Weddingbee Blog

“I knew what I was getting.” That’s what my high school calculus teacher Mrs. Edgar said after she told us the story of her proposal.

Apparently, she and future husband (our gym teacher) were sitting around one afternoon. He was watching basketball and she was flipping through a wedding magazine because one of her friends was getting hitched in the near future.

Spotting a particularly lovely dress, she said, “That’s the dress I’m going to wear when I get married.”

Mr. Edgar, without turning his head said, (or so the legend goes*) “Do you wanna?”

Slightly confused, Mrs. Edgar responded, “Do I wanna what?”

“Do you wanna get married?”

The answer was yes, of course. And she wore that very dress to her wedding.

*Supposedly the first thing he did upon entering the honeymoon suite post-wedding was flip on the football game. Yes, you heard me right.

My high school self was horrified at this story, as were all my friends.

Mrs. Edgar shrugged off our concerns. She loved her man the way he was, so that his proposal reflected that — and wasn’t traditional or romantic — didn’t bother her in the slightest.

This is just one of many proposal stories that made me gasp over the years. They’re the kind of stories you tell over and over and discuss with single friends.

One of my best friends in college got engaged in the Walmart parking lot (though he did throw her a surprise engagement party later where he gave her the real ring). Another girl I heard of was proposed to at a Waffle House.

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“How awful!” we’d all say. “I’d say no if he asked me like that.”

But now, after my own non-traditional proposal, I understand Mrs. Edgar and those other girls completely. When the love of your life asks you to marry him, it doesn’t matter how or where he does it.

And now, my own tale.

Eight months after we started dating, Mr. Bunny had to have surgery. The procedure was out-patient and was relatively minor, but the doctors told him he’d be out of work for at least a week and would probably need a little help around the house.

His parents came up for the day of the surgery and stayed with him the first night afterward, but after that, he was on his own. We don’t live together, so I packed my bag to go stay with him for a few days in case he needed anything.

We had been talking kind of abstractly about whether or not marriage was in our future up to that point, but I always assumed we meant the more distant future.

I don’t know if it was the Vicodin (he swears it wasn’t) or just how touched he was that I was taking care of him, but he suddenly fell quiet.

“What are you thinking?” I asked.

More silence.

Then…

“Marry me. Marry me and I will love you and take care of you for the rest of your life.”

Mr. B tells me that at this point I hyperventilated and he had to hug me pretty tightly to calm me down. Personally, I don’t really remember.

I do remember what I said, though, and it’s not what you think.

“You know I don’t have an answer for you right now.”

WHAT?! That girl be crazy!

Yes, it was a little crazy. But I was SO surprised by the proposal that I wasn’t prepared. I’m a pretty emotional and indecisive girl, so saying “yes” or “no” to a life-changing question like that isn’t the best idea for someone like me, especially when I have my socks blown off from surprise.

I know, I know. I’m horrible. And I made him wait a week for the answer!

But of course, I said yes. It was the only answer I ever had to give him. I kind of kick myself now for not saying it right away. But on the other hand, we’d only been dating eight months! What did he expect for me to say?

Even though he didn’t make any grand gesture of love or have a ring ready to slip on my finger, I wouldn’t trade my proposal story for anyone else’s.

Mr. Bunny told me later that he asked me the second he knew for sure he wanted to marry me. The proposal surprised him as much as it surprised me! He asked me in his own time and his own way. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t be the man I love.

I’ll show you the ring now, but you’re going to have to wait to hear the story of how I got it. (I know, I’m such a tease!)

Anyone else have a slightly different proposal? No romantic treasure hunt or grand gesture or presentation of the ring on bended knee?

And for you singles, how would you feel being proposed to without any of the traditional trims and trappings?