WHEN WE GOT ENGAGED
April 4, 2008

THE SHORT VERSION
The 15-minute story very shortened: We got engaged in Williamsburg, VA, at the Wren Chapel. After we got engaged, our friends Ben, James, Bekah, and Adam were there to greet us (a surprise to Jane!) and celebrate with us. It was the perfect example of our relationship — an intimate moment alongside the encouragement of our community. The story is best told in person, however, as there were a number of details that Scott put into the proposal that were, frankly, amazing (Jane’s words).

THE LONG VERSION
On Friday, April 4, 2008, Scott and Jane went on a trip to Williamsburg, VA. Scott had already guided Jane in suggestions of what she should wear each night, and Jane was told they would stay with Scott’s college professor (whom Jane had met and stayed with before when she was in Williamsburg for a friend’s wedding). As they were driving, Scott told Jane how he wish they could’ve stayed closer to downtown and how there was a bed and breakfast called the ‘Fife and Drum Inn’ that he’d always wanted to stay at. “Maybe one day when we’re older,” Jane responded. “That’s when we’ll know we’ve ‘made it.’”

As they were driving up to Williamsburg (Jane was driving), Scott told Jane to pull into a parking lot. Silently irked, Jane told Scott there weren’t any spaces. “Back up and you can park in that driveway,” Scott replied. Jane did, but was frustrated. Why the heck are we stopping here? We’re going to get towed by parking in some random person’s drive way, and there’s a parking spot on the road, she thought.

As they got out of their car, Scott announced: “This is where we’re staying tonight. It’s the Drummer’s Cottage and part of the Fife and Drum Inn. I thought this would be a good spot since it’s sort of tucked away and we’d have more privacy.” Jane was somewhat hesitant, considering the two of them staying in this secluded cottage alone could’ve been premarital trouble. But she trusted him.

They walked around town, Scott carrying a devotional book and a copy of Robert Farrar Capon’s The Supper of the Lamb, and Scott showed Jane the Crim Dell Bridge on William & Mary’s campus, where rumor has it if you kiss someone on that bridge, you’ll end up marrying them. They crossed the bridge, but didn’t kiss. Scott read Jane a passage from Capon’s book. Scott also showed Jane the sculptures of the couple lying on the ground, and other campus buildings. As they approached downtown Williamsburg, Scott stepped into The Fat Canary, the restaurant that they were going to be eating at that night, to confirm the reservation. As he did this, he asked Jane to go into the store next door.

They went back to the cottage and got ready for supper. When they went to the restaurant and were seated, Jane noticed their names printed in red on the menu. “For Jane & Scott. ‘Eat well then. Between our love & His Priesthood, He makes all things new’” was printed on the menu for them! Jane was delighted. But then, as she continued to look down, she saw Scott’s handwriting on a piece of paper (that Scott had purchased with Jane on their first date in Pittsburgh, PA), and the following quote:

“We are great, my friend; we shall not be saved for trampling under foot…Come then; leap upon these mountains, skip upon these hills and heights of earth. The road to Heaven does not run from the world but through it. The longest Session of all is no discontinuation of these sessions here, but a lifting of them up by Priestly love. It is a place for men and women, not ghosts-for the risen gorgeousness o the New Earth and for the glorious earthiness of the True Jerusalem. Eat wel then. Between our love and His Priesthood, He makes all things new. Our last home will be home indeed.” RF Capon, The Supper of the Lamb, April Fourth Two Thousand and Eight

(Scott had slipped this in the devotional book and had dropped it off at the restaurant when confirming their reservation…clever and detail-oriented fella, ‘eh?).

They had a great meal — a starter of a special mushroom soup, and a salad with Manakintown greens, pears, toasted walnuts, aged farmhouse “grilled cheese” (because one of Jane’s first memories of Scott’s food was a pear and cheese salad he’d made at his goodbye party before he left for Uganda), Pan Seared Sea Scallops with Farro, Brussel Sprouts, Bacon and Roasted Tomato (because one of their first meals with Jane’s mom was with sea scallops and Jane also had introduced Scott to the deliciousness of brussel sprouts), and a Colorado rack of lamb with gorgonzola cheese polenta, wild mushrooms and ratatouille (because of the lamb theme with the Supper of the Lamb book, and also because Ratatouille is a movie Scott keeps telling Jane she should see).

