It was the day before my birthday, December 8, 2021. Connor called me while I was at work. He mentioned that this year, for my birthday, he was going to gift me an experience. “Meet me at The Plaza after work,” he said. I replied, “Okay, exciting! But I need a change of clothes. Also, are we staying there?” He said, “Don’t worry, I got you.” I insisted, “No, I need to tell you what to pack.” So he said, “Okay, FaceTime me.”

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I did, and there he was, trying to pack a bag for me. I asked, “Should I bring my walking-around boots or my nicer boots?” He said, “The nicer boots—it’s The Plaza!” The reason I asked was, of course, the nicer boots were less comfortable, with a small heel, but it was all about to make sense. I helped him, and then I headed to The Plaza after work. He was waiting for me in the hotel lobby with two cocktails. I was so excited—I’ve always loved fancy experiences like this!

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When we got to the room, there was champagne ready to toast for my birthday and chocolate-covered strawberries that said, Happy Birthday, Daniela! We toasted and then headed uptown to an amazing dinner at Quality Bistro.

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The next morning—on my actual birthday—we woke up to Frank Sinatra playing on The Plaza's radio station. I changed into my robe and started getting ready. I began receiving birthday calls, and one of them was from a friend who joked, “Okay, you are literally in a holiday movie; all that’s missing is the ring!” I laughed—never in a million years would I have thought that was the day.

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We had breakfast at the restaurant downstairs, and Connor said, “Let’s buy some champagne and drink it in the park. After all, we’re never off on a Wednesday.” I said, “Okay, fun!” We stepped outside, and it was freezing! I told Connor, “Let’s go to Bergdorf and get you a scarf.”

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We ended up wandering through every floor until we found an associate, only to realize we were in the wrong building—men’s was across the street! We finally crossed over, and I could see Connor getting antsy. “I’m not buying a thousand-dollar scarf right now,” he said, realizing all they had was Loro Piana. I laughed, “Okay, do you want to go to Ralph Lauren or something?” But he said, “No, let’s just go to the park.”

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We started walking through the park, and I kept suggesting, “Let’s sit here, let’s sit here,” whenever I saw a bench. But he insisted we keep going until we found the perfect spot. Finally, we arrived at the classic fountain, where some musicians were playing. I said, “Okay, it doesn’t get better than this. Let’s sit down—my feet are starting to hurt with these boots, and I can’t feel my ears!”

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Connor replied, “Okay, but let’s take a picture at the Bow Bridge first. My dad wants one.” I said, “Let’s drink the champagne first.” He insisted, “No, let’s do it quickly—it’s going to rain later.” I agreed, “Okay, let’s go.”

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As we approached the bridge, I noticed a girl who looked just like his friend, Mahry. “Is that Mahry?” I asked. He replied, “Looks like her, but no.” That’s when I felt something was off. I kept looking at her, but he kept trying to distract me. “Look at the ducks! Look at that building!”

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Then he handed his phone to a random couple and asked them to take a photo of us. We smiled at the camera, and I turned again to spot Mahry. But when I turned back to Connor, I saw him down on one knee.

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My world shut down, and I think I blacked out. I remember thinking, He’s joking, right? People were clapping, and it finally hit me. I said, “Yes!” He put the ring on my finger, and then I saw Mahry taking pictures of us. “I knew it was you!” I said. “How special that you’re here—you’re the one who introduced us!”

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They laughed. “Oh yes, we didn’t think about that!” It turned out Mahry knew about the proposal. She had asked Connor if he had hired a photographer, and when he said no, she insisted, “Connor, you need photos! I’ll take them.” She kindly met us at the park at the planned time.

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We called our family and friends and toasted on repeat. We were on cloud nine—it was the best birthday ever! We ended the night at Carbone with a birthday cake baked for me by a client. It was a wonderful, unforgettable day!