Stacey Wions and Aleck Johnson

May 8, 2004
Binghamton, New York

  About Us

About Stacey
I was born in Maryland and moved to Binghamton, NY when I was 9. I graduated from Vestal High School and SUNY at Buffalo. I moved to DC for a one year internship and stayed! I earned my Master's degree in Social Work from Catholic University in 2003 and work as a Case Manager at Bread for the City. I love Aleck more every day because he cares about me, and more importantly because he makes me laugh.

About Aleck
I was raised in Claremont, CA. Following college, I went East, where I was lucky enough to meet Stacey, who is without a doubt the light of my life.

 How We Met
Stacey and Aleck met in Washington, DC through Adeena Colbert when Adeena and Stacey were roommates. Adeena worked in an office where Aleck also had office space and they met when Stacey would come to meet Adeena after work. They saw each other at office functions of his and Adeena's and spoke on the phone for the first time after Adeena related that Stacey had recently purchased a Packard Bell computer to carry her through graduate school and he felt compelled to call. "Stacey, Stacey, Stacey," he said, shaking his head and sighing. "If anything ever goes wrong with it, and it will, call me and I'll fix it for you." "Thanks," she answered. "Hey," he replied, "that's what friends are for."

So a few weeks later he called again and got her machine. She was unemployed and screening calls. He asked her out on the machine (on the machine!) while she stood there listening (Stacey still hasn't lived this one down. Why did she even tell him?!). Coming up is quite a sore spot in their early relationship: She didn't call him back. That night or the next. (Not for three days!) She had plans to be at his office later in the week and decided to answer in person, only later finding out that by then, he almost said no! Luckily for us all, he gave her one last shot. Their first date was on March 27, 1999.

THE PROPOSAL

When we got engaged

May 18, 2002

How it Happened
Aleck bought the ring in Binghamton in March and hid it for 2 months in the tool box (somewhere Stacey would never go, but where she will look first for everything from now on). They decided to go away overnight to celebrate 3 years of dating (belatedly) and Aleck, knowing that he was going to propose that weekend, let Stacey plan the entire thing. She chose the location (Williamsburg, VA), the hotel, the restaurant for dinner, and even researched things to do in the area. During dinner Aleck took her down the most misleading path he could, all but saying he just wasn't ready for marriage right now. Stacey argued that they could certainly have a long engagement; just give her a damn ring already! She even went so far as to offer help in picking one out. After dinner Aleck wanted to take a walk through Colonial Williamsburg and Stacey, of course, was cold and wanted to go back to the hotel and get some hot chocolate. Aleck said, "Just walk with me." So they walked, with Aleck trying to set a mood and Stacey, figuring her chances at getting engaged anytime soon were shot, was oblivious and stopped every few feet to blow her nose. Very romantic. Finally they sat on a bench. He said he had two questions for her. He asked her, if she were to help him pick out a ring, would it look like this one (and he then presented the ring). And then he slid off the bench onto his knee and asked his second question: would she marry him. (And then he got back on the bench because the ground was cold.) And she said yes.

Registries

Bed Bath & Beyond
Target
Mikasa