First of all, to my credit, it was RAINING!! Ryan had spent weeks talking to his mom and my family about how this was all gonna go down. He asked for suggestions and wanted everything perfect, he planned :). Second, I don't do perfect well and I hate planning which he found out first hand on August 5th, 2011.
Ryan arrived at my house about an hour before our dinner reservations at my favorite place in town, Peppertree at the Depot. We were sitting outside with the dogs when he brought up going to go look at the gazebo in the City Park. I had mentioned a couple weeks ago that they do weddings there and it might be an idea for our wedding someday and he said he'd like to see it before dinner that night. I whined a little and said I didn't really want to go there that night. Ryan remained calm and collected until I flat out said, "I don't want to go, its RAINING! and my hair will get all curly!" He begged and said "No! We're going, that's final," We continued this play fighting back and forth for awhile, then I believe I mentioned that he could go and look while I was going to sit in the car... He finally said, "fine" just to get me out of the house... then to top off the start to the night, I looked at my dog, Charlie, and told her, "Come on, Charlie, kennel... Ryan says we HAVE to go now."
We arrived at the gazebo, which was the intended 'proposal site.' We got out of the car and walked to the gazebo through the wet, wet grass. Ryan kept saying I think this would be a perfect place for a wedding. Not known to him I had already changed my mind. I no longer liked the gazebo and started coming up with all these excuses why this wouldn't work... too much money to decorate right, what if it RAINS!! Ryan had started to pace and walk in circles around the center of the gazebo. I remember thinking 'Wow! He is being difficult tonight.' I decide I'm done with being here, our reservations are in 20 minute, time to start walking away and he'll follow... Follow he did, but now he is really starting to get nervous! He told my family later that he was standing there in the middle of the gazebo...about to get down on one knee...he looked up and I was already GONE and he kept thinking, 'Our families know its suppose to happen tonight, what if I don't find a way to ask her...' Ryan put his arm around me and started asking all these 'odd' questions.. Where are some other pretty places in town? Where else would you get married? You really have your heart set on that chapel, don't you? Can we go look around the Grinnell College campus, where the chapel is? Once again, in all my glory, I say, "we're gonna be late! We can look around another day, it's RAINING and wet!" Ryan convinces me we'll have enough time and of course I start driving towards the chapel. I will do anything to convince him this is where we will get married!
We arrive at 'proposal site #2' and get out of the car. I noticed this amazing bed of flowers. Bright oranges, pinks and whites and start to talk about how gorgeous the grounds are... but Ryan keeps walking and walking, I look at my watch 10 minutes until our reservations, the grass is wet, I'm wearing sandals, this stinks! Ryan stops in the middle of the grassy field and puts his arm around me, I tell him we really should get going, babe, and we start walking towards the car. Ryan stops at the flower beds and asks, 'So, what kind of flowers do you think these are?' I start to name flowers off (not really knowing what I'm talking about) then finally admit I have no idea.
Finally at 'proposal site #3, the flower bed behind the chapel, Ryan pulled out the ring and asks, "Will you marry me?" I honestly don't know what happened in the next couple minutes... I couldn't think, I didn't feel like it was real... All I remember saying was, " Oh Ryan! Really? Of course! YES! I love you! Yes!" I'm not even sure how the ring ended up on my finger after that but I do remember his arm around me as we started to walk back to the car 5 minutes late to our reservations.
Do I wish our story was better? stayed with the plan? more romantic? NO WAY! Our story, our proposal was soo us and is completely worth telling over and over again. Ryan and my relationship is very light-hearted with tons of teasing and little bickering thrown in for good measure that every would agree this was the PERFECT proposal for us. Which makes this story even better, because Ryan didn't get down on one knee. Although that was part of his plan, his future wife made sure he was such a bundle of nerves by messing up his plan that he left that part out. Because of this one little detail Ryan has taken a lot of teasing from friends and family that I have promised him... From this day forward the story will be that the ground was too WET to get down on one knee!
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