It was on the 29th of August, 2017. Yllena and Stas had barely been in Amsterdam for an hour before they headed to the boat with their family friend Tim Delong. Yllena had been out on the Delong’s Boat before. Since they had planned to take the same kind of trip as before, weather permitting of course, Yllena didn’t suspect anything at all.

So, there she was, enjoying the Amsterdam scenery, drinking wine and eating cheese – brightly colored pepper cheese.

For Stas, it was different. It was nerve-wracking, not because he was afraid she’d say no, but because everything fit together last minute. They took a 2-hour train ride from Brussels and missed their first train due to a delay, so they sat on their suitcases the whole way to Amsterdam.

They got to the city and went to their gracious host’s office to pick-up the key and get ready. Stas briefly mapped out with his host how everything would work that evening and he met Yllena back outside. They went home and got ready. Stas hid the ring in his bag, making sure to get in touch with me so we could plan where I should be positioned and also discuss what were they wearing so I can distinguish them. There are 165 Canals and 1281 Canal Bridges in Amsterdam, can you imagine what would have happened if we hadn’t planned this correctly?!

The time came and they loaded up on the boat with their host/captain and off they went. Stas tried to appear as calm as possible throughout the ride, as they meandered through the canals, so that Yllena didn’t suspect anything. There was one point where Stas thought everything was ruined, as they went under a bridge two young kids cannonballed into the water on both sides of the boat, soaking them, the captain, and the boat. The captain scrambled to dry things off and they laughed about it afterward but it definitely made the moment all the more intense.

After what seemed like forever the captain signaled to Stas with their code signals that the bridge was up ahead, Stas texted me to make sure I was standing by one of the canals next to the NEL Restaurant. Stas signaled to the captain that they were good to go, but he didn’t see the signal and started telling a made up story about “the skinniest house in Amsterdam over here”… Stas finally caught his attention and he hit the throttle to carry them forward.

“As we were approaching the bridge we were looking ahead and I gave Steven the okey-doke signal and he started taking inconspicuous pics as if he was a casual tourist. I directed her attention forward and grabbed the ring box out of my backpack, as she turned around to face me again I stood up and this is all a blur now but I believe I said something along the lines of – “I love you so much and can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you”. I got down on one knee and said: “Will you marry me?”. This all occurred on the front side of the canal, as we went under the canal, Steven ran around to the other side and snapped the photos of her saying yes and me putting the ring on her finger. Our captain pulled the boat over and as Yllena was crying I said, “meet Steven! He’s our photographer”. He hopped on board and documented a moment that we will never forget. The boat ride was perfect, the photos were perfect, and more importantly, Yllena said YES!”

“I love everything about Yllena, she’s got the most beautiful blue eyes, with the warmest smile, and the kindest heart. She’s not afraid to be her weird, authentic self around me and that drew me to her from the start. She’s intelligent and driven and makes me laugh, we challenge each other to think and grow. She has a vision for what she wants in life and that’s so sexy, I can see her changing the world and I want to help her achieve her dreams just as she helps me achieve mine. She’s my best friend and nothing makes me happier than the times we’ve spent together and the times ahead.”

Yllena is the type of girl that loves traveling around the world and make memories with the love of her life. Yllena and Stas started dating a little less than 2 months before she was supposed to graduate as a nurse and move back to Kentucky. She knew that her life wouldn’t be complete without Stas, so she called her mom and told her that she was going to stay in Virginia.

One of their very first dates, believe it or not, was dinner with Stas’s family for his mother’s birthday. Yllena loves kiwis and one day she found an unripe kiwi in Stas’ lunch – I had jokingly told him I’d love him when it turned ripe. Well, that night at the dinner, Stas’s family went to cut the cake open and apparently the bottom layer of the cake was a layer of kiwi fruit! Yllena and Stas look at each other and started cracking up immediately.

This is Stas Novitsky, he’s a brand manager and entrepreneur in Richmond, VA. Stas saw Yllena the morning she had a teaching assignment at the center as part of her curriculum. Stas saw Yllena that morning, with her messy hair, baggy sweater, and ugly khaki school dress pants and thought, “I am gonna marry that beautiful girl”. 

Yllena and her classmate sat in the group Stas was running. “I was wearing this black patterned Japanese kimono that day and giving a lesson about the 4 control dramas of people to stay away from in life – I guess that talk moved her enough to give me a chance”, said Stas.

Stas and Yllena, thank you for allowing me to document your special day. I wish you guys the best as you navigate life together. Much love + Appreciation, friends