Posted Thursday, October 29, 2009 3:02 PM
It all happened in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico! Ash, my fiance, planned a surprise trip for us. I was just asked to pack as many summer clothes as possible. After checking in at the airport, I found out that we were heading to Cabo San Lucas. This trip turned out to be the most memorable getaway. It was very romantic, well-planned, and an absolutely gorgeous place. Two thumbs up to Ash!
The day before we were going to leave, Ash planned for us to have a photo shoot at the beach! Oscar, our photographer, took us to a beautiful dome by the ocean and started directing the shoot, and this is where the plot thickened...
Ash secretively took the ring out of his pocket...
He kept walking around, and I was thinking, Why isn't he standing still for the pictures? Suddenly, he knelt, and there they were, the heart-warming words, the ring, and the Big Question, "Will you marry me?" I was pleasantly surprised, speechless, got butterflies, and then I screamed and shouted, "YES!"
Yahooooo...WE ARE ENGAGED!!!
Posted Tuesday, October 20, 2009 4:46 PM
My fiance, Nimo, planned the surprise of a lifetime when he decided to propose. I never saw it coming, since it was all under the guise of my sister's birthday, when we had all planned to go out to dinner and then to the annual spring concert at our church. Afterward, we were all going to Gallery Hop -- on the first weekend of each month, every boutique and gallery in our area stays open into the evening. It had been forever since I had gone and was very excited when my sister wanted to go too.
After dinner, we all rushed over to the spring concert performed by our dear friends, Jeff, Ian, and company. They’re so talented! Despite the weather reports of 100-percent rain, there wasn’t a drop. The weather was gorgeous and I invited all our friends from the concert to head over to Gallery Hop. My sisters were in a rush, and I attributed it to them wanting to catch a specific gallery before it closed, and then head home.
We all arrived at Paul Palnik's gallery, which features black-and-white cartoon drawings. Nemo pulled me over to a drawing called "Judgement" and said it was his favorite. Then my sister and I continued looking at the artwork, and she pointed out one she liked. While I was looking for the one she was talking about, something that looked like my name in cursive caught my eye. I half-turned toward where I thought my sister would be, saying, "I think I see my name on here..."
That's when I noticed that my sister and all my friends were standing around me in a semicircle. I did a double-take and then turned to see Nemo on one knee with a diamond ring held up toward me. He was babbling something, but in my shock, I only caught a few words, including, "I told you I'm not wasting your time. You would make me the happiest man in the world. Will you marry me?" At this point, I was stunned. We had been together for so long, and I had argued with him so many times about wanting to know whether our relationship was going to move forward or become stagnant. I had sort of given up hope that this day was ever going to happen. My thoughts were a jumble of shock and wonder. The jubilation did not come out correctly -- I asked, "Are you serious?"
Everyone started to laugh. Tears were flowing down my cheeks, but I only cried for about a minute. Someone said, "Um, you might want to say something soon." That's when I nodded, yes, I would be his wife.
Posted Thursday, October 15, 2009 11:00 AM
I planned a trip for Bryan's birthday to Newport, Rhode Island, and he bought us tickets for a sunset cruise for the night we arrived. When we got there, it was drizzling but we walked around, had a few drinks, and decided to go take showers and get ready for the cruise. Right as I was about to start getting ready, Bryan's phone rang. The cruise was canceled due to the weather. It was still raining lightly and Bryan looked very disappointed. So I said, “Who cares? We’ll just go tomorrow. Let’s put on casual clothes and walk around Newport.” Bryan packed a backpack and we left. We walked for about 45 minutes and started noticing signs for the Cliff Walk (a three-and-a-half-mile walk along the ocean where you can see all the mansions).
We got to the Cliff Walk and happened to be right in front of the 40 Steps (a staircase that has engraved names on every step leading down to an area overlooking the ocean -- it’s beautiful). We walked down the stairs and took pictures, and found a secluded area where Bryan said he had something for me. He reached in the backpack and pulled out a Precious Moments figurine. On the bottom, it said, “I Love You, Carey.” I looked at Bryan and told him how much I loved it and he said, “That's the first thing with your name on it. I think we should make it official.” In the rain and mud, he got on one knee with the ring and asked me to marry him. It was the greatest moment of my life.
Posted Tuesday, October 06, 2009 5:53 PM
The couple was in town for Remembrance Day, an annual anniversary party commemorating Lincoln’s hallowed words and the ground they consecrated. For three days each November, neo-Yanks, pseudo-rebs, and their sweethearts descend on the farming community wearing period dress. Last year, Joe dragged Kate along too -- although he allowed her the luxury of wearing civilian clothes.
The plan was to fire off the question during a horseback tour of the battlefield from the Confederate vantage point on Artillery Ridge. Joe imagined that he -- resembling a more ethnic but still tough-as-nails Tom Berenger -- would take his horse over to Kate’s and that he would summon the words like fresh troops to the Bulge.
