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My Proposal Box, Part 4: Conclusion

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Proposal Box Conclusion

This is part 4 of the series on my proposal box. Part 1 was an introduction. Part 2 went over hardware. Part 3 was all about the software. Part 4 is about my experience with the box. I knew early on that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Hannah. We enjoy geocaching together, so this box was the perfect way to ask her to be my wife. I just needed a plan.

The Plan

Hannah and her twin sister Elizabeth are very close, and it was important to me that she be involved in the proposal. I contacted Elizabeth back in February, told her my plan, and asked her to help me. I truly couldn’t have done it all without her. More on this later.

The location where the box would open was a no-brainer. I wanted it to be somewhere special and our first date was at the Botanical Gardens. The scenery inside the gardens is beautiful and quite romantic. I found a nice, secluded spot in the wildflower garden next to a stone bench. The view was spectacular. Step 1: complete.

I had a difficult time trying to decide how she would get the box. I didn’t want to be the one to give it to her because I wouldn’t be solving it with her. With the help of my sister Stephanie, we thought it would be cool for them to get the box at a restaurant. Hannah loves coffee and brunch, so it made sense to find a place that served both. Steph knows the owners of Crestwood Coffee, so we drove up there for lunch one day to ask for their help. They said they would love to help. The people there were so nice and the sandwiches were amazing. Step 2: complete.

The pick-up location was set, but I still needed a way for them to get there. Elizabeth did an incredible job of coordinating their plans for that morning. They had already made plans to go get some running shoes and Elizabeth suggested that they try Crestwood Coffee as neither of them had ever been there. Again, this plan wouldn’t have happened without her help. Step 3: complete.

The Day

I woke up early Saturday morning and met my friend Drew at the gardens. He came on short notice to take pictures for me. We went up to the spot so I could verify the GPS coordinates one last time. We also discussed places from where he could take pictures. I wanted him to be hidden as much as possible so the pictures would look natural. After we talked about that for a minute, we went to Crestwood Coffee to drop off the box. We met my friend Helen there and had some breakfast while I reset the counter and put fresh batteries in the box. The 3 of us drove back to the gardens to wait for Hannah and Elizabeth to get there. The plan was for Helen to sit on the bench until she saw them walk by. Then she would get up and come down to where Drew and I were waiting. I wanted her to be there in case anyone decided that they wanted to come sit at the bench before Hannah got there. Hannah and Helen had never met before, so it wouldn’t have been weird if they did happen to run into one another before she got to the bench.

Elizabeth sent me a text when they left Crestwood Coffee, then the 3 of us took our places. Waiting for them to get to the gardens felt like an eternity. I wasn’t very nervous until I saw Helen walking down the hill to let me know that they had arrived at the wildflower garden. Once they got to the bench where the box would open, Elizabeth came down the hill to let us know that they had arrived at the location. Drew had joked that he wasn’t very nervous until he met up with his wife on the day he proposed — then he got very nervous. Boy was he right. Once I saw Elizabeth and started walking up the hill to the bench where Hannah was waiting, my mind went blank and my nerves went a bit crazy. I don’t remember everything I said and didn’t say everything I had planned on saying.

The Result

After months of secretive building, 1 burned out LCD screen, 1 broken GPS breakout board, multiple overnight deliveries, and loads of stress over the locking mechanism, she said yes! I can now call this wonderful girl my fiancé, and soon, my wife.  I love it when a plan comes together.

A very special “Thank You” to everyone who made this possible.


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