Ashley and Andre's Engagement Story

ashk · November 21, 2012

We'd been together for 5 years, and known each other for about 4 years before that. We'd been through the deaths of his father and grandfather, and mysterious serious illness for me (all better now, and he was crucial to that!)

Our families had been hinting for a while about our getting married, and we're insanely lucky that we both adore and get along well with our inlaws.

So summer 2011, I started a new job. We'd been talking about going on a cruise together for several months, off-and-on, but never booked it. So in August, he started talking about taking a cruise to Australia for a couple weeks (this is high on my bucket list). But because of the new job, I said No, can't go now.

In Sept, our 5th anniversary comes and goes, and because we were both insanely busy, we got takeout and didn't really do anything special.

In Oct, we make plans to take a ride out to Rattlesnake Point conservation area, which is amazingly beautiful, and go for a hike for our anniversary. That morning, I woke up feeling like I'd been run over. We decided we'd just go out for a nice dinner instead.

Andre announces he's going out shopping, and I take a nap to try to feel better. I start feeling better and get dressed up to go to dinner. At this point, Andre starts acting kinda silly. He made me stay downstairs, so he could wrap my present. I'm dying of curiosity, but figure it's my anniversary present.

Finally I'm allowed to come upstairs and see what he's up to. He's all dressed up for dinner, and he's sitting in his chair beside a giant box. I go to open it, all excited to see what he got for me, and he warns me to be careful - don't tip it!! Ooh, so it's either fragile or tippy

I pull the paper off the top, and open the box. There's a layer of long-stem red roses!!! Aww! (He rarely buys me flowers, and usually if he does, they're potted)

So those go to the side. More paper, and there's a K'nex rollercoaster kit I've wanted one of those since I was a kid, and he knew it! I was so excited! But wait, there's more! I figure he's assembled a mini-coaster in the bottom of the box. More paper.

In the bottom of the box, it's not a mini-coaster. It's a silver ring box, surrounded by more roses. And he's taken rose petals and fern leaves to make a giant rose under the ring box!

ahhh!!!!! He got down on his knee, and proposed - and I'm giddily in shock And I hugged him, and said YES!

So here's where I realize that he's been trying to propose for months, but I kept getting in the way :0

I couldn't take off work so he couldn't propose on an Australian cruise. I got sick so we couldn't go hiking so he could do it there!

But I love how he was so creative and came up with a way to do it that was still totally him (he couldn't wait any longer, he can't keep a surprise to save his life - my parents knew it was coming because he was so excited, he had to tell someone LOL)

Anyway, I apologize for being so long-winded!