Bride and Grooms name: Gerty and Dan

Date of Engagement: January 31,2003

Date of Wedding if set: January 24,2004

Romantic or Funny Story: We had met right after Christmas 2000. We decided to go on vacation together in January 2002 and this is the longest amount of time we are going to be together without a break. We take a two week vacation in Florida, basically jumping around the state. During the two weeks we spend a week in Key West, it turns out to be the best week of all, we have an amazing time, absolutely unbelievable.

January of 2003 is coming and Dan is pushing to go to Florida again, especially Key West, and I am doing the "we should save money for the future" speech. He ends up convincing me, his parents give us a three day weekend in Key West as a Christmas gift, and off we go.

We spent a few days at his parents house first, and then drove down to Key West. By the time we get there, it is late in the afternoon, we have champagne in our room (which we drink), and I am sort of pushing to skip the sunset at Mallory Square. Now, mind you, the sunset in Key West is a major event,with somewhere around 1000 to 2000 people gathering. Dan insists we go, hails a bicycle cab to get us there, and insists we bring the camera (not a stretch for me).

We get to Mallory Square just as the sun is starting to set, Dan hands our camera to a man and asks him to take a pic of us. I start to look for a spot where we can stand and not be in anyones way (there are a LOT of people there). When I turn around, Dan is on his knee with THE RING in a box, telling me that I am the one he wants to spend the rest of his life with and he can't picture life without me. I am shocked, amazed, thrilled, ecstatic, etc.etc.. Needless to say, I said yes, the stranger got the picture, and many, many people congratulated me that evening.

My whole family and his whole family had known for weeks, he had planned it for months, and it was the most amazing experience of my life. I will never forget it, and I am marrying the most wonderful, thoughtful man I could ever hope to meet.