Rules of Engagement
The old house & the ring: Her New Orleans connections inspired a romanticproposal
Caroline Rosen and Adam Funk were engaged in New Orleans.
Adam Funk and Caroline Rosen in Paris
Adam Funk and Caroline Rosen on top of the Eiffel Tower.
We wonder what that creative Adam Funk would have come up with had the love of his life not had those strong New Orleans ties. But no need to surmise, for Adam swept his sweetheart of two years, Caroline Rosen, off to New Orleans for a last-minute surprise trip that entailed more surprises than she ever imagined.
Adam had said that he wanted to treat Caroline to a special birthday trip for her upcoming 28th and off they went to the Big Easy, checking into the Ritz-Carlton where they enjoyed a leisurely brunch. Then, oddly, Adam announced that they had a 1 p.m appointment but wouldn't say where.
They hopped into a cab and traversed the city streets until they ended up in front of Caroline's late grandparents' home. The house had been badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina and was sold to a young couple who tackled the renovations. The couple invited Adam and Caroline in and encouraged them to look around while they waited in the garden.
But the house held too many memories and Caroline broke down in tears. Her mother had grown up there. Her parents had become engaged there and she was conceived under that roof. Caroline had sweet memories of her late grandmother and happy childhood days spent visiting there. Through her tears, she insisted on leaving and was miffed that Adam had not prepared her for such an emotional afternoon.
But he wouldn't let her leave and finally directed to her to the dining room, where to her total surprise, he dropped to one knee and said, according to Caroline's e-mail, "This house is a big part of your past and I want to be a part of your future." Her response, "I was in complete and total shock and didn't say yes for about 10 minutes!!!"
The new owners returned to the house and toasted the engagement with champagne and had their own surprise for the young lovers.
"They had found one of my grandmother's dresses in the attic and they wanted us to have it," Caroline wrote. "It was the dress my dear grandmother had made for my mom's wedding. There were so many cosmic forces going on that great day!"
They finished the day with a couples massage and later dinner at Commander's Palace. After breakfast at Cafe Du Monde, they headed back to Houston where Adam is a trial lawyer and Caroline handles marketing and communications for a CPA firm.
They will wed in April at Shadow Hawk Golf Club.
