Weddingbee Blog

When you help buy your own engagement ring, it’s often hard to be surprised at the proposal.

While Mr. PBear and I are not very traditional people, I have admittedly always dreamed of a real proposal. It didn’t have to be elaborate, big, or crazy, but I was hoping for something sweet and personal.

Something like this:

Image via Polka Dot Bride / Photo by Etta Photography

With that in mind, though I had helped PBear order the ring, I told him to not let me know when it was coming, and to surprise me with it whenever he was ready. Of course, it’s always easier said than done, thus I have some tips for people in similar shoes:

Pro tip 1: Do not use your phone number when setting up the order. Use your fiance(e)’s. Otherwise, when Fedex calls to let you know someone needs to be around to sign for an expensive package, the cat’s out of the bag, and your future fiance(e) will be forced to hide it in your apartment so he can try to surprise you another day.

Pro tip 2: Check under your nose when looking for the ring in your apartment, even if your fiance(e) told you not to look. They will be more clever than you give them credit for and hide the ring in plain sight for almost a week and just laugh at your pain.

Pro tip 3: Leave them alone for a little bit, even if you are desperately waiting for them to propose. How can they set up your proposal if you don’t go away? It’s a great time to get your nails done.

This story starts about a week before the proposal itself. I had gotten a phone call from FedEx, saying that someone needed to be at the house to sign for an expensive package. I immediately knew what it was, and my heart dropped. So much for the surprise aspect.

So, Mr. PBear did what he could. He hid the ring (in the place I would least expect it—on my desk) and waited for his moment, and I was a nervous wreck. I didn’t understand what was taking him so long, or why he was torturing me on purpose, no less. It never occurred to me that he needed time to set it up.

One day soon after the ring was delivered, I came home to the sweetest proposal ever. Mr. PBear had put bear tracks (‘cuz we’re bears—get it?) on the ground around the apartment that led to a sign that said “marry me.”

There was a bit more to it, but I kind of like keeping that between the two of us. Plus, considering it was all inside jokes, it wouldn’t make much sense to anyone else anyway. He got down on one knee and we just hugged for a good five minutes. It was beautiful, magical, and everything that I imagined it would be and so much more. I still tear up just thinking about it. I love that it was incredibly personal and fit our relationship to a tee. Good job, Bear.

It was a very lovely night. I returned the favor by giving Mr. PBear his own engagement present.

I Like You by Sandol Stoddard Warburg / Image via Amazon

I think it’s a lovely book and fits us fairly well. We went out to a nice dinner at a restaurant nearby that I had been dying to try, EVOO, and basked in the glow of love and happiness before calling our parents and spreading the good news. I can’t believe it’s already been over a year since it happened. Time has gone by so fast.

Was anyone else less than surprised when the proposal happened? Did you go searching for the ring too? Wasn’t the waiting the worst part of it all?