It started by the water.

From the Michigan shoreline where their relationship began, to the Atlantic where they first said "I love you," to the Pacific where he asked her to spend forever with him, each chapter of their story has unfolded by the water.

Except she had no idea.

She thought she was going on a work trip. In reality, the entire trip was an elaborate ruse, carefully planned so he could surprise her with a proposal. And what better place for it than the Garrapata Park in Big Sur, California just hours away from San Francisco airport—dreamy, wild, and almost too beautiful to feel real. Fog rolling over the cliffs, waves crashing against the summer coastline, and seals disappearing beneath the water only to pop back up again, as if playing an endless game of hide-and-seek.

There was even a little bit of meaning hidden in the details. They chose 8.8 as their date, and the ring has eight stones—a subtle nod to a number that had become special to them.

Three oceans. One love story. And one very unexpected "work trip" that turned into forever.