I’ve been together with Ford for a couple of years now, and figured it was about time to take it to the next step. Personally I’m not someone who places a lot of value on marriage, etc., aside from the legal rightsit gives you. I know how I feel about Ford, and that doesn’t changed…
Continue reading: Introduction: Pulling Off A Very Special Surprise Trip
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Saw the instagram post by Ford some time ago, and thought you were planning to keep quiet about it on the blog's end. But no, with this installment, we shall know all the details!
A very big congratulations and best wishes to the exciting paths ahead for you and Ford!
OK, taking Ford in The Residence trip would have been a great proposal, but I must admit this bears it. Congratulations on the perfect proposal, and the perfect guy!
You will make all of us a virtual part of your wedding, right?
Congrats guys!
I surprised my wife with a trip to Germany when I proposed; it took a lot of planning and involvement of other folks to pull it off. Even booked a refundable "return" ticket when she thought she was just coming to see me for a couple days to keep up the surprise! Looking forward to the story.
Congrats - but you might want to look at your map. PGD is punta gorda, Florida, not Podgorica, Montenegro. Your map looks like you flew from Punta Gorda to Paris, which I assume you didnt.
+1 on the mistake about Podgorica. The airport code is TGD, since the city used to be called "Titograd" (Tito - City) back in the days of former Yugoslavia.
Ha, well chosen man, Aman Sveti Stefan is probably my favorite Aman, what a great place to propose.
Hey Ben,
I think we actually got married in your room at the Shangri-la hotel. mikeandgeoff.com
It really was an amazing room and a perfect terrace for a wedding.
Congrats on your surprise!
Happy for you. We LOVE Aman Sveti Stefan! Right now it's the octopus season so I hope you had their delectable octopus dishes. I'm sure you know tennis star Djokovic got married in one of those small church on the island.
Congratulations to you lovelies! I was very much hoping you'd share this. Can't wait to read the rest.
Congratulations! Really looking forward to the rest of this series... as long as Ford said yes, if he turned you down I don't want to read any further.
congrats Ben- I've been looking forward to this trip report. Happy for you guys! Of note, I've actually been able to book Amans that require credit card authorizations with Citi prestige... it does however require a little more work (i.e. contacting the hotel in advance).. it also ends up being a case of HUACA with Aspire as well... but it's definitely worth it to save that money....
FDW
You just dropped $9,000 on 10 nights of lodging. That's more than I make in two months.
I'm happy you found love but obviously you're a little too successful for miles/points by now
I like this blog as much for the travel aspect as I do for the sheer ridiculousness of what is available out there if one has enough money. 930EUR per night in Paris is more than my mortgage payment each month, so it's hard for me see it as good value. I am nonetheless excited to read about your trip and hope you had a good time.
Congrats! I didn´t understand if the entire trip was a surprise (from NYC) or just the destination.
And I agree with another comment, you should have proposed in Lufhtansa First Class, having the Captain officiating, and have the wedding party at the FCT. 🙂
Many congrats! Honestly, a proposal is special regardless of where you are or (usually) how it's done, but it doesn't hurt to be staying at extra nice hotels. My husband proposed at home after I ordered him to change his original dinner plans.
In any case, now you have to think about how to top this for your honeymoon! Fun times.
Wait, you're gay?
Why am I always the last to know these things?
Congrats, dudes.
Ben, congratulations on getting engaged, I'm happy for you.
I'm sorry I've been mean to you before
Congrats guys and looking forward to the reports 🙂
P.S. And of course he said "yes"!!!!! :-))))
Congratulations you two! Can't wait to hear all about it! I love Paris - used to live there, and it's the perfect city to propose!
Firstly, congratulations!
I have to think, despite both of yours and Ford's love for travel, wouldn't it have been more romantic (and creative) to devise a way propose in a way that didn't revolve around what essentially is your day job? That would have been truly unique!
Congratulations!!! A couple of the comments make me laugh out loud. I'm glad someone ("n") apologized for being mean in the past. Love can make bad turn into good!!
This is fantastic. Congrats Ben. Totally agree with you on the material things vs. experiences debate.
Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together! Congratulations and thanks for sharing. Good news is always welcome.
Congrats to you both and a lovely story. I was taken aback when you said you've been with Ford for a few years now ... can't believe how fast that time has gone.
