An Engagement Story

When the alarm sounded at 4:00am on Friday, February 26th, the day before Nicole's Birthday, I had only gotten an hour of sleep. The night previous, we had been out later than planned cashing-in on a Valentine's Day gift from Nicole, a pasta cooking class. Planned to be finished by 10pm, it wasn't until after midnight that my head finally hit the pillow. Six months of planning would culminated on this day, the day we would get engaged.

August 27th, 2015

I don't know whose idea it was to go to the Urban Chestnut Brewing Company, the location of our first date, but nevertheless, we ended up there almost exactly one year from the first time we exchanged emails. Sitting outside in the beer garden, we enjoyed the warm late summer sun, watching it set as we were serenaded by the Bavarian themed two-piece band. We laughed and reflected on the last year of our relationship.

"That purse is so nice," I jokingly mused.

"Oh, you mean my 'birthday present,'" Nicole quipped back. After 6 months of dating, I somehow managed to forget to get her a present. It wasn't until months later that, in a panic while out shopping, I remembered that I had forgotten to give her a gift. I insisted on buying the expensive Vera wallet and begged for her forgiveness. She laughed but never let me live it down, especially after throwing me my first ever surprise birthday party.

As we joked and flirted, it was in that moment that I realized how I would propose. A gift, once a month on the 27th (or as close as I could get to it) until the big surprise on her birthday weekend. The plan was simple as long as she did exactly what she did the year before by visiting her friends for a beer festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The plan: I would "forget" to get her a present before she left for Michigan but then fly up without her knowing and surprise her...and it would start with me "forgetting" our anniversary the next month.

For the next 6 months, I dropped little surprises and gifts. The first was a trip to Flagstaff. Having to work on our anniversary, I flew out there for the evening so she wouldn't have to spend it alone. I apologized emphatically as I explained I had forgotten her anniversary gift at home. "It's okay," she said looking up at me with big puppy dog eyes, "I'm used to it." I faked being sad knowing that it was the beginning of our engagement.

I would go on to surprise her with her first ever flight in a small plane and surprised her further when she found out we were actually flying to meet her parents, whom she hadn't seen in months, in Indiana for dinner. The following month, I purchased magnetic spice holders that she could hang on the wall to solve the spice cabinet over-crowding situation developing in the kitchen. In December, as part of her Christmas gifts, I purchased a Kindle PaperWhite for her and with it a $25 Amazon gift card to purchase books for her big birthday surprise.  Her final small pre-birthday gift, given on January 27th, was her being officially listed with me as a companion to fly for free on United.

Officially, the engagement wouldn't be her birthday present.  I had arranged with her boss months before through a coworker to get her vacation the week after her birthday with the coworker covering any meetings she unknowingly scheduled.  Before running out the door, I grabbed Nicole's passport, hoping she wouldn't randomly decide she needed it.  Her birthday present?  A trip, anywhere in the world she wanted to go.  We both had off until the next Sunday and the world was our playground.  She would eventually choose London and even get the luxury of riding home in First Class.  

February 26th, 2016

As I drove to the airport to catch the 5:30 flight to Detroit, 3 hours before her flight would leave, I was a nervous wreck. Nicole believed I was headed there to begin a trip but instead I was there to beat her to Detroit. I had to get on this flight or 6 months of planning was ruined. When I arrived at the gate, the flight was oversold and there was another pilot listed for the jumpseat. To the couple who overslept, thank you. After several calls for them to board, the gate agent printed me a pass and pushed me through the door as she closed it behind her. And just like that, the plan was officially set in motion.

Three hours later, I watched as Nicole's plane pulled up to the gate in Detroit. I watched from behind a sign at the gate as she left the airplane and walked through the terminal. She had 4 hours, or so she thought, to await a friend to get off work to pick her up. "What are you going to do," I texted her.

"I'm going to explore the airport until I get hungry then maybe have lunch," she replied. To show what had been happening for the last half year, I made a video and at the end, I would be standing there, ring in hand. I needed her to be seated, not walking around.

"Well, I made you a video to make up for missing your birthday and need you to find a seat. My flight leaves soon." I was getting worried that this might not work.

"Okay, I found an empty gate," she sent to my phone. My heart jumped. It was time. I ran through the airport stopping before each gate to see if it was empty. After several minutes of running, stopping and creeping around corners, I broke through a crowd boarding and peeked around the corner to see a beautiful girl facing away from me looking out the window. Then I hit send.

As she watched, I could see her begin to cry. Approaching a business man at the gate I whispered, "Excuse me sir. I'm about to propose to that girl over there. Would you mind taking a few pictures?" After he agreed, I walked up to a few feet behind her and waited patiently for the 4 minute video of pictures and music from her favorite band to end.

As she read the text on the last slide, "Look Around," she stood up and turned right to me. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she ran toward me yelling, "WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" After a long embrace, she looked into my now tear filled eyes.

"I have one more surprise for you," I said pulling away. I reached into my pocket and grabbed the ring. Any speech I had memorized was long forgotten. In the middle of gate D12 at Detroit International Airport I got down on one knee, raised the ring into the air and tearfully asked, "Nicole Castrale, will you marry me?

Enjoy the video she saw before turning around and seeing me with some pictures from the engagement at the end: Engagement Video