For Kellie Pickler, June 15 has long been "sad and hard for me," as it is the birthday of her late grandmother, Faye Pickler.
But the traditional sadness of the day turned to happiness last week, when Pickler's boyfriend, songwriter Kyle Jacobs, proposed on a Florida beach at sunset.
“It turned out to be the most amazing day of my life. My whole world changed. We both feel like we got my grandmother’s blessing.”
Pickler considers Jacobs's proposal a moment she hardly could have imagined. "I remember saying to Kyle, 'Baby it's like I'm dreaming -- but if this isn't real, I'm going to be very upset!' "
Jacobs meticulously planned the proposal, arranging a blanket, champagne and candles to be waiting as they strolled on the beach. "Afterward, we just held each other and had the most beautiful prayer," Jacobs says. "We had a little champagne and talked and laughed and cried."
The couple met through friends about 2 1/2 years ago, and Pickler, who was raised by her grandmother after her mother left and her father went to jail, says she learned how to have a healthy relationship from her new fiancé.
"We're all just happy for each other," Pickler says. "I'm sure we'll be having some girl talk and we'll share ideas. We just keep joking about how there must be something in the water!"
The couple has yet to set the date for the ceremony.
