Beloved Readers,

That’s right! After two years of responsible (nonsensical) bridal blogging based on reliable sources (gossip) and intensive research (happy hours) Bridezilla will officially be offering her very own up-close-and-personal account of the wedding planning process-because she just got engaged Yes, engaged! * ecstatic jumping, shrill giggles*

Ahem. As we all know, it’s no easy feat for a Bridezilla* (woman of outspoken opinions, cruel-hearted wit, and hyperventilating mood swings) to find a truly stellar feller to love her through it all. But Bridezilla.com was founded on the belief that it is possible-and it is. To hear how I snagged the very best Groomzilla of all (using tried-and-true Bridezilla tactics of course) read on….

Bridezilla and Groomzilla:

Jade Nirvana Ingmire and Branden Root

Engagement Date: December 31st, 2008 (our 2-year anniversary)

The Proposal: My Bridezilla transformation took place around 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve 2008. Branden and I had just checked in to our penthouse suite at Seattle’s Fairmont Olympic Hotel. Looking back, my soon-to-be Groomzilla did seem unusually snuggly, but I was too busy prowling the hotel room’s amenities (french doors! Dean and Deluca chocolate bars!) to be suspicious.
The moment came with a bent knee and a sharp indrawn breath. I turned around from checking out our panoramic city view to see Branden in full Groomzilla pose, with a big grin on his face and a little red ring box in his hand. I am pretty sure I looked like something out of Toon Town as my eyes zoomed out of my head when he said the words “Jade Nirvana Ingmire, will you marry me?”

I was shaking so hard but I managed a “yes.” His eyes teared up but I was too shocked to cry. I never knew getting engaged was such a physical experience, but I was barely thinking anything as pure happiness flooded my entire body. I literally thought I was going to buckle over.Even if I hadn’t known before that I wanted to marry Branden (which I did) my body’s pure euphoria in that moment would have swept away any doubt.

The Engagement After-Party: After the deal was sealed we went down to our friend’s suite with champagne and strawberries to share the good news. That went something like this:

Bridezilla Bonus Features

• The special hand-painted champagne flutes my mom got us.
• Having the piano player serenade us to Billy Joel’s “I love you just the way you are.”
• A front row seat for the gorgeous Space Needle fireworks.
• Finding out B asked my parents for my hand on Christmas day.

How I know He’s the One: A master of diplomacy, Branden proposed with his grandma’s ring so that he wouldn’t pop the question empty-handed, but I would still be able to pick out my own ring later, in true Bridezilla fashion. Swoon!