Congratulations on your engagement. I wish you both all the joy and happiness in the world.
@Phil sez: "...wouldn’t it have been more romantic (and creative) to devise a way [to] propose in a way that didn’t revolve around what essentially is your day job? That would have been truly unique!"
No, it would not have been because @Lucky's "day job" is a PASSION and not your conventional 8-to-5 day job that's usually boring and a chore. Because travel is a PASSION for both @Lucky and @Ford, devising a way to propose that revolves around that PASSION, especially with the challenge of trying to make it a novel, memorable and perfect travel experience, made it, well, unique.
Congrats, guys!
Congratulations, Ben & Ford! I can't wait to read more details of the trip.
@aaron - "round" birthday is a birthday which ends in a 0, so 40, 50, 60 etc. I think Ben took his father on his round the world trip for his father's 50th birthday.
Congratulations, Ben!
Your surprise trips have been some of your best work. Your dads surprise trip was hysterical reading through.
Congrats. My partner and I got married at San Francisco City Hall in 2004. Wasn't legal at the time. Still waiting to do it again. We have been together 26 years. I hope you and Ford can celebrate that anniversary some day.
Can't wait for the rest of the story!
Wonderful. Best wishes! ❤️ watching your life unfold. Hubby and I have been together 38 years so love the you found your buddy for life. Safe travels forward ❤️
Best regards and very best wishes . We always need more happy people in this world .
congrats and all the best ...
whilst we're in the subject of aman, i think you haven't published your south east asia trip report where you went with ford and stayed at a few amans ?
is that also coming?
Congratulations to both of you . It all looks beautiful and romantic. If I propose to my other half in the ibis budget do you think he'll say yes?
Congrats! Love seeing everyone jumping in with best wishes to you both.
Any chance we can get an installment from Ford on the whole trip? I've enjoyed reading the perspective of your co-pilots (your parents, Andrew, Matt, Matthew K) and I bet this one would be special as well.
Congrats Ben! Look forward to your planning of the honeymoon. My suggestion is to go French Polynesia since you've never been and can finally review TN. My wife and I stayed at thalasso in bora bora and Hilton mores for ours. I know it's pretty hard to get reward nights now but think it'd be worth the paid rates.
Congrats to you both. Good thing you can turn you wedding proposal trip into a business expense because the nightly costs for those hotels is serious money. Looking forward to the future posts.
Congrats bud.
As much as I dislike your cc pumping. You seem like a solid guy otherwise and wish you both the best!
I'm not anti-gay, but pls don't marry. You could gave legal issues when flying through the middle East.
Congratulations to you & Ford - may you have a long, happy & healthy life together
CONGRATULATIONS. The most fun one I saw was at an Star trek convention were a guy proposed to his friend. Keep up the good story's BIG fan of your blog!
Belated congratulations to you both.
If everyone you have so selflessly shown how to travel smarter could attend the ceremony, you would fill a stadium with well wishers.
Congrats!
I'm guessing that your wedding gift registry will include only miles and points...!
Being a reader for years now it really makes me happy to see how far you've come in your personal and professional life. Out of all the trip reports I've read and enjoyed of yours I'm most excited about this one as I feel like I've grown up beside you and now we get to come along with you as you take the next step in your life. I wish you and Ford all the best and think you two make an amazing couple. Best wishes to you both.
Thank you for sharing with us. Sounds like an awesome trip. And congratulations to you and Ford.
Peace out.
@james - these hotels seem expensive, he has to turn his private moments into business to claim back on them. I mean look at this, he barely used any points for any of his hotels and yet he talks about them on his blog about points.
Congrats Ben!!! Can't wait to read more, sounds like such a thoughtful and amazing trip!
Sincere congratulations. Ben, are you now able to admit that Paris is a wonderfully romantic city? I do hope that Ford has educated you in the delights of this amazing city. When should I expect the wedding invitation?
Congratulations to you both!! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness together (and many more Aman experiences!)
Congratulations, Ben. My partner and I decided to get married last week. We're planning it now. All the best to you and Ford.
First off, congrats! Secondly, can you provide some more details on the Citi 4th night free credit card authorization form conflict. Possibly worthy of a blog post? I think I might be running into the same sort of issue currently with a hotel in the Maldives, but I'm not positive.
First comment on your site for me : Congratulations !!! Best wishes to both of you in your future life !!!