We have some explaining to do, I know. For many reasons, most of which because anyone within earshot of me for the last few years heard my diatribe on why marriage just wasn’t for me.

I should point out though that I love weddings; I love designing invitations for them; I easily weep at a tearful grandparent, and I love to see what the couple has done to make the celebration unique to them.

But for many reasons, it wasn’t something to which I wanted to subscribe. It is difficult to understand how this exclusive contract could enhance the deep love and commitment which I already felt for Nick, or make it more “official.”

Nick agreed with me intellectually, but I could still tell that there was a bit of him holding on to the tradition.

And then we considered the health insurance benefits, and the tax breaks, and the other perks that go along with marriage. Knowing that I had no doubt that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with my sweet Nick, we decided that the practical approach might make a lot of sense.

(hang in there people, it gets romantic soon)

It was at this point that we tried to figure out a method that would best suit our less-than-traditional sensibility. I told Nick that I thought it was best that we weren’t engaged, and that we just tried to make this easy, without much fuss. We had already planned to travel in the spring, so it seemed to make a lot of sense for us to have a very simple ceremony abroad.

Then, on one of the unusually sunny February mornings that we have in Portland, Nick and I decided to go for a hike in Forest Park and follow it up by looking for wedding bands that we could exchange during the proceedings.

Prior to leaving, while drinking my coffee and reading a book, Nick told me he had a question for me. I glanced up to see him down on one knee, stretching out a trembling hand, offering me a small wooden box.

“Krissy, will you marry me?” he asked.

I told him he wasn’t supposed to do this. I tearfully opened the box to find a beautiful diamond ring. It was a diamond that his Grandfather Zuiderveld owned, and that his grandmother had intended to be passed down to Nick. I immediately told him “Yes, of course.”

It was at that moment that I completely sunk into a greater connection with him than I thought I knew. I sunk into a welcoming to his family and lineage; and in knowing that my family would warmly welcome him into ours.

I wanted the commitment that was greater than just insurance and benefits; I started to get excited about the idea of finding a dress and making this a ceremony that was unique to us.

We took that hike up in Forest Park and once we were at Pittock Mansion, we looked out on the great view and said “Hey Portland, we are engaged.”