How we met
I started working at Reynolds Garden Shop when I turned 17. My best friend had been working there for a year and called me for a summer job. I knew Reynolds was someplace I would love to be. At the time, Luke had been working in the nursery of the garden center. I was briefly introduced to him and went on about my business as a shop girl. It wasn’t long until I noticed he happened to be wherever I was.
We somehow always ended up having lunch at the same time. I thought it was just a coincidence until I started hearing about the huge crush he had on me. It took Luke about a year of chasing me around until he finally worked up the courage and asked me on a date. He took me to dinner that night to Yellow Fin in Surf City. We had the most amazing time. I could tell he was super nervous (as was I) but he was incredible in that he knew exactly how to make me laugh, so it never became awkward. After that night, we never spent a day apart. Fast forward five years: we are still working for the family business, still taking our lunch together, and he is still always making me laugh.
How he Proposed
In October of 2013, Luke surprised me with a weekend getaway to the lovely Congress Hall Resort of Cape May. We were so excited to enjoy a romantic weekend that we packed up and left early that Friday to make our way down. There is so much history and beauty to Congress Hall (like much of Cape May) that once we arrived we took our sweet time admiring all the hotel had to offer and got settled in for the weekend. I had suggested a few places we could go for dinner, but to my surprise, Luke had already made reservations for us. He mentioned a restaurant that was highly recommended, and that he thought would be the perfect place to start off our weekend. Peter Shields is in a Georgian revival mansion built in 1907, and the view is breathtaking. As we arrived, I stood outside the building in awe of how beautiful it was. I turned around and Luke was on one knee; he asked me to marry him. I was never more sure of anything in my life.