Sometimes the best proposal story is not the one with the grand gesture, but the one that’s the most creative.
Although I picked out my engagement ring 4 months beforehand, I can say my husband’s proposal was anything but predictable.
On Oct 1, 2015 my husband, Kory proposed at Art Prize in our home town of Grand Rapids, MI. If you don’t know what Art Prize is, it’s an international art competition and cultural festival that distributes the largest cash prize in the art world. People from all over come to vote for their favorite exhibits, while enjoying the best food local vendors have to offer. For sixteen days (mid Sep to Oct) the downtown area is blocked off for one of the biggest events of the year, and I was proposed to at it.
Kory and I have been married for 8 1/2 years now, so there are certain visuals I lost over the years. However, I’ll do my best to paint the most vivid picture I can. I came to Art Prize with a sweatshirt and jeans on thinking I was just walking around to eat and see cool art. Little did I know, my mom and my husband hatched a master plan to throw me off.
When I got to Art Prize my mom was holding a map of all the exhibits Kory wanted us to visit. She told me he had come there earlier and was giving us a guide to view the best ones. I went along with it. I quickly realized something was up once the first artist asked my name and handed me a love note. In fact all of them did. Each love note recapped a moment we shared and how that led us to that day. I must have cried 10 times before I reached the final exhibit. When I arrived at my final destination there Kory was, in Rosa Parks Circle, in the center of a crowd of people nervous as ever.
There was an ice sculpture behind him that read, ‘Charisma, Will you marry me? Kory’. You can just imagine how overcome I was with emotions and excitement. After months of him holding onto the ring I picked out, this was finally THE moment!
I was so lost in the moment that I didn’t realize there was a large group of kids on the sidelines and an even larger crowd of people doing the expected, “Aww!” and whispering,”That’s so sweet!” . When I said yes everyone cheered as they pointed towards the live screen mounted high in the air. We were on it! It just so happens Channel 8 news was getting coverage of Miranda (from PBS Kids) and that large group of children on the sidelines. They were scheduled to go live right around the time I was headed to Rosa Parks Circle and they noticed Kory nervously sweating with an ice sculpture and a jewelry box. I will forever be grateful to the news reporter and Miranda allowing Kory and I to have our moment. The kids even shouted congratulations and cheered us on.
Now why am I telling this long, but romantic story? To give you a case example of how engagements can be unique and memorable without being extravagant or financially over the top. Kory and my mom took advantage of a huge event that was already orchestrated and used that as the infrastructure to create their own plan. It didn’t cost him anything to get the artists involved in delivering the love notes: only the time and effort of communicating with them beforehand. He spoke to fifteen artists in total and only 10 were willing to participate, which is actually pretty impressive. Just goes to show you there are people who will help out, sometimes you just gotta ask.
The only real expense was the ice sculpture, which came from a local vendor called Ice Guru. If you’re reading this and you think you may want an ice sculpture incorporated into your proposal, engagement party, or wedding, look up businesses near you. If you don’t have one close by, ask if the nearest one has a shipping option. Also, don’t shy away from negotiating. People love a good love story and may be willing to cut you a deal or meet you half way with your budget. As beautiful as the heart ice sculpture was, it was not as elaborate and detailed as Ice Guru’s other work, but it was fitting for our proposal. Sometimes looking at a business’ website can be wallet intimidating and you shy away, but it’s always worth calling and simply asking if they can provide what you’re looking for.
The greatest element of surprise was the news channel catching it all without Kory reaching out to them. Never in a million years did I think my engagement would be in front of a huge group of people let alone filmed live on the evening news. Kory and I received calls and inboxes on Facebook for weeks from those who saw it on Channel 8. Everything worked out in a way that was better than the original plan. That’s what I love most about that day.
The other element of surprise was my future husband and my mom working together as a team to give me a day I would never forget. Ever since our engagement, my mom and my husband have planned several parties and surprises for me. They realized how great they worked together so they kept collaborating. I love that! I know everyone’s situation won’t be the same, but it’s a great idea to incorporate family members and friends for plans of this magnitude. Without me suggesting or asking, my mom reached out to Kory and said, “Hey! I know her likes, dislikes and taste. I also have connections and skillsets that can be helpful. Do you think we can collaborate?” He agreed and she gave him the idea of proposing at Art Prize.
What are your thoughts? How do you feel about utilizing public or private events for proposals? Are you the grand gesture type or would you prefer a proposal that’s budget friendly, but creative? Let us know.