SHE SAID YES
It has been an eventful week in the Becker household. Our middle son Taylor, who is currently on vacation from law school, asked his girlfriend of 6 years to marry him! And…SHE SAID YES!
Taylor called us about 2 months ago to share the news that he had purchased a ring and planned to propose on a upcoming camping trip to Yosemite.
We were honored, pleased and excited when he asked us to join them in Yosemite so that we would be there to help them celebrate post-proposal. Dear friends and neighbors Jim & Brenda, had recently purchased a darling, vintage-style trailer and offered to lend it to us for our trip. That set the stage and became the backdrop for a wonderful proposal trip to Yosemite.
So after considerable planning, packing and preparation we hit the road, pulling the Retro Riverside trailer with a rented pickup truck. It was exciting when we cleared a long tunnel and got our first glimpse of Yosemite Valley.
We got lucky and were able to reserve a very pretty campsite at North Pines Campground in Yosemite Valley. It was situated right beside Tenaya Creek…
and adjacent to the Merced River. One would be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful place to camp.
We all arrived at camp separately the night before the planned proposal, which would take place on a hike the following day.
That night a dinner of Spatchcock (Butterflied) Chicken & Twice Baked Potatoes was prepared over the campfire.
Our dearest and oldest friends, Lisa & Tony, surprised us last minute and joined us from their nearby home in Sacramento. They’ve known Taylor since he was in the womb! The following morning we all enjoyed a breakfast of Red Velvet pancakes & strawberries.
To propose, my son planned to take his future bride on a daylong hike up the famous Mist Trail that traverses Vernal Falls.
At the top he planned to find a pretty spot to picnic before popping the question. I offered to prepare a special picnic lunch that Taylor hid away in his backpack for the hike.
I sewed them a picnic blanket as a momento to keep, and packaged everything up in a small red basket.
I also tucked into the basket a sign stating, “She Said Yes,” which we all assumed she would say. I thought it would make a cute photo prop once she had said yes.
And indeed, SHE SAID YES, and they have the pictures to prove it!
While they were off getting engaged, Lisa & I were busy preparing for a celebratory champagne toast & dinner when they returned from their daylong adventure.
Their places were set with some fun Yosemite souvenirs including a Yosemite tin mug set…
and some loving bear hugs in the form of a Christmas ornament.
Lisa even inscribed some commemorative log coasters for the occasion.
And just for fun she gave them a bottle of “Bearetage” Red Wine as well.
There were red lanterns, taper candles & votives for illumination, and I used western-style handkerchief for napkins.
Red roses & greenery cut from a nearby tree were also added.
The end of the table was decorated with gifts and a special bottle of Schramsberg Sparkling Wine that my husband had saved for this occasion.
The kids couldn’t believe their eyes when they arrived back at the campsite happy and giddy and excited to tell us all about their engagement hike & picnic in Yosemite.
Toasts were made and gifts were opened, bringing laughter and happiness to a day that will be forever remembered.
For dinner I made shrimp kabobs marinated in fresh garlic, lemon juice & olive oil
I also prepared my recipe for Decadent Lobster Macaroni & Cheese in a cast iron Dutch Oven.
It was all cooked over the open flames of the campfire.
Lisa was in charge of dessert and did a fine job of assembling red velvet cupcakes, Lolli and Pops macarons & chocolate bars for s’mores by the fire.
All was well in the trailerhood the next morning when we awoke to find a friendly squirrel enjoying the spoils of our prior-night’s celebratory campfire.
SHOP THE LOOK…
- 100% Cotton Red Checkered Tablecloth
- 10″ Red Plastic Plates
- Red Bandana Handkerchief Napkins
- Red Coleman Camping Lantern
- Cast Iron Dutch Oven
- Stemless Wine Glasses
- Hard Plastic Champagne Flutes
- Bamboo Kabob Grilling Sticks
- Wooden Log Disks
- Rustic Wooden Sign
- Red Velvet Pancake Mix
So there you have it: SHE SAID YES!
Thanks so much for dropping in!
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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Unless otherwise noted, all photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission. This post contains affiliate links which help to make this blog possible. Thank you for your support.
