When we had been dating for around a month, Kacie came to visit me in the Twin Cities (she was still in high school at the time). A family I'm close to was up in the cities that weekend because one of them was running a marathon, so we all met up at the Mall of America. After we all shopped together for a while, they let me borrow a car so Kacie and I could drive up to Bethel and spend some time alone. We got in and started off....and within about 15 minutes I was miserably, horribly, completely lost.
My sense of direction and distances is bad enough that we were driving for literally three hours. You read that right, 180 minutes total for what should have been a 40 minute drive. I would love to say that I engineered it so I could spend more time alone with her and enjoy the conversation. I did enjoy the time, but it was simply because of my primitive sense of direction.
On our way back to the hotel to drop the car off, we crossed a bridge that was decorated in lights. Trying to save myself from the extreme embarassment I was feeling, I joked that I drove for three hours to show her that bridge and how pretty it was. The bridge became a long time joke in our relationship, and any bridge we see is, "Nice, but not quite like the one we drove three hours to see."
Zip forward about three years....
I began planning the proposal almost two months ahead of time. Kacie and I had been dating for about three and a half years, and if you wait that long, you have to make it something special. Run of the mill, "Hey, will you marry me?" Won't quite work.
It simply had to include the bridge. We had both discussed that being one of our favorite memories (though for me it is also one of the most humbling). At first I wanted to propose on the bridge, standing in the middle. But Minnesota is cold. And snowy in the winter. Standing on a bridge over water was dumb.
But the location was still the first thing to fall into place. The Guthrie theater has a beautiful view of the city, including the bridge we drove over. I visited the theater and walked around, and found the Yellow Box room. If you have never been there, go sometime just to look around and see the view.
However, this is a public space. I didn't want people milling about and being all intrusive on our moment (Aside from this blog, we're pretty private people). I managed to make friends with the Guthrie staff, and they agreed to clear the space for me on the big night.
I arranged for a friend to convince Kacie that they were going out for a girls night at the Guthrie theater (The friend told Kacie she had a gift card). I arrived somewhat before them to setup my flowers which I arrayed in a semi-circle facing towards the window.
As I was setting up the flowers, a young lady was sitting on a bench in the room (somehow the staff had missed her). She told me she was waiting for a friend and asked me what I was up to. I told her I was waiting for my "girlfriend, hopefully soon fiancee" and she responded, "I'll leave now" smiling. A few minutes later, two gay men entered the room. They told me they were employees of the theater, wished me luck, enjoyed the view together and then left.
The friend was texting me their progress, "We're leaving Bethel", "Getting into my car", "Almost to the theater!" (That one was scary because the friend was driving). I got a text, "By the elevator!" And the doors opened! I moved towards them and about five gray haired grand parents walked out. They thought I was an employee and started to ask me questions. I interrupted saying, "I don't mean to be rude, but I'm planning on proposing here in about the next five minutes." They looked at me and said, "We'll leave immediately!" and started caning their way towards the elevator. As they were getting on, Kacie came off and into the room.
It was my plan for her to see the flowers on the floor and stop so I could romantically come up behind her, take her hand and lead her towards the view. Didn't happen. She didn't take notice of the flowers and started booking it towards the window. I had to start a dignified, romantic sprint to catch up. She heard my dress shoes click and turned around, noticing me.
Her expression was priceless. I wish I could say she burst into joy upon eye contact, but instead she gave me a weird look as if to say, "What are you doing here?" Then it hit her, and her expression changed entirely. I wish I could put it into words, but I cannot. But I know I'll always remember the way she looked, right then.
I walked her over to the flowers and made full use of the view and pointed out the things in the cities we'd done together (the bridge we got lost on, the college we attend, and road we take to go back to our home town). After that I got down on one knee, told her I loved her, and asked her to marry me.
She said yes!
We spent several minutes together in the room before going down to the restaurant to share dessert. All of the employees I'd made friends with to get them to clear the space asked to see the ring and said congratulations. In the restaurant, they offered us champagne, but Kacie is not 21, so she got a sprite. (Kacie says: I felt super lame)
Afterwards, we drove back to Bethel, told family and friends, and started the planning process.
