Ahhh… I love proposals. Hear me out.
Just like a few gals/guys out there (no sexist forgiven here – who says guys cannot be proposed to??), a few years ago I watched tons of Youtube proposal videos, one linked to another, and another, and another, and couldn’t help fantasizing about myself in those videos. Bryant Park marching band? Flashmob proposal? A bit too much but fine, I will take it. However, since I missed that one chance in my life two years ago, I have shifted my hope towards friends who are getting close to that milestone in their relationship, wishing that one day I can, at least, participate in a proposal that is somewhat close, or closer, to the “fantasies” Youtube created for its audience like me. Finally the day came last summer.
I had been longing to go camping – chatting with friends by the campfire, sleeping in a tent, and counting stars (if any) in a sleepless night sound hopelessly romantic to me. So when Tony, a good friend of Blowfish’s, suggested a double date camping trip on the Memorial Day weekend last year, we did not hesitate to say yes. Two days before our trip, Tony unexpectedly called an in-person prep meeting. Strange huh? You bet, but all of a sudden I had the sense that it was more than a prep meeting for camping only. Maybe…. something BIG is happening?
This meeting took place in the lobby of Tony’s apartment building. Friends – never underestimate a lady’s sixth sense. This was absolutely not the kind of meeting where we talked about how many pots we should bring or how to combat a bear just in case, but one where Tony officially announced that he was going to propose to his girlfriend, Vira, during this upcoming trip and invited us to become his partners-in-crime.
Not that anybody cared, but – I said yes!
Tony obviously had thought through his plan 158 times – the timeline (nearly by minute), the props (including candles, spare candles, a MAP for candle arrangements to show “Marry Me?”, rose pedals, spare rose pedals, and a handmade notebook listing the 100 reasons why she should marry him), the excuse he would use to take Vira away so that we could set up the scene after dinner, and the code that he would need from us to signal everything was ready etc. While I was sitting there carefully “examining” his props (I mean the notebook really) for any potential typos, feeling overwhelmed by the excitement of the upcoming proposal, I have to tell you that I also couldn’t help thinking what Blowfish was doing two days before he proposed… No matter what it was though, I just don’t think he thought it through 158 times… Anyways, the meeting was dismissed after Tony felt Blowfish and I sort of got it. When I was skipping along behind Blowfish out of the building, Tony suddenly stopped me from behind.
“Fan!” Tony shouted.
“Yeah?” I responded from a distance.
“Please – can you try to look … somewhat normal before I propose?”
Man, people really have trust issues nowadays. “I promise, I will try.”
The trip finally came. I behaved myself by looking quite normal during the day. Everything went as planned, except that we didn’t get the Asian cooking ingredients we wanted on the way and it took us two hours to finally start the bon fire. The night fell earlier on the campsite, but as the night grew darker and darker, my anxiety level was shooting through the roof: when is Tony going to take Vira away for a walk? What if Vira feels tired and doesn’t want to take a walk? Or what if Vira insists me and Blowfish taking a walk with them? Should I say my feet hurt, or I have a stomachache? Right then, I heard Tony saying “Hey guys, we are going for a walk and will be back soon.” Then he gave us a look and disappeared in the darkness. Simple as that…
In the next 15 minutes, Blowfish and I arranged the candles on the picnic table according to Tony’s map, sprinkled the rose pedals, and positioned the notebook meticulously, sent out the signal, and hid ourselves behind a big tree (honestly given the darkness of the camp site, I doubt if anyone could see us as long as we didn’t stand ON the table with the candles lit).
Five minutes later, we heard Tony and Vira talking as they came back closer to the campsite. The moment of truth? Let my pictures tell you now…
Let me just say that things went well and as everybody cared - Vira said yes! I was moving back and forth, tiptoeing or crouching down, busy taking the pictures with probably way too much excitement, until Blowfish dragged me away so that I could leave them some personal space…
The next morning, after the newly engaged lovebirds finally found cellphone service out of the woods to change their relationship status on FB, I got a chance to ask Vira how she felt when she saw the words on the picnic table. “What words?” she asked. “Marry me?” We three answered in a little bit of shock. “Oh, I guess I am just too short to recognize it on the table haha! I thought you two were just having a romantic night while we were away.” Oops – lesson learned.
So my dear yet-to-be-engaged friends – now I officially declare that I am an experienced proposal assist AND a photographer – count me in whenever you are ready.
Happy Valentine's Day!