Since I have always been a “Ms. Picky Pants” about my plans, hair and men, it is no wonder it took me all these years to find “The One”! 

Weddings on Female First

Weddings on Female First

But, holding out for my true soul mate and best friend proved to be worth the wait, as I received the best night and birthday of a lifetime… the real “old” Hollywood tale I had grown up dreaming about, while watching movies with my idols, Elizabeth Taylor and Mae West! Although a hopeful romantic, who watched too many movies, I never thought about marriage. I was a committed career gal who loved being an actress more than anything in the world…until I met Mark! In two years, we have shared the most romantic life experiences, but have also been through some very challenging times together… and, this is how I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this man who is my true “leading man” and “hero.”

I am excited to share “10 Things To Know About My Engagement” with you fabulous Female First readers:

Mark completely surprised me when he proposed on my birthday. I thought I was dressing for a dinner celebration. I was totally fooled, as I suspected he was going to propose down the road at a Los Angeles RAMS football game!

The proposal came on the hottest September 1st in Hollywood history. It was 108 degrees and, ladies, I do not have to tell you what this does to makeup and frizzy hair! I was a “Hot Mess”!

At 4PM, I walked outside to the car, when the most exquisite 1940s Cadillac limousine pulled up to our home! It was like a scene out of Sunset Boulevard.

Inside the limousine, Mark made a birthday toast and handed me a gift. He knows that I grew up performing in musical theatre and one of my favorite things to do is see a Broadway show at the historical Pantages Theater. He knew that I had been dying to see the popular, Hamilton, and I unwrapped my gift to a pair of orchestra seats.

We were driven to the fabulous Griffith Observatory, which has been preserved forever in Hollywood history in films like Rebel Without a Cause and La La Land.

Mark knows that ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of seeing the Hollywood sign, so we exited the car and he led me to the “James Dean” section with the greatest view of it.

As I turned around, Mark was on one knee, PROPOSING! It was right out of that movie again! The rest is such a blur, as I looked up to see one of my favorite red carpet photographers, Greg Doherty, shooting photos of our engagement (Thanks, Katz PR Angels!).

Mark got us to our dinner reservation at one of my favorite “old school” New York stomps, RAO’S! He reserved our favorite “Tony Soprano” table, as my dream as an actress, is to play a role like Carmela Soprano one day!

Totally unplanned, one of my favorite Frank Sinatra songs, that has been one of my lifelong theme songs, “My Way”, was playing as we sat down in our booth… talk about “engagement serendipity”!

After dinner, we headed to the majestic Pantages Theater to see Hamilton, which will go down in Broadway history!

As I share “10 Things To Know About My Engagement,” I realize that a “Hot Mess” of a girl from across the country can have her Hollywood dreams come true! XO Brooke Lewis


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