7/18/11- Ani and Jordan Get Engaged!!!

As most of you already know, Ani and I got engaged on Monday. The day started out a little overcast and we weren't sure how much we'd be able to do if it started raining. We set out from our hotel around 8AM and grabbed some croissants on our way to the Louvre. Little did Ani know, but I had planned a little surprise for our river crossing. As we crossed the Pont Des Arts bridge over the Seine River, Ani noticed the hundreds of locks bound to the bridge fences. Slowly walking across the bridge I explained the story of the "love locks." [ Love locks are placed on the Pont Des Arts bridge as a symbol of couples' undying love for one another. After linking the lock on the bridge fence the couples throw their keys into the river to complete the bond.] Toward the middle of the bridge I suggested that Ani take a picture of the Louvre and before she could snap a picture I surprised her with a lock with our names written on it that I had purchased the day of her arrival to Paris. As I held her in my arms I asked her to marry me. We locked the lock on the bridge, threw the keys into the Seine and sat and talked on a bridge bench for some time. After taking a few pictures we decided to celebrate before going to the Louvre. We stopped by a convenient store for some champagne and made our way to the Luxemborg Gardens near the Pantheon, (there is a picture of us in the gardens below).

After spending a few hours in the gardens we made our way back into the city to see the Louvre followed by dinner in the Latin Quarter. Unfortunatley, since I was in Europe for two weeks before Ani's arrival I chose to bring the wedding band and to give Ani the engagement ring upon our return. We'll make sure everyone sees the engagement ring soon!