Weddingbee Blog

This post is actually taken from the Hot Wings’ wedding website. For our 4 year anniversary last year, Mr. Hot Wings gifted me with “Our Love Story” and our “Proposal Story” to be used for our wedding website. It was the best present I could have received. So here it is, with only name edits.

***

I proposed to Miss Hot Wings on December 20, 2008. At the time, we were both in San Diego staying with her parents during our winter break. I had decided before we left for San Diego that I wanted to propose to Miss Hot Wings at Torrey Pines State Reserve at sunset.

*personal picture taken on proposal day*

But my dilemma was how to suggest we go out to the park around sunset without making it super obvious that the proposal was imminent. As it turns out, Miss Hot Wings had gotten a new camera for her birthday just days earlier, so I told her it would be fun to “test out the new camera” over at Torrey Pines by taking some pictures at sunset. (Sounds a bit fishy I know, and Miss Hot Wings later said she thought something was up, but that doesn’t matter now.)

I also knew it would be fun to have friends and family around to celebrate with us, so I planned the proposal on a day that Miss Hot Wings’ friends Hot Wings 1 and 2 were driving down to San Diego for a belated birthday party for Miss Hot Wings. Little did Miss Hot Wings know that her belated birthday party was going to be an engagement party!

Anyway, after having lunch at a brew pub in La Jolla, (clearly I need a couple beers to ease the tension) we headed over to Torrey Pines. As we drove up the steep and winding park road to the parking lot, I started becoming a bit disconcerted with all the hikers and joggers I was seeing in the park. When I had originally envisioned the moment I proposed, it was of Miss Hot Wings and me, alone with nothing but the sounds of the wind and the waves and the sight of the setting sun over the Pacific. And now I had a bunch of joggers in my mix! This was crap. And I was definitely starting to worry… especially when we got to the trailhead and I saw all the cars in the parking lot…

But, not to worry… this was a big day, and I wasn’t leaving anything to chance. Be prepared… son. (Even a Boy Scouts dropout can’t forgot the motto when it’s been repeated enough times by his father.) The night before, I had studied the park trail map and noticed there was an outer loop away from the main parking lot with an ocean vista. I knew this loop wouldn’t be as well traveled, and if we had a chance of any privacy, this would be it.

So, we headed in this direction, and began hiking down the trail, away from the park road and toward the water. At that point, it was probably like about 4:30 or something like that. I knew that sunset was approximately 4:46 and the trail was a little under a mile long (Boy Scout motto) so I knew we kind of had to hustle to get to the place I wanted to get to. So, as we were hiking along, I was trying to push the pace, but also “act normal”. Miss Hot Wings stopped to take a couple pictures (the ostensible purpose of the hike), and every time she did I kept hearing a voice in my head say, “We don’t have time for this, woman!”

However, the sun still hadn’t set, and we were making progress toward the scenic overlook. BUT, as we approached I started to hear voices ahead. My heart sank… someone was going to be in OUR SPOT. Someone was definitely going to be in MY SCENIC VISTA OVERLOOKING THE PACIFIC. Horrible!

Several thoughts began to rush into my head… was I going to be able to propose in the spot I wanted? Would there be an alternate location? Would I have to forgo the ocean vista and settle for being tucked-away under some scrub brush for the moment of the proposal? If relegated to the scrub-brush, would I propose at all? Would I have to abandon this plan and think of something else? But what about Hot Wing Friends 1 and 2? (Ah, the plot thickens.) And what about Brother Hot Wings, who I also asked to meet us there as well with my camcorder? (Yet another twist!)

As all these thoughts bombarded my mind, we continued to walk toward our intended destination. As we did, the voices got louder and then louder until I saw the couple they belonged to… who were headed our direction… then passed us… and then continued past us back down the trail toward the trailhead.

YES!

That’s MY SCENIC VISTA, SON! (And daughter.)

HUGE inner sigh of relief.

So, we made it to our intended destination, and quite fortunately for me (thank you God and Jesus and Buddha) we didn’t have to share it with anyone.

As the sun began to set, I started into “the speech”. I won’t share it here, but Miss Hot Wings later told me she thought it was dumb and she was confused. However, at the end of that speech, I got down on one knee, pulled out the ring (yet another story) and asked Miss Hot Wings to marry me.

Her first reaction was: “Oh my God! What are you doing!? Oh my God!”

At which point, I had to repeat myself. And then she said yes. It was awesome, and one of the best moments of my life to date.

And that lasted for about 2 minutes, and then we had to almost literally run back to the car because Torrey Pines closes at sunset and we didn’t want to get a ticket from the park ranger.

** First Photo as an engaged couple with the new camera!**

Mr. Hot Wings’ version of the story is far superior to mine!

Has your fiancé recorded your engagement story? What do you think of it?