I was returning to college after a 20 year absence - and was more than a little nervous. My nervousness only heightened when I got a look at my first English instructor - he was gorgeous - chestnut hair, winning smile, rapid fire wit - and a reputation for being the toughest professor in the school.
We quickly became friends, while all along I harbored very intense (but secret) feelings. He was friendly, outgoing and professional, but managed to give off a few "signals" also. We met often for coffee and talking.
One day, during spring break, we met for lunch and he handed me a poem he'd written about a man secretly in love with the love of his life. It was me. I was in heaven. On our second "romantic date" he said, "Don't laugh, but one of my favorite songs is 'I Think I Love You' by the Partridge Family. I was stunned. "Guess what I was listening to on my tape deck on the way over here?" I asked. He didn't believe me, so we went to my car and I proved it. We had a good laugh about it and I promptly forgot about it.
The following November he had a poetry reading in New York. He had heard a couple of nightmare stories of god-awful proposals I had received in the past. (One boyfriend tried to put a ring on my finger while I was suffering from stomach flu - as it would make me "feel better." My ex handed me a ring over lunch, between mouthfuls, saying "Here! Picked this up for you today." I can't believe I said "yes.") Bryan not only wanted to give me an incredible proposal, but also to wipe out any lingering 'bad taste' over my previous ones.
On Halloween, we had planned to go to the Empire State Building. I had no idea that this was to be anything other than a sightseeing excursion. The weather had finally cleared up, allowing us to see for miles. We walked around the viewing area until we came to a corner where you could see the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. I said, "Let's stop here for a while - this spot is perfect." He was waiting for just those words. He reached into his pocket and turned on a hidden tape recorder and wrapped his arms around my waist and enjoyed the view with me.
Finally, I heard faint music. Is that?...could it be? I turned to him and said, "Honey, do you hear 'I Think I Love You' or am I going crazy?" He dropped to one knee as I turned around and opened a ring box. "Will you marry me?" he said and I started crying. I could hear the faint murmur of people around us saying "Oh look - he's popping the question!" Later a man approached us and said, "I took your photo as you were on one knee - let me send it to you!" (I wish I knew how to attach it - it's wonderful!) And so is he!
G. G., Wichita, Kansas
A little background info:
4 years ago, on our first date, Brent took me up to Luray Caverns in Virginia (it's an underground cave up in the mountains that is very beautiful).
Our engagement story...
Brent called me and told me that a friend of ours (Leon) was having a birthday party on Saturday night and that he wanted to fly me home so that we could go to the party together. He mailed me a plane ticket and I flew home (Wednesday). Friday, he took off work and asked me if I wanted to drive up to Luray. So we drove up through the mountains and it was beautiful (the leaves were changing and the weather was nice). It started drizzling rain, so we decided to wait until the next morning to go to Luray Caverns.
We stayed up in the mountains overnight and the next morning, we went to Luray. We went to the gift shop while waiting for the tour of the Caverns to start. We were looking around for gifts to take back home (we were really just passing the time). We shopped for about an hour, looking at pictures, sculptures, and everything else in the store. We even tried on these little 99-cent rings (made of this stone called hematite), but we didn't buy anything. Brent asked me to go find out what time the tour started. I did, and came back and told him that we still had a few minutes.
So, we went on the tour (which was about an hour or so long) and had a great time. We took pictures, held hands, and just had a good time. Down in the Caverns, there is this wishing well where you can throw in coins and make wishes. 4 years ago on our 1st date, we both threw in quarters and nickels and wished that we would end up together (after we started officially dating, we told each other what we had wished for back at the wishing well).
So, we're on the tour and we get to the midpoint where there is this big open area and organ music starts playing (it was really romantic). All the couples in the tour group were snuggled close and it was pretty quiet while everyone listened to the organ music. Brent walks over to the tour guide and just starts chatting with him. When he comes back, "nosey me"asks what they talked about. Brent says that he told him that "my girlfriend and I came here on our 1st date 4 years ago and at the wishing well, we made wishes that we'd end up together."
My radar immediately went up (Brent is known for sweet surprises, and I knew the wishing well was coming up). I got a little nervous that Brent might try to make an announcement to the group that this is where he and I had our 1st date, so I was trying to hide in the back of the group. He just kept telling me to "relax."We got to the wishing well and nothing happened, so I exhaled :)
We made new wishes (with quarters and nickels), and continued on the tour. Finally, the tour ended and the guide said, "Thanks for coming to Luray, and I hope you enjoyed your tour."At this point, everyone starts heading toward the exit. Then the guide said, "WAIT! Is there someone here named Dana?" I was just standing there thinking, "OH NO!" The guide asks again, and I still didn't move. So, Brent pulled me to the front and made this long speech about how we had our first date here 4 years ago, and that he really loved me. He also said that I was in graduate school in Louisiana, and he was just starting out as a stockbroker, but he didn't have any money.
