Carly and Cotie

Posted Monday, September 21, 2009 1:32 PM

Cotie and I had been together for three-and-a-half years. We met at work. We live together, have a joint bank account, share a car...we're practically married. Cotie and I spent months looking for a ring, and I finally picked out the one that I wanted my entire life. I even knew when it was ready to be picked up.

This doesn't sound like much of a proposal...it gets better.

My best friend, Jenn, and Cotie had been planning a proposal for me, and I was itching to just get the ring and be engaged! During hours of talking with Jenn, I complained about the length of time I would have to wait and she basically told me, "He's waiting until the winter. He picked out a perfect time and place, so just shut up about it and let him have this."

She made me feel so horrible about wanting to get engaged sooner than later, and totally convinced me that I was going to be proposed to at Christmas, so I shoved every idea out of my head that it would be any sooner. Honestly.

Every year, Jenn's older sister, Amanda, plans a citywide tour-de-force scavenger hunt for Jenn’s and my birthdays, which are 13 days apart. Every year, it ends at a restaurant for dinner. This year, we pulled up to Cotie’s and my favorite restaurant and headed in. I distinctly remember thinking, I'm glad it's dark in here because I look awful. It had been a really long day, we were exhausted.

When Amanda gave her name, we were directed to the private room that overlooks the entire restaurant. It's a place Cotie and I had always wanted to sit, and just as I was about to vocalize how jealous he would be, there he was...with a dozen green-dyed roses in hand.

I was like, "Oh...what are you doing here?" I thought he was just surprising me for my birthday. So I sat down, and motioned for him to sit. He told me to get up, and honestly, I was completely confused, so I did it. He got down on one knee and revealed the ring I had tried to forget about for the last month. I was in utter shock and totally blown away. I don't think I have ever been that surprised in my entire life.

Obviously, I said yes, and Jenn and Amanda snapped pictures and video. It was amazing. We enjoyed a nice meal, sparkling wine, and did all the phone calling that was required.