Watching a couple go from “boyfriend / girlfriend” to engaged, is one of the most magical, indescribable moments we get to witness. When Jon contacted us a couple months ago to tell us about he and his girlfriend, Brittany, and their story, we were immediately on board with his proposal to marry her! These two fell in love in Winter Park, Colorado on one of their first dates together. Jon was teaching Brittany how to ski and said that their relationship immediately solidified after that first trip. He went on to tell us that they had been dating for three years and were coming to Colorado from Nebraska in February. It was there, at Winter Park, that Jon wanted to ask Brittany to be his wife. (Insert all the feels!) Despite a blown tire during their eight hour drive, Jon had his sites set on making this trip a memorable one!
You guys, this proposal was simply magical. We got to know Jon quite well over the last couple of months and knew this moment was going to be perfect for Brittany. As he lead her to a beautiful spot amidst the Rocky Mountains, he distracted her with a selfie to get her to take her gloves and goggles off, and immediately following got down onto one knee. Brittany’s reaction was amazing as she giggled, squealed, and grabbed her new fiancé for a huge hug! Brittany and Jon, it was an honor to be a part of this moment with you! We are so excited for your incredible journey into marriage and can’t wait to hear about wedding day plans! Read more about their love story and enjoy their wintery Colorado proposal photos below!
Love,
Mike and Tay
• How did the two of you meet?
“We had mutual friends watching a Husker football game in the Railyard in Lincoln, Nebraska, so we had both been invited to join. It was really crowded, so we didn’t notice each other at first, then a random girl came up from behind, wrapped her arms around Jon and yelled, “Scott!” and we all turned around to see the astonished and puzzled look on Jon’s face, and the girl run off, likely mortified. So our first conversation stemmed from him clarifying his name was in fact Jon, not Scott.”
• We know Winter Park holds a special place in your heart. What history do you have here?
Brittany : “A few months after we met, we went to Winter Park with a couple of friends. Jon is an experienced skier and grew up skiing at Winter Park with his family. I had never skied before but Jon thought he could teach me, and for some reason I thought that would be a great idea. When we arrived, Jon and I went to the rental shop at the base to pick up my gear. The guy at the rental counter asked if I’d ever skied before, to which I answered, “No,” with a laugh that hopefully masked my terror. He asked if I needed lessons, and Jon and I both told him Jon would be teaching me. I’ll never forget the look on that guy’s face as he cautioned us of the many fights and breakups he’d seen on the mountain when significant others assumed the role of “ski instructor.” This should’ve made me second guess our plans, especially since we had only known each other a few months, but I fully trusted him.
Nothing can adequately describe how terrified I was going up the lift for the first time, and I seriously contemplated being “that person” who rode the ski lift back down. But, Jon calmly coached me through the entire run, skiing backwards the whole way as he broke down every component of how to turn and stop. Even though I was scared out of my mind and my hip flexors were on fire from snow plowing, he never once showed frustration. We were able to turn something scary and stressful into something humorous, and by the end of that first day, I knew he was the one for me, and we’ve been coming back ever since.”
• Brittany, what were you thinking when Jon started to lead you to take a photo and when did you realize what was about to happen?
“We knew the weather was perfect, and Jon seemed pretty antsy waiting for the lift, which I attributed to his excitement for a full day of skiing. On the ride up, he casually mentioned we should take a picture at the top before the day got away from us and we forgot. Once we got to the top for our first run, we went off to the side and I figured we were in a good place for a picture. Then he told me we should take off our skis and walk up a little higher. I was so confused because this was taking time from skiing, and it seemed like an awful lot of hassle for a selfie, but I went along with it. Then he asked me to take the picture because “it was a better angle,” which conveniently required me to take off my left glove. I just kept thinking, this is odd, but tried not to read into it. I took a quick picture then as I handed him his phone, he paused and gave me a look, and at that point I knew. He held both of my hands, looked me in the eyes, and I think teared up before he even started speaking.”
• Jon, how were you feeling the morning of your proposal?
“I was super excited the weather looked better than it had been the day before. I was also super anxious to get to the spot and also nervous that I would somehow slip up in the hours before and give the surprise away.”
• What do you two remember most about your proposal?
Jon : “Brittany’s answer, ‘Yes!’ Then I remember thinking to myself just don’t drop the ring because I was kneeling in a couple feet of fresh powder. The rest was a little bit of a blur.”
Brittany :”I remember being so excited I could barely contain myself. As he was down on one knee in the snow, it was all I could do to keep myself from wrapping him in a big hug, which I knew would likely cause us both to fall into the snow, but I didn’t know where the ring was and I didn’t want to lose it in the powder, so I kept my composure the best I could! I then heard a camera snapping away, and I remember saying, “Oh look at that! That nice lady caught all of this on camera!” Then Jon told me he hired Taylor and her husband (Mike)! So cool!”
• What did you guys do for the rest of the day?
We stopped at the lodge and immediately called our parents and siblings to share the news, then we skied the rest of the day because the weather was gorgeous! At the end of the day, we left the mountain and headed to Fort Collins to surprise Jon’s grandma, aunt and uncle. We even caught the end of the Super Bowl before crashing for the night.
• Jon, where did you get Brittany’s ring?
“I had the ring custom made at Sartor Hamann in Lincoln, Nebraska, which is also where Brittany’s parents bought their rings 33 years ago.”