Alvaro proposed to Shea on September 3, 2023, at the Torrey Pines Glider Port in La Jolla, but the idea of the proposal process started long before that day.

According to Alvaro, he knew he was going to propose at the beginning of 2023, when (after several glasses of champagne) he told his brothers and parents that he was going to pop the question at some point this year. The real planning started around March of 2023 when he enlisted the help of his sister-in-law, Sharon, and Shea's best friend, Jenn, to help get ideas of what Shea would like.

From there, he started asking for her family's blessings. The first question was the easiest; asking their cat Noir if Alvaro could marry her mom. Without much of a dispute, he moved forward by FaceTiming Shea's sister, Julia, who was living in Costa Rica at the time, to ask what she thought about the upcoming proposal. Teary-eyed Julia, of course, said yes and was excited to help in any way she could. The final question was to Shea's parents. He asked them to meet at Vigilucci's, the Italian restaurant in Carlsbad where he had first met them almost two years ago. Alvaro had already gone to the jeweler to start planning the ring, but little did Alvaro know, Shea's parents had a surprise for him that night. Shea's parents suspected Alvaro was going to ask for their blessing since it was unusual for Alvaro to plan a dinner without including Shea.

When Alvaro asked for their blessing, they not only said yes, but they gave him a family ring with a special stone that they hoped he would incorporate into Shea's engagement ring. The ring belonged to Shea's Aunt Catherine, Tom's sister. Before she passed away, Aunt Catherine, or Aunt Datie as Shea called her, had asked her husband John to save her ring for Shea, her niece and goddaughter. Both Alvaro and Shea were unaware that that ring had been waiting in the Solazzo's safe for almost 20 years. Alvaro was honored to be given the ring and happily decided to use the main diamond as the centerpiece for Shea's engagement ring. Alvaro's parents had also given him a family heirloom which he used to encompass the diamond from Shea's aunt. The result was a beautiful ring that meant so much to Shea, Alvaro, and their families.

The next step was planning the logistics of the proposal. The Glider Port in La Jolla was an obvious choice for Alvaro, as that was where he and Shea spent their first Valentine's Day and many subsequent dates, and it is where Alvaro first realized he was in love with Shea.

Alvaro knew it was important to include their families in some way but wanted to keep it a surprise for Shea. After discussing it with his parents, they decided to schedule the proposal the day after his brother's and cousin's baby showers, which ensured that Alvaro's family would be in town from Mexico City and might throw Shea off. He also discussed it with Shea's parents to ensure that her parents and sister would be in town for the proposal.

On the morning of the proposal, Alvaro told Shea that they were going to a "cousin's brunch" at La Estancia and started driving into La Jolla. Alvaro was visibly nervous and Shea had a feeling that something weird was happening but brushed it off. After they arrived at the Glider Port, Alvaro took Shea's hands, got down on one knee, and asked her to marry him. Of course, she said yes!

As soon as he got back on his feet, they both heard shouting in the distance and looked up to see that both their parents and their siblings had been watching from a nearby balcony. Alvaro had done the perfect job of including both of their families without making Shea too nervous during the proposal.

After a celebratory champagne toast with family, they headed back to Alvaro's parent's house where Alvaro had planned a surprise engagement party with their family and friends. Alvaro had planned the perfect proposal!

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