Scott asked Jane if they should get a bottle of wine or just a drink or champagne, and told her they would be going out for drinks later. We don’t go out for drinks, Jane thought. So now we’re going for drinks and then going back to a private cottage together…could this be trouble? Still, Jane trusted Scott. They shared a drink and the waiter also brought them champagne.

Jane later got up to use the restroom and when she got back, the waiter brought creme brulee with berries on it. Scott told her he had requested this dessert special ordered for her (because Jane loves creme brulee with berries!). The meal was fabulous, and during the meal, Jane kept thinking “is Scott going to propose during this meal?” She sort of hoped not, since it would draw attention, but she also wasn’t too concerned at this point….

After the meal, Scott and Jane walked around campus. “One day, we’ll have to meet my friend, Adam,” Scott said. “He lives in a house…we actually walked near his house.” Why not meet him on this trip? Jane wondered. Scott also mentioned how their friend James, would like Williamsburg and they both wished James could visit it one day.

They stopped at the theatre building to use the restroom and when Jane came out of the ladies room, she heard Scott singing in the men’s restroom. “Were you singing in there?” she asked as Scott came out of the mens’ room. “Just checking out the acoustics,” Scott replied. Just another reason why I love him, Jane thought. They crossed over the Crim Dell bridge, and kissed. Will he propose now? Jane wondered. But they kept walking.

Scott kept walking and walking, and by this time, Jane was curious. When the heck is he going to propose? she wondered. They walked towards the Wren building, which Scott had told Jane earlier was the oldest building on a campus that was still used. He said they would go inside. Enough of this tour, Jane thought. It’s time we get engaged… But Jane stayed quiet. She figured maybe Scott’s favorite painting was in the building or that there was some sort of good reason to all of it.

They walked towards a closed door (Jane saw an open door, but kept quiet, figuring Scott knew what he was doing), and Scott said he wasn’t quite sure if it would be open. It was, and as they entered the building, Jane saw it was a chapel. “What do they use this for?” Jane asked. “Oh, for different things. My friend Allen got married in here,” Scott answered.

They went up the stairs, and Scott stalled a little more. I guess it’s still not going to happen yet, Jane thought. But then, Scott asked Jane to sit down and he started singing. It was an unreleased song by Jars of Clay written for grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary. The part Scott sang was about the proposal. He finished singing (without a quiver in his voice–he was solid and smooth in his voice and the acoustics were great!), and Jane stood up to give him a hug. Scott asked her to sit down again…and he asked her to marry him. Jane’s reply? “Yes I will.”

They stood up, hugged, and Scott cried (”these are happy tears,” he explained). As they came downstairs, Scott and Jane ran up to the altar to see what it would feel like getting married. They then left the chapel. In the distance, Scott saw someone. “Who’s that?” he asked. “It’s me, Adam,” a voice replied. And thus, Jane figured they would be going out for drinks with Adam. “I didn’t see Ben or James,” Adam continued. And then, as Jane looked up, walking towards them were Ben and James (Scott’s current roommates) and Bekah (who will be the maid of honor in the wedding). (James was, after all, able to visit Williamsburg, thinking of Scott’s earlier comment during their walk around campus).

This is when Jane started crying. It was perfect — intimate moments together, and then coming out to celebration and encouragement from their friends and church. They went out for martinis afterwards (as they reached the martini bar, it started POURING down rain…God had held off the rain!) and Ben, James, Scott, Bekah, and Jane stayed at the Drummer’s Cottage that night (which was why Scott had booked the private cottage…so their friends could join them! Indeed, Scott could be trusted!

(Photo taken outside the Wren Chapel, right after Scott and Jane got engaged!)

Fun story, but being able to get the reservation to The Fat Canary and to the Drummer’s Cottage was by God’s providence. The reservation for the Fat Canary opened up at the last minute and the folks at the Drummer’s Cottage said they only rented it out for the entire weekend, but that if nobody rented it out by Thursday, they’d rent it out for just one night…and it worked out perfectly! (Scott and Jane did stay with his professor the second night, and it was great seeing her!).

The following day, the five of them walked around Colonial Williamsburg, where the “red umbrella” pictures were taken as Scott and Jane spontaneously started twirling in the street. Saturday night, after their friends left, Scott and Jane had dinner at the candlelit (and uber-romantic) King’s Arms Tavern, where they were treated to a champagne toast and were serenaded and told stories of how engagements happened in Colonial times.

It was a perfect weekend, and both Scott and Jane are not only thankful for one another and their relationship, but also thankful for their friends and for a God that is out for their good.