Weddingbee Blog

Though we’ve been engaged for over sixteen months now, it feels like it happened just yesterday! I love telling our proposal story, and I can’t wait to share with you all, but first, a disclaimer.

Note: As I have mentioned a few times, the first two years of medical school were miserable with a capital M for me. I was just really out of my element (missing my awesome college friends, activities, and life in general). Even after Mr. Burger was accepted into my medical school and we were living in the same city again, I still wasn’t enjoying school, and I had an upcoming set of boards looming over me. In addition, our friends started getting engaged and married, which further distracted me from school and fueled my desire to take our relationship to the next level! We both agreed that we were ready for an engagement, but I wanted all of the details to be left up to him. For Burger, it was all about getting the ring just right AND preserving the element of surprise - which took, well, slightly longer than I expected - if you catch my drift!

OK, now that you’re all caught up, here goes!

I had just completed my first set of medical boards, and Mr. Burger decided to surprise me with a weekend trip to (where else!?) State College to enjoy our favorite foods and beverages (I told you - we LOVE it there). Of course - I won’t lie - I was very hopeful for a proposal.

In fact, I had been hoping for a proposal on just about every major holiday during the 6 months prior to the trip. Actually, if we’re being really honest, every time Burger even looked at me funny I thought he was going to ask me the big question. Are you seeing why surprising me was going to be so difficult for him?

In the car on the drive up, however, most hopes for a proposal went out the window. Burger was being so sweet, telling me how proud he was that I had survived the boards, and then he mentioned that he couldn’t wait to start shopping for “the ring”. Oh. I felt stupid. Here I was hoping for a proposal and he hadn’t even gone shopping yet.

But you know that really irrational part of your brain (the one that tends to take over during wedding planning)? Well that part started whispering notions of a conspiracy. “Maybe he’s just saying that he hasn’t gone shopping yet, but really the proposal is on the tip of his tongue!” Yeah, right…

So Friday came and went, and while it was an absolutely wonderful time, there was no proposal, no ring. When we woke up on Saturday, I was just really enjoying the time that we were spending together, and I had *almost* given up on the idea that we were getting engaged. Burger suggested that we take a walk around campus, and I obliged; I did, however, allow myself one tiny peek at Burger’s shorts pockets - nope, definitely no ring box (I know, I know, I’m pathetic) - so I (REALLY NOW) put the thought out of my mind and had a great time on our walk.

As the sun was starting to set, our walk was over and we found ourselves at our favorite spot – the most historic building on campus, Old Main.

Burger walking up the steps of Old Main on proposal day

Sitting on the steps, talking about life and our future together, Burger turned to me, and in the most dejected voice said, “Wow, this would have been a great day to propose… I was really thinking about doing it this weekend, but I decided not to.”

Shocked by his honesty and bummed by his confession, I tried to shift the conversation away from the topic, since I didn’t want to get upset on such a great day. “Oh, well, no worries,” I said. “Let’s just not talk about it right now.” There was little moment of silence, and the reality of the situation set in for me - wow, this. Could. Have. Been. IT.

“Well,” he said, smirking at me,”what if we practiced getting engaged?! You know, just for fun.”

Slightly annoyed that he could make light of something so important to me, I dismissed his idea quickly, “No really, let’s just drop it.”

“Aw, come on! Let’s just practice, it’ll be fun!”

“Please stop it.” I turned away from him, feeling some pent-up-emotion-filled tears welling up in my eyes.

“But I even brought this practice ring, and…”

I cut him off, angry now, and turned back to him “Seriously, this is NOT FUNN–…” only then did I noticed that he was smiling, with a gorgeous, very real ring in hand (literally, like, in his hand, no box!).

AND. I. WAS. SHOCKED.

Remember those tears?! They quickly turned into happy ones and started flowing like mad. Burger got down on one knee, said the magic words that I had been longing to hear, and I (of course) said YES! At that moment, Old Main’s bell tower began playing “Hail to the Lion” (one of PSU’s fight songs) as the clock struck seven. Pure perfection.

Not only is the ring (or “our ring” as I like to call it) absolutely breathtaking, but he actually REALLY SURPRISED ME! Mission accomplished.

And just for sticking with me through that lengthy story, here is a photo montage!

All photos by yours truly or the mister

Were you a hard girl to surprise? Did your significant other pull it off?!