Reader's Marriage Proposal Story: A Surprise Trip Yields an Even Bigger Surprise

This is part 4 of our continuing series of real readers' real marriage proposals. If you'd like to be included in this directory, send your story, and a photo, to weddings.guide@about.com

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Gwendolyn and Michael met on Friday, September 5, 2003, as next-door-neighbors in Washington, D.C., outside their buildings. Coincidentally, both were hosting parties that night, Gwendolyn for her birthday, and Michael for a house-warming party. That evening a few of Michael's friends visited Gwendolyn's party by accident, then later on Gwendolyn's friends went to visit Michael's party, before both parties moved to Gwendolyn's house for the rest of the evening. Gwendolyn's balcony looks straight into Michael's bedroom window. When hurricane Isabel shut down DC for four days, Gwendolyn and Michael began to get to know each other better. One day, Gwendolyn yelled Michael's name into his window as he was sleeping, then they began talking. The roommates from both households then hung out for the day. The next day, Gwendolyn and Michael went to their first dinner together at a local Thai restaurant. From then on, the couple began to talk more often from the balcony and the window...

After two years of dating, Michael planned a surprise trip for Gwendolyn's 30th birthday, and asked permission of her father, Randy, and brother, Ryan, prior to the trip. When they arrived at the airport in DC, Michael informed Gwendolyn that they would be traveling to Miami...then Aruba! But when they got to the check-in desk, Gwendolyn found out that her passport had expired! She began crying, then quickly called her parents in Baltimore for her birth certificate. As she was calling, Michael told the ticket woman that he planned to propose that evening in Aruba. Gwendolyn's mother had two birth certificates at the house, though was catching a plane herself in a couple hours. Her father had Gwendolyn's birth certificate as well, but in the safe deposit box. He rapidly drove to pick up the birth certificate from her mother, and drove like a madman to National Airport--a place he had never visited previously--in early rush hour traffic. He had to make it in an hour, or the couple would not have arrived in Aruba in time for Michael's surprise. Meanwhile, both the couple AND the ticket woman waited on the sidewalk for Gwendolyn's father to arrive. When he drove up, Gwendolyn and Michael grabbed the birth certificate, waved thank you, and ran through the airport, while the ticket woman called to hold the plane. Thankfully, they reached the airplane just in time.

Once safely in the air, Gwendolyn questioned why Michael had his bag wrapped around his feet, instead of placing in the overhead compartment. He replied that his feet were cold, and it reminded him of home, like a blanket. (He had the ring in his bag and was holding on to it for dear life!) They landed in Aruba at around 4:30pm, taking in the clear blue-green waters and pristine, white beaches! Gwendolyn and Michael taxied to their intimate, low-rise hotel, Bucuti, where they got glasses of champagne and an upgraded suite overlooking the beach, palm trees, and ocean. By that time, the sun was starting to set. Michael hurried Gwendolyn to change clothes and freshen up, so they could walk on the beach at sunset. As they ran to the water's edge, and walked hand-in-hand along the water, Michael searched for a quiet, intimate place to sit. Underneath a tiki hut in the white sand was the perfect spot!

As the sun set into pink, purple, and red, Michael began saying wonderfully romantic 'somethings' to Gwendolyn, and became a little fidgety. As he got to his knees, Michael told Gwendolyn that he wanted to be with her forever, for infinity, and for eternity. He wanted to have a family with her. He wanted her to be his wife...then he leaned away from Gwendolyn and showed her the ring box. With a look of shock and love in her eyes, she covered her face, and began to cry. It seemed like a lot of time had passed when Gwendolyn realized that she had not said yes...so she asked if she had said yes yet? Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Michael then asked if she wanted to see the ring? By that time, the sun had set, so Michael took the ring out of the box and placed it on Gwendolyn's finger. They ran together, hand-in-hand, to the pirate ship restaurant on the beach to see the ring in the string of lights. Gwendolyn gasped and said it was beautiful! Michael showed Gwendolyn the intricate details of the ring that he had designed that combined their lives and things important to them. They took a few pictures, then decided to have the best dining experience of their lives with Juan Enrique at the restaurant on the beach. The meal included a bottle of champagne and a five course meal. Gwendolyn and Michael spent hours talking, eating, and spending quiet, quality time together for the rest of the evening and for the next 4 days.
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