Now, I thought that was the end of it, but he continued talking. He said that we were trying to buy a house and that he was broke right now, but that "Dana once told me that she would marry me even if I didn't have a penny to my name."Then he said, "So, all I can afford right now is this 99-cent ring that I bought from the gift shop." Then he turned to me and got on one knee and popped the question! He says that I fell back on the ledge before answering him—I don't believe it though :) But I do remember my answer. It was—ABSOLUTELY!!!
On the way home, we was telling me that the moment just took him, and that he hadn't planned on asking me then and there. He told me that he had been looking for rings and he picked out one that he really liked for me. He said that we could go and take a look when we got back home. But then I told him that the ring is just a symbol—it doesn't matter how much it costs. It matters that it's from the heart and it's a symbol of our love. I told him that that's the ring he gave me, and that's the ring I want. So, now I'm sporting a 99-cent engagement ring that I won't take off until my wedding day (you couldn't pry it off my finger if you tried)!!!
D.F., Rockville, Maryland
On Tuesday, December 23, 2003, we took our two-month-old daughter to see "The Lights Before Christmas" at our state zoo. On the way, he asked me when I was going to start looking at wedding dresses. I replied, "As soon as I get my engagement ring". He was like,"Oh, okay". I told him I know it sounded a little superficial, but I wanted the proof before I told anyone we were getting married. He said, "Well, you might get it sometime between now and your birthday (which is in February). You know my funds are a little low right now". So, I'm thinking "Oh, great, I still have two months to go". After viewing the lights, we head to the mall because he tells me that I can at least have my finger measured. So, we do that with me thinking the whole time that I'm not getting this ring until February 6th.
The next morning, he gets up and tells me that he has to go to work for about 15 or 20 minutes and then we would go to the mall to finish up some Christmas shopping before we got on the road. He leaves at 8:00, so I get myself and the baby dressed around 8:15. 9:00 A.M. comes and he's not back home yet, so I call him. He's like, "Okay, baby. Just give me about 15 more minutes and I'll be home--I'll bring breakfast too." That appeases me for the meantime. 10:00 A.M. rolls around, still no Carl and I am really, really hungry. I call him again. "Okay, baby--I'll be there in about 5 minutes". He doesn't walk in until 10:30 of course with no food and a huge box in tow. I say,"Where's breakfast--I'm hungry. By the way, what's in the box?" He's like, "Oh,the dishes that I took for the company's Christmas party". I think nothing of it.
Then he says, "Oh yeah, Sam (our upstairs neighbor) said she has a little something for you and she'll be down in a minute. So when the doorbell rings, it's her". I'm thinking "Oh great, now I really have to get her something since she got me a Christmas gift and a gift when the baby was born". So, I'm worrying about that when the doorbell rings and it's 3 guys at the door.
I know two of them and I look at them like "What are you doing here?" So, they come in the door and one of them says, "It's okay, don't worry about it" because he sees the puzzling look on my face. They tell me that they had something to tell me and to come stand in front of them. By this time, I'm a little scared and my heart starts to beat fast because I don't know what's going on. The next thing I know they start to sing "Always and Forever" by Heatwave. From the first line, I figured out what was going on and I started bursting into tears and yelling "Oh, my God". They proceed to sing the song and at the end of the chorus, Carl comes over to me with one dozen red roses and the ring in the box. He gets down on one knee and looks up at me and asks me to marry him. I could hardly get out the "Yes" because I'm bawling and saying "Oh, my God" and hugging him. It was the most romantic, most exciting, most wonderful (besides the birth of our daughter) moment that I've ever experienced.
C. D., Columbia, South Carolina
My fiancé and I went to Hawaii for Thanksgiving.. just the two of us to have a romantic getaway before he leaves for Japan in January. We rented a kayak and snorkels and went out in Kaneohe Bay to snorkel and have a picnic on our kayak.
While we were snorkeling, I asked him to take a picture of the two of us with the waterproof camera. We were out in the middle of the bay with nothing and no one around us and when he took out the camera to take a picture of us the ring was on his finger. It was so unexpected and a bit crazy for him to be carrying the ring in the water.. it was perfect!
We loved the area so much that we decided to go ahead and get married in Kaneohe this January 3rd! What a whirlwind of events in the past 6 weeks!
