Planning the Perfect Marriage Proposal

Planning the Perfect Marriage Proposal

Planning the Perfect Proposal

Photo from: http://wedding.theknot.com/getting-engaged/marriage-proposals/articles/50-romantic-ways-to-propose.aspx

 

It was Friday . . .

It was here.  My plan was in motion.  I had permission from her parents.  The plan was simple . . . I got off work at 5:00.  I would go to the jewelry store to get the ring.  I called them that morning and they assured me that it would be ready by that night.  I would then rush home where Marcie would be waiting for me to get home.  (I had told her that I needed to run an errand and would be late arriving back at my house.  She had her own way into my house, so it wasn’t a big deal.

We would then leave and drive to Tennessee.  We had a place to stay there that didn’t cost much.  I had planned on driving to North Carolina, where we would hike up a mountain.  (She wasn’t into the mountain climbing like I had been, but I had hoped that the view at the top would make the hike worthwhile for her!)  The place where we were going was a “touristy” area and had ropes, and ladders to help the tourists get to the summit.  It was there, at the summit of the mountain, that I planned on proposing . . . with the beauty of God’s country as far as the eyes could see.  The plan was perfect.  Nothing could go wrong now!

Making the Best Out of Detours in our Plans

Wait . . . did I say, “nothing could go wrong?”  Yup!  But, we all know, that is not how life works.  My perfect plan didn’t account for life’s variables.  I ran into traffic picking up the ring.  It wasn’t ready when I got there.  It was close, but not yet completed.  What was supposed to be a 5-minute pickup took me over 2 hours by the time I drove there, waited for it to be completed, and left.  I grabbed my duffle bag, and threw the ring box in the top really fast so Marcie wouldn’t see it.  I threw the bag in the trunk, and we left.  We were supposed to be leaving Indianapolis around 6:30PM, but it was now more like 9:00 PM.  This makes for a long drive when you have been up all day, and your destination is 6 hours away!  Then we hit an accident in a construction zone.  We decided to pull off for dinner in hopes that the traffic would be gone by the time we were done eating.

No such luck.  As the night grew longer and longer, I came to realize that we were not going to make it to our Tennessee destination.  As I grew more tired, we decided to stop and get a hotel.  We really could not afford to get separate rooms, but we also didn’t want to be in the same bed . . . So, we got a room with 2 queen beds, and decided to make the best of a bad situation.  Now, as we made this decision, I was thinking about that ring, in the trunk of the car, in the top of my duffle bag.  I was wondering how I was going to get it out of my bag without her seeing, and then I was wondering what I was going to do with it so she didn’t find it prematurely.

Perfect Marriage Proposal Ideas

 

Where to Hide the Engagement Ring

As we entered our room, she went immediately to the bathroom.  I was excited.  I quickly scanned the room looking for a place to put the ring as I opened my bag and pulled it out.  I pulled open the night stand drawer, thinking this would be a good place.  I then saw the Gideon Bible that had been placed in the room and thought that she might look for the Bible to read a little before she went to bed.  I scanned the room again. . . and . . . there it was!  The mini-fridge!  A perfect hiding place for my, “ice.”  I quickly opened the door, slid the ring in and closed the door.

At that exact moment, Marcie came out of the bathroom.  I was terrified that she had seen me close the door to the fridge.  I was now standing 3 feet from her.  The truth of the matter is that she didn’t see anything.  She wasn’t even looking at me.  She looked up at me and said, “Oh yea!  A mini-fridge!  I can put my Gator-aide in there for the morning.”  Crap!  Now, what?!!?  She hurried off to the car to get her drink, and I grabbed the ring again.  I couldn’t think of anyplace else to hide it.  I decided the best plan for the moment would be to push it down to the bottom of my bag and be very careful when I was pulling things out of it in the near future.

As I was opening up my bag to put it inside, she walked back into the room!  Are you kidding me?!?!?  Did this girl suddenly get DNA from “The Flash?!?!”  That was the fastest run to the car in human history!  So, now I am back here I began . . . The ring in the top of my bag, and no place to hide it.  I was terrified she saw me put it in the top even.  I could hear my heart beating.  I could feel the thump-thump, thump-thump of my heart in my chest.

Spring Weddings - Wedding Time Capsule

 

 

 

 

 

Make Good out of a Bad Situation

I began to think for a moment. . . If I can’t even make it past one evening in a room, how was I going to make it up the mountain?  Would we even make it to the mountain.  I began to do some calculations in my head . . . 3 more hours just to our place to stay in Tennessee, 3 1/2 hours to the mountain from there, 4 hours to climb, 3 hours back down, then 3 1/2 back to our place in Tennessee . . . We weren’t going to make it.  There was no way we’re going to be able to execute my plan.  As I watched her brush her teeth, I made a panic-stricken, but thought out decision . . .

I was going to do it.  Right here.  Right Now.  It’s as good a place as any.  It’s 3 AM.  Am I thinking straight?  Yes, I’m good.  I can do this!  I grabbed the ring box from the top of my bag, and set it beside me.  I was sitting in the middle of the two beds.  She was coming toward me.  Here we go . . .

 

Not everything goes our way sometimes. What would you do in this situation? To help you with your own ideas, check out the 13 Heartwarming Marriage Proposal Ideas from http://www.buzzfeed.com/lukelewis/heartmelting-marriage-proposals.

You can also put your engagement ring in a decorative Wedding Time Capsule from https://www.timecapsule.com/product/milestone-collection-wedding-time-capsule/ and propose to your girlfriend by pulling it out telling her you want to fill the time capsule together with her, to open years later on your anniversary together to reminisce about how far you have come on your journey together. How romantic would that be?

Making Milestone Moments Count,

– Marcie