I met Carol-Anne on a group blind date believe it or not. If you know CA, you know a blind date is something she wouldn't easily agree to. Yet, lucky for