I am so thrilled to announce that my longtime boyfriend, Drew, asked me to marry him on New Year’s Eve while we were in Colorado with my family for the holidays.
We are beyond excited for this next chapter in our lives and have truly treasured the kind words of celebration we’ve received from friends near and far.
Drew + Cait
Drew and I have been dating since the fall of 2017 and recently moved across the country together from Washington, D.C. to Seattle, Washington.
Since our first date, I knew I would love Drew. He took me to El Chucho, a taqueria in northwest Washington, D.C., and we talked for hours. We quickly became a couple and have been inseparable ever since.
If you know Drew, you adore him. He is one of the most caring, inclusive and engaging people I’ve ever met. The last three plus years of dating have been an absolute dream and I am beyond confident Drew will be a wonderful husband. And I am so excited and humbled to soon become his wife!
The Proposal
As a Colorado native, I grew up skiing most weekends and winter holidays. I grew up on the mountain and have been skiing since I was four years old. So, New Year’s Eve 2021 began no different than any other year: skiing with Drew and my father at our home mountain of Winter Park Resort. Mid-morning, my father had to take a business call and left Drew and me on the slopes. This was relatively normal; my father is a busy lawyer and often has to work on holidays and weekends, so I really didn’t think anything of his absence.
Drew and I continued to ski for more than an hour and decided to grab a warm drink at the ski lodge at the top of the mountain. Though I knew we would be getting engaged soon, I really did not expect for Drew to propose while we were skiing. For one, I didn’t think Drew would be able to bend down on one knee while wearing ski boots – clearly I was wrong!
When Drew suggested we hike up to the top of some nearby runs to have a passerby take our picture, I began to think something was up. For starters, I had to hike uphill in ski boots, carrying my skis and poles, for about 30 yards. Needless to say I was out of breath and was still unsure of what was about to happen.
We finally reached the top of the Bradley’s Bash run, a beautiful mountaintop overlooking the Fraser valley and the town of Winter Park. As we took off our goggles and ski helmets, Drew whispered, “are you ready?” As I saw my dad peek around the corner with a camera, I knew Drew was about to propose.
If you know Drew, you know he is incredibly good with words – and his proposal was no different. In the sweetest, most thoughtful way, Drew took my hands in his, got down on one knee and asked me to be his bride. Emphatically (and tearfully) – YES!
The Surprise
As soon as I said “yes,” I heard cheering nearby. Though I had seen my father, I had not seen Drew’s sister, mother and father as well as my mother and brother. Through tears, I called out to Drew’s family – I had just been texting with his sister and thought they were back in Seattle. Instead, Drew had organized flying his family out to Colorado to surprise me. Truly, having both of our families on the mountain for our engagement was the biggest and best surprise I could have ever wished for. Both Drew’s mother and my father took the incredible photos you see here and captured our engagement so beautifully.
Drew had worked for weeks with the director of operations at Winter Park Resort to arrange having non-skiers meet the two of us on the mountain to surprise me.
Our families were able to ring in the New Year together at my family’s mountain house to celebrate 2021 and our engagement. We had the best time skiing together on New Year’s Day and enjoying the joining of our two families. The entire weekend was an absolute dream and such a joy to share with our loved ones. Drew did so, so well and made the entire experience perfect.
I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with Drew and just know there are so many more adventures in store for the two of us. 2021 is already off to a great start!
xx,
Cait
Girl at Altitude 