriage proposal story…
I was pretty sure I was going to propose when we decided to move in together, especially since that move involved her crossing several state lines. After a few months of living together, “pretty sure” had become “definitely.” Now that my mind was made up to ask Lia to marry me, I went and got a ring designed and made. By this time, we had already started to brainstorm ideas for the future wedding, so Lia knew that the question was likely coming at some point.
By the time I had the ring, I had lost most of the elements of surprise to popping the question; all that was left was where, when, and how. But, I also knew that if we went anywhere out of the ordinary, it would give away the surprise. I came across a place selling fortune cookies that had a proposal inside instead of a fortune, and thought I can do that even better. We made plans to get Chinese takeout and watch a movie for the day I was planning to propose. At the beginning of the week, I stopped by the restaurant and picked up a couple of fortune cookies, printed out a personalized proposal fortune, and then swapped out the fortune for the proposal. To make the ruse even more complete, I was able to re-seal the wrapper on the cookie so it looked completely original.
The date arrived, we ordered our food and picked it up from the restaurant. I managed to swiftly and discreetly add the proposal cookie among the others and now had to wait for the moment. After we had let our dinner settle, I asked “fortune cookie time?” and she said yes. I handed her the right cookie, and waited for her to read the “fortune.” When she read the fortune, she did a double-take, looked at me and said “are you [kidding] me?” To which I responded “nope” and pulled out the ring. I re-asked, “so, will you?” and she of course said “yes.”
What was the best moment of the proposal?
The sheer look of surprise on her face when she read the “fortune.”
Who did you tell that you were engaged first?
Her parents, my grandmother, and my uncle.
Tell us about the ring!
The diamond is a round brilliant cut that was originally from my great-grandmother’s engagement ring. I went to Brian Hunt at Victoria Jewelers in Baldwin Park, Orlando, who designed a custom setting for me.
Not much has substantially changed, honestly.
The fun and excitement of planning a party for our friends and family.
What are you most excited about wedding planning?
All of the pieces of nerdy things we can find and use for the decor.
If you’ve already decided, when are you getting married and what is your venue?
Ceremony will be at Winter Park Masonic Lodge, and the reception will be a Bahia Shrine.
Why did you choose that venue?
I (Justin) am a member of both organizations.
250-300
Economical, but classy.
Thoughtful repurposing, nerdiness, and fandoms.
Have you selected any other vendors for your wedding?
💚 Engagement & Wedding Photographer: Koontz Photography; @koontzphotography
DJ: DJ Zouain; @djzouain
Planner/Coordinator: Reverie Events by Jessica Renee; @reve.events
Open, honest communication between both partners helps tremendously. Also, understanding what each of your strengths are in planning, creating, and executing will help in dividing the responsibilities.
Congratulations Lia & Justin on your fortune cookie marriage proposal!
Want to feature your proposal? CLICK HERE to submit your story!