The plan was thwarted, however, when the tour guide informed Joe that 12 Federal Bureau of Investigation agents who had trained together at Quantico would be joining them on the expedition. When, upon mounting his spotted pony, one of the Feds unleashed a rebel yell and shouted “Come on boys, let’s have us a tour of Northern aggression!” Joe knew that he had no choice but to abort the proposal and search for higher ground.
After some reconnoitering, Joe decided to propose back at the inn, where he had the element of surprise in his favor. He would make use of one of Kate’s legendary hour-long showers to torch some candles and take a knee beside the bed. Kate, emerging from the bathroom in a veil of steam, would be disoriented long enough for Joe to unleash his feu d'enfer. The plan was as failsafe as Operation Anaconda.
But alas, Kate did not feel like bathing. No, Kate felt tremendously, frustratingly clean. Like any general in the field facing imminent defeat, Joe decided to summon his cunning tactical skills. “But Kate,” he said. “You smell like a barn. Sure you don’t want to at least rinse off?”
Kate sniffed herself. “I smell fine,” she said. “What is wrong with you?”
“I’m just saying. I saw your horse peeing and I think some may have bounced off the ground and hit your leg.”
“Gross!” Kate said, peering over a stack of brochures. “There is something seriously wrong with you.”
Despite repeated attempts to convince Kate that her horse had somehow relieved itself on her, Joe was forced to retreat for a second time. Convinced that the proposal was now completely in God’s hands, he poured himself a whiskey and took his spot next to Kate on the bed.
As all experienced tacticians know, when one is presented with an opportunity to flank a rival, one must not hesitate to exploit the weakness. So, when Kate asked Joe where he would like to go for dinner, he immediately conjured a brilliant strategy to remove her from the room.
“You know what? I think I’d like to go to the Cashtown Inn,” Joe said. “It’s not in town, though. We’ll have to get directions from the front desk.”
The fait accompli was secured when Kate volunteered for the mission. Upon her return, Kate found the door open and the lights dimmed. Candles were lit...candles that smelled like flowers and wintry nuts. Joe concealed himself in the corner, beside the bed, like a rebel sharpshooter in the brush. He cleared the fear from his throat.
“You know, Kate, I didn’t just take you here because I really like the Civil War.”
“I know."
Joe stood up and sauntered over to Kate. Even though he couldn’t quite summon the words, he’d like to think Abe Lincoln would have been proud.
Posted Monday, September 28, 2009 12:04 PM
Dan and I had been dating for over three-and-a-half years and I wondered if he would ever pop the question. We looked rings months back in January, and had both agreed on the two that we liked the best, but that’s the furthest it ever went. In August, Dan and I went on a road trip to Colorado from our hometown in Texas.
We’d been in Colorado since Saturday, and by Thursday, I was thinking that if Dan was going to propose he would have done it by then, so I convinced myself to just enjoy the rest of the trip and feel lucky that I got to share these experiences with him.
On Thursday afternoon, we pulled off the Jeep trail we’d been riding on to grab a quick bite to eat. When we were finished our lunch, Dan begged me to go on one last trail. I was tired, sunburned, and I just plain did not feel good, but Dan really wanted to drive up to Bridal Veil Falls in Provo, Utah. Fine, I thought, one more won’t hurt me.
The drive up was pretty quiet and we stopped just before the top of the mountain to get out and take some pictures. Dan walked toward me and said that there was no one else he would rather be there with than me. I thought, Oh! How sweet! and gave him a big hug. Then he stepped back and said, “I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” And that’s when I knew. I couldn’t bear to look at him because my eyes were welling up with tears, so I hugged him again and he pushed me away again and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! Of course, I shouted yes probably a million times and he handed me the ring that I picked out back in January. That little stinker had been hiding it under my car seat all the way from Texas!
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.
Posted Tuesday, September 15, 2009 1:04 PM
We were in Nags Head, North Carolina, on vacation with my family. Mike wanted to be romantic and go watch the sunset on the sand dunes at Jockey's Ridge. He can be romantic, but this seemed like a little too much. When I stood up, Mike stayed kneeling. That’s when he popped the question. Randomly, there was a professional photographer there and we got these amazing photos.
Posted Tuesday, September 08, 2009 12:29 PM
On September 27, 2008, we were heading out from the Rainbow Bay Marina in Oahu preparing for a 100-foot lobster-fishing dive. I was the first one in the water and, since it had been a while since I’d last done it, I was quite nervous (nothing to do with the fact it was also shark season). We ventured downward and, for some reason, I was having a hard time equalizing and I felt like I kept getting stung, but it was tolerable. The last one to the bottom, I was trying to get my buoyancy under control when Steven handed me a small toy chest (a Pirates of the Caribbean replica). My very first thought was, Holy crap! You found something down here already? Jeez, you’re lucky, and handed it back to him. While holding it up to me, he opened the chest and pulled out a red sucker ring. My next thought: What in the world is that doing in there? (Yeah, I know I'm truly clueless sometimes.) Then he took this laminated paper out of his gear which read, “Samara...Will you marry me? Love, Steven. PS How do you like the ring?” OMG...how did I not get this? Since fifth grade, he has said he would propose with a sucker ring.