A modest proposal

Hey all. Brice here. My blog entry will cover the proposal, and the story goes a little something like this.

Alec and I had talked about marriage as early as October 2010 but had at length decided that a formal proposal should wait until after school was over for the semester in December. Our student ward had a Christmas party at the Joseph Smith memorial building on Temple square on December 2. It was a beautiful night. The air was crisp and cold with a warm glow from the Christmas lights glinting off the snow. Dressed for the formal dinner occasion, Alec was the belle of the ball. She was beautiful and radiant in Christmas colors. Following the dinner we went to the top floor of the JSMB to look out over the lights on Temple Square. Since it was late the floor was nearly deserted. With no one around it was quiet and romantic. It was the perfect time and place to get engaged. There was only one little problem: The semester wasn't over yet and I had not talked to her father or purchased a ring. Those things didn't need to happen for another two weeks at least. On the way back to the car Alec said she thought that I was going to propose up there and that she was a little disappointed that I did not. My Brain exploded.

It occurs to me now that while she did say that she had no problem with getting engaged sooner rather than later she didn't say that we had to and the mad scramble that occupied the next seven days of my life could have been avoided.

The next day (December 3 for those of you following at home) was a Friday. I went to the mall and shopped at four different jewelry stores. Many hours later I finally found the perfect ring. One that I knew she would love and was in my budget, but it needed to be customized, so it would not be ready until the next Wednesday! With the ring purchased I set about the next phase of my plan: Finding the right time and place to pop the question. After Alec's comments following the Christmas party I thought that Temple square should be the place. I had a hot tip that the Tabernacle Choir has practice on Thursday nights that you can listen in on. Considering our shared love of great music I thought this would be not only a great date but a great excuse to get us to temple square with Alec none the wiser. But where exactly on Temple Square to do it? I knew I needed to go scope out the area, and better yet I needed to get feedback from Alec on what places she might like and I needed to get that feedback surreptitiously.

Sunday (December 5) was the first presidency Christmas devotional. We didn't have tickets but I told Alec that we should go down anyway just to see if we could get in. We couldn't. So we just walked around Temple Square. It was perfect. Thick fog covered Temple Square with the lights on the Temple shining through like a lighthouse beacon of the Lord. In our wanderings we ended up over right in front of the Church office building. There is a big fountain there. We love fountains. Alec sat on a little bench in front of the fountain shrouded in fog (Alec loves fog too) The moment was perfect. Alec looked up at me with a beautiful radiance in her eyes, smiled, and said "ok. I am ready!" I shrugged my shoulders, reached a hand into my inside coat pocket and said 'ok". Alec jumped off the bench in a total panic that I was seriously about to propose. (Remember, I had bought the ring but it was not done being customized yet. Of course she didn't know that.)

Wednesday December 8 I pick up the ring and finally talk to her father. She knows that I am keeping something secret but how she doesn't put together that I have a ring I will never know. I am pretty sure that she did know and was just humoring my desire to have some semblance of surprise surrounding our engagement. Thursday (December 9) we went back to Temple Square, and it is at this time that I start seriously second guessing if the Temple square thing has been way too overdone in the past week. We park under the conference center and go listen to the choir for a half hour or so before I tell her I want to take her on a carriage ride since she had always wanted to do that. On our way out of the conference center we walk over to the little alcove behind the waterfall that runs down the front of the building. Now THIS was the perfect place to propose. We were not just at a fountain, it was like we were IN a fountain. Just as I am thinking this Alec says, "It's too bad that you have not talked to my father and gotten a ring yet. You could totally propose" My brain exploded. Again. I simply could not think of a cool, suave way to segway into "Well, as a mater of fact...." Besides I really wanted to do it after the carriage ride. I figured that just in case she wasn't sure about marrying me, the carriage ride would clinch it.

The carriage ride was awesome. If you have never gone on a carriage ride, do it. If you have, do it at Christmas time. They actually have jingle bells. Seriously! What more do want from your romance?

After the carriage ride, I figured that even though she really tried to ruin the waterfall it was still the best place to propose, so back to the conference center we went. The guest service missionary guarding the door didn't want to let us in because they were trying to clear the building after the the choir was finished. I asked if we could just cut through the building to the elevators where we parked and he reluctantly let us in. I cut over to the alcove, totally oblivious to the fact that Alec had no idea where I was going. Duh. Back in the alcove I am watching the hall like a secret service agent waiting for it to be empty so I can make my move. Finally it clears out and we are completely alone. Not knowing how long our privacy might last I seize the moment and ask Alec if she likes me. (This is really sweet and funny and important to our story. Kind of an inside joke.) She says yes. "Do you love me?" I ask. "Yes." She replies. "Are you in love with me?" "Yes." "Well then I just have one last question for you." Dropping to one knee and fumbling to get the box out of my coat. "Alec Havens, will you marry me?"

Stunned ecstatic silence. A brief pause that drags into eternity. Finally a quiet yet exuberant "yes".

Tune in next time for something completely different.

-Brice Sherratt