Christmas is the season for love. To be more accurate, the holiday season of Thanksgiving-New Years is the high point of love and proposals for the year. One of the bridal stores my mother and I went to last week told us that the “Bridal Christmas” starts right after New Years, as all the holiday brides rush out to find dresses and then start diets.

Other than my own engagement, I was perhaps most excited about this one, between my dear friend from Paris Marilyne, and the man of her dreams, Ismaël. I met Marilyne at my beloved Parisian church, which I originally went to because the pastor’s wife (her mother) grew up with my mother in Wilmore before moving to Paris over 30 years ago.  After falling in love with Ismaël last year, the two decided to come spend the fall in America with friends and family before settling into jobs back in France. When they came through DC in November, Ismaël announced his plans for a Christmas Eve proposal with the ring that he made himself.

Christmas Eve morning, I asked Marilyne if she would go out to look at High Bridge pavilion with me, one of the places James and I are considering for a reception spot. Marilyne’s uncle took her to High Bridge frequently as a child, and the spot holds sentimental value, beyond being exceedingly beautiful.  On the drive over, Marilyne told me all about how in love they were, and how positive she was that they would soon get engaged after returning to France. She assured me that there was NO CHANCE of an American proposal.

We got to High Bridge where I took some pictures so I could “email them to James’ family” and in the one above you can actually see Ismaël behind her in the pavilion. We turned to walk up to look in and we were almost in before Marilyne saw the trail of flowers and candles, and the man waiting for her inside. Then there were tears, and I retreated to take some pictures from a distance.After they had a while alone, we took a couple engagement photos on the overlook before I quietly left, not to be missed very much, I’m sure.