date of event

11/27/2010

how we got engaged

Sneaky Steve, Emily had no idea what was coming the weekend of Thanksgiving when he proposed in the North Carolina mountains! Emily and Steve had planned to visit the Raleigh-Durham area to celebrate Thanksgiving with Steve's wonderful family. During the fall of 2010, Emily was already living in Minneapolis while Steve actively looked for a job in Minnesota so they could finally be in the same state. Steve suggested that in addition to their visit to his parents', they spend a couple of nights out in Asheville, NC to celebrate the short reunion.

While they drove the four hours up into the mountains, they discussed plans for the weekend. At the top of their list was a visit to the Biltmore, the largest private American estate, completed in 1895, and a topic of study in Emily's landscape architecture history courses.

Steve had a rented them a small pine cabin in the woods and when they left it the next morning to tour the Biltmore, Emily had no idea what plans he had in mind for the day. They first toured the sprawling gardens of the estate, almost empty in the cool November morning. After wandering through a glass house, cypress grove, and over wooded trails, they arrived at a trout pond with a beautiful wood gazebo overlooking the water. Suddenly Steve was down on one knee, proposing to a shocked and delighted Emily who somehow managed not to drop the ring in the water. The romance and surprise continued when, after a tour of the mansion and a wine tasting, the couple returned to their cabin. Unbeknownst to Emily, Steve's good friend and amazing chef Jeff Saudo had been hiding at the base of the hill when they left that morning and had prepared a multi-course engagement dinner, complete with handmade chocolates, which was waiting for the couple when they returned. It was a meal, and a weekend, that Emily and Steve will never forget.

Special thanks to Chef Saudo and his family for the planning, time and effort that went into to such a special dinner.