Kayla and Eli's Wedding on 10/8/22 at The Manor House on Bainbridge Island, WA
Music licensed from - Song Freedom
How did you guys meet?: We met at work - love at first onboarding! In 2016, Kayla was a software QA tester and Eli was a new software developer. On Eli's first day, Kayla stopped by his desk to deliver his testing equipment and explain how everything worked. Afterwards, she sat back down at her desk and thought, "Dang, that new guy is cute!" A year later, Kayla asked Eli out and the rest his history!
Tell us about the proposal!: In November 2019, Eli had started planning for a big family get together in the summer of 2020 for a "special event", but of course, the world decided to change drastically. So instead, a nice pandemic break with the close family was set up instead, under the guise of a rare family picnic on the Heard family's private neighborhood beach.
Of course, surprise engagements are pretty fun! But how do you keep anything a secret from your partner when you live together and are told by the health department to stay inside as much as possible? How do you even get that all-important ring?
Kayla of course would have said yes with a loop of string- but to truly be a surprise, Eli was going to have to do something he doesn't usually do... PREPARE and KEEP SECRETS!
After a few unfortunate delays, a couple changes because of the tide and the weather, a date of July 11th was set (the sooner the better- in case Kayla happened to put away some socks and find a mysterious box). To make matters worse, hair salons were still closed, and Eli now owned TWO unruly mops. Luckily, Kayla had had some practice, and had given him a good cut a few days before the proposal!
So the date arrived, the whole family innocuously meeting up for a nice lunch party at the private beach. Kayla offered to drive from Kent to Union, giving plenty of time for Eli to write his question (... I didn't say I prepared EVERYthing....). After a nervous (for Eli) lunch, the whole group went down to the beach. Eli said the following:
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Kayla,
These past 1000 days (I checked!) have been the best of my life. You're been an amazing partner, with your intelligence, your wit, your kindness, and your love. You've helped me grow as a person, be better, and you mean more to me than anything else in the whole world.
Will you marry me?
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She said yes!
Why did you choose your venue?: Being at Pleasant Beach Manor feels like a second chapter of the proposal. It meant so much to Kayla that Eli proposed on the beach where she used to play as a child, right under the shade of an evergreen tree. When they saw how Pleasant Beach Manor's Solarium overlooked Puget Sound and how it was shaded by so many beautiful evergreens, it just felt right.
What are you most excited to see in the video?: Both of us say: The first look and the moment Kayla starts to walk down the aisle.
Eli says: Kayla getting ready!
Kayla says: Getting ready with my mom and my bridesmaids, because I love that scene from Mamma Mia where the mom and daughter are getting ready for the wedding together.
When and where's the honeymoon?!?!: Italy, directly after!
Venue - The Manor House
Photographer - AV Goodsell
Videographer - Best Made Videos®
Coordination - Seattle Stunning Events
Hair and Makeup - OffWhite Beauty
Cake - Blackbird Bakery
DJ - DJ Twisted Beats