Surprise Engagement in a Custom Dress

My Sister is Engaged!

The story of how I helped her fiancé propose with a little bit of trickery....

For today’s WIP Wednesday, I have both a project update and a fun story about my baby sister’s engagement — a surprise that required me to lie straight through my teeth for months (all for a good cause!).

My sister Emma is my best friend, so when her wonderful boyfriend Pete told me he was planning to propose, I was over the moon. He even flew his family out from Florida and invited a bunch of their friends so they could all be there for the big moment. The only challenge was getting Emma to the right place, looking gorgeous, with nails that wouldn’t clash with the ring... without raising any suspicion.

That’s where I came in…

We crafted the perfect cover story: Emma was going to do a photoshoot with me wearing an outfit I had made for her birthday. The outfit featured her two favorite colors — orange and blue — with a handmade orange corset beaded in blue and a wrap skirt that ombrés from orange to blue.

She came over, we did her hair and makeup, and of course I made sure her nails were freshly done “for the photoshoot.” She looked stunning. My sister Angelique and I drove her to my parents’ house, where everything was set to happen.

When she walked in and saw rose petals leading toward the backyard, she immediately knew something was up. The moment she saw Pete standing in front of a heart made of roses, she yelled, “You lied to me!” and then burst into happy tears.

She met him under the rose heart, he got down on one knee, and she said yes! Then all our friends and family popped out from their hiding places and we spent the day celebrating the newly engaged couple. We laughed and laughed as we went over all the little lies we told to keep the surprise. Emma was shocked at how good we were at keeping secrets, but we promised her it was all done with love.

I’m so incredibly happy for my sister and thrilled that our plan worked out. Sometimes being a good sister requires a little harmless trickery, haha!