Date of proposal: 12/14/2009

How he proposed

Andy: After a few months of diamond shopping, Abby finally took me into a custom jewelry shop that I felt very comfortable. Not to mention the fact that we could design the ring she wanted for approximately the same cost as buying at the store. It was a no brainer for me. I went there the very next day and began the process. I had the ring in my hand within 2 weeks time, and it was gorgeous. I waited a week because I wanted to find time when I could ask her parents in person. I eventually asked one of Abby’s friends to take her to a movie on a Sunday night, and I drove to Marshalltown to get permission from Ken & Julie. Fortunately they said yes, so now it was just a matter of how to go about asking her. I woke up that Monday morning with a few ideas in mind. I came to work, ordered her a dozen roses, and had them sent to her office. All it said on the card was “Meet me at Centro after work” (Centro is a restaurant downtown that we both love).

Abby: As soon as I got those flowers at work and read the card, I knew something was going to happen. Of course, the flowers came right after lunch, so I had the whole day to worry and think about what was going to happen … I couldn’t stop crying all day! It was a happy/nervous/anxious cry, but let’s just say I was en emotional wreck.  In fact, I couldn’t stop thinking about the “Engagement Surprise” skit on SNL with Kristin Wiig who can’t keep a secret and kept saying, “Things are going to change for you tonight! Your life is going to change!” It definitely did change, but for the better.

Andy: Now, at the time I thought I was being sneaky and was upset later that she kind of knew what I had planned … but at the same time I’m glad I did it that way because it made her squirm for the rest of the day.

Abby: We had an AMAZING dinner and a great bottle of red wine. I will always remember the romantic corner booth we sat in and shared that wonderful night together.

Andy: After our dinner, we were walking back to the car and it was about -2 degrees, but I really liked the blue lights on the trees across the street. So I made sure to park a couple blocks away (too far away for how cold it was), and when we were walking to the car I asked her to stop, got down on one knee, and asked her to marry me. She was so excited and couldn’t believe it was actually happening that all she could say was, “Are you serious? Is this a joke? Are you serious?” Eventually she said YES, and we ran to the car to get warmed up. She was extremely silent on the way home (which doesn’t happen often) because she was in shock. It was a great night!

Abby: I loved his proposal … in the heart of downtown Des Moines … the blue lights glowing against the stone buildings. It was simple yet heartfelt, perfect for us.