I never wanted to have the girl I was going to marry know that I was going to ask her. I always pictured going somewhere and doing something exciting, but being able to pull it off without her getting suspicious.
The problem is there are unfair expectations about what a guy has to do. We have to get the perfect ring. We have to let everyone around her know, and figure out a way to get them there with her still none the wiser.
This is the problem I was faced with.
So here is what I did.
I just happen to have a brother, Trevor, on an LDS mission in Australia, And (he will be happy to hear) I was able to use him even though he is halfway across the world.
About 10 days before I asked her we were talking about marriage, and I hinted that when we got married I would like Trevor to be there. I could tell this was not easy for her to hear, but I just figured she thought it would change.
The heat was turned up for me even more though. A couple days before I had been planning to ask her, she came to me and asked if I really wanted to wait more than a year to get married, and it almost killed me to say yes, but I knew the time was close to finally ask and make it up to her.
I had it all planned out.
Everyone I had invited arrived at Christophers in Salt Lake at 7:30 and we followed close behind at 8. The table was set for two, and the family was hidden quietly in the big private room I had gotten. The Maître d' seated us and told us that since this was our late Valentines dinner, he would bring us a nice appetizer to start with. I will admit that when he walked away I was more nervous than I had been all night, but when he took about 10 minutes longer than I thought he was going to take, I was about to have a heart attack.
After making me wait much too long, he finally brought out a covered tray on a cart, put it in front of her and took off the top, revealing a tiny box.
I could not tell what she was thinking but I thought since I had done all of this already I may as well ask her.
I got down on my knee told her I loved her and asked her if she would be my wife.
She said yes.
