Engagement Story #3!

Okay kids...now we have a contest! This is the third entry in our "How'd Ya Get Hitched?" contest, submitted and narrated by Nicole about her proposal from Simon. They chose the giraffe cake topper set to illustrate their engagement story.
Our engagement story is fraught with a number of false starts which had my fiancé all stressed and convinced that I knew what he was up to. But I was clueless. I mean, I knew we’d eventually get married (we’d been together for 8 years), but I was still surprised when he eventually popped the question.

Around January 2009, Simon was talking to a friend who convinced him that it was time to propose. Simon called his parents to ask them to bring an old family ring when they would be visiting a few weeks later. They came to visit and brought the heirloom ring, but they also started hounding Simon (behind my back) about asking that weekend—it did happen to be Valentine’s weekend. But Simon wanted a more private setting, so he waited, much to his parent’s chagrin.

He was working up the courage when some good friends of our got engaged in a really showy way (a surprise performance at a SXSW show). Simon didn’t want to steal their thunder or have their big engagement overshadow ours, so he waited some more. All the while his parents kept pestering him.

He decided that he’d ask on my birthday, which was coming up in May. He planned the whole day for me—a trip to a park for a picnic and a hike, dinner at my favorite restaurant, and a birthday party with friends and cake afterwards. He carried the ring around with him all day, but the hike was hot, not very scenic, and we got lost—so the moment wasn’t quite right. Then we went to a nearby swimming hole. It was fairly crowded, so we swam to a more secluded area but then got covered in leeches. Yes leeches. Not very romantic.

Later we went to dinner, which was lovely, but the restaurant was crowded, so Simon didn’t want to ask inside. Afterwards we went to walk around the restaurant’s garden (they grown all their own produce). Right as he was about to ask, I got swarmed by mosquitoes and ran back to the car. A second attack of blood-sucking creatures in one day while foiled Simon’s plans. I later learned, too, that the birthday party was supposed to be an impromptu engagement party, but over three months after getting the ring, Simon still hadn’t found the right moment to ask.

A week later we went out hiking again. This park was nicer, the scenery better, and things finally lined up. We came to a clearing and decided to rest for a moment. After a few sips of water and a snack, I was ready to keep going, but Simon started acting goofy and I knew something was up. He got down on his knees, pulled out a beautiful antique ring (which I knew he couldn’t afford), and asked, “do you want to get married?” And what was the first thing I said? “Where did you find that?!” (And then I said yes.)

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So sweet! I love hearing these stories! Are you a currently engaged couple wanting to win a custom cake topper made by Bunny with a Toolbelt? Let's hear your story!! There's still three weeks to enter the contest! Click here for details.