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| The Famous Love Bridge as seen from our valentines day date |
My sense of direction and distances is bad enough that we were driving for literally three hours. You read that right, 180 minutes total for what should have been a 40 minute drive. I would love to say that I engineered it so I could spend more time alone with her and enjoy the conversation. I did enjoy the time, but it was simply because of my primitive sense of direction.
On our way back to the hotel to drop the car off, we crossed a bridge that was decorated in lights. Trying to save myself from the extreme embarassment I was feeling, I joked that I drove for three hours to show her that bridge and how pretty it was. The bridge became a long time joke in our relationship, and any bridge we see is, "Nice, but not quite like the one we drove three hours to see."
Zip forward about three years....
I began planning the proposal almost two months ahead of time. Kacie and I had been dating for about three and a half years, and if you wait that long, you have to make it something special. Run of the mill, "Hey, will you marry me?" Won't quite work.
It simply had to include the bridge. We had both discussed that being one of our favorite memories (though for me it is also one of the most humbling). At first I wanted to propose on the bridge, standing in the middle. But Minnesota is cold. And snowy in the winter. Standing on a bridge over water was dumb.
But the location was still the first thing to fall into place. The Guthrie theater has a beautiful view of the city, including the bridge we drove over. I visited the theater and walked around, and found the Yellow Box room. If you have never been there, go sometime just to look around and see the view.
However, this is a public space. I didn't want people milling about and being all intrusive on our moment (Aside from this blog, we're pretty private people). I managed to make friends with the Guthrie staff, and they agreed to clear the space for me on the big night.
I arranged for a friend to convince Kacie that they were going out for a girls night at the Guthrie theater (The friend told Kacie she had a gift card). I arrived somewhat before them to setup my flowers which I arrayed in a semi-circle facing towards the window.
 |
| Semi-circle of flowers and us in the corner |
As I was setting up the flowers, a young lady was sitting on a bench in the room (somehow the staff had missed her). She told me she was waiting for a friend and asked me what I was up to. I told her I was waiting for my "girlfriend, hopefully soon fiancee" and she responded, "I'll leave now" smiling. A few minutes later, two gay men entered the room. They told me they were employees of the theater, wished me luck, enjoyed the view together and then left.
The friend was texting me their progress, "We're leaving Bethel", "Getting into my car", "Almost to the theater!" (That one was scary because the friend was driving). I got a text, "By the elevator!" And the doors opened! I moved towards them and about five gray haired grand parents walked out. They thought I was an employee and started to ask me questions. I interrupted saying, "I don't mean to be rude, but I'm planning on proposing here in about the next five minutes." They looked at me and said, "We'll leave immediately!" and started caning their way towards the elevator. As they were getting on, Kacie came off and into the room.
It was my plan for her to see the flowers on the floor and stop so I could romantically come up behind her, take her hand and lead her towards the view. Didn't happen. She didn't take notice of the flowers and started booking it towards the window. I had to start a dignified, romantic sprint to catch up. She heard my dress shoes click and turned around, noticing me.
Her expression was priceless. I wish I could say she burst into joy upon eye contact, but instead she gave me a weird look as if to say, "What are you doing here?" Then it hit her, and her expression changed entirely. I wish I could put it into words, but I cannot. But I know I'll always remember the way she looked, right then.
I walked her over to the flowers and made full use of the view and pointed out the things in the cities we'd done together (the bridge we got lost on, the college we attend, and road we take to go back to our home town). After that I got down on one knee, told her I loved her, and asked her to marry me.
 |
| Big moment! |
She said yes!
We spent several minutes together in the room before going down to the restaurant to share dessert. All of the employees I'd made friends with to get them to clear the space asked to see the ring and said congratulations. In the restaurant, they offered us champagne, but Kacie is not 21, so she got a sprite. (Kacie says: I felt super lame)
 |
| So happy! |
Afterwards, we drove back to Bethel, told family and friends, and started the planning process.
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