Senator Marco Rubio and his wife, Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio, marked their 27th wedding anniversary on October 17 with a celebration that was equal parts love, laughter, and reflection. The longtime couple, who wed in 1998, revisited the story of their unforgettable Valentine’s Day proposal — one that began with a movie-inspired plan and ended with a moment straight out of a romantic comedy.
Jeanette shared a heartfelt message on Instagram alongside a photo of the two smiling together at home: “Happy anniversary to my best friend and my everything! I thank God for you, and I am truly blessed to be your wife. I love you with all my 
.”
The couple’s love story dates back to their college days in Florida, but it was on Valentine’s Day 1997 in New York City that Rubio decided to take their relationship to the next level. Inspired by Jeanette’s love of Sleepless in Seattle, he planned to propose atop the Empire State Building — but convincing her to go up wasn’t easy.
“It was freezing that day,” Rubio recalled in a past interview with Parade. “She didn’t want to go to the observation deck, so I had to lure her there. I told her, ‘I love King Kong. I’ve always wanted to climb the Empire State Building!’”
Jeanette laughed remembering it: “I was like, ‘Seriously, Marco?’”
Still, she agreed to go — and moments later, they were standing 102 stories above Manhattan. There, shivering in the cold wind, Rubio dropped to one knee and proposed. “The moment was perfect,” Jeanette said, “until he took the ring back.”
“I was afraid she would drop it over the edge of the building,” Rubio explained with a grin. “I said, ‘Let’s wait until we’re on the ground. Then I’ll give it back to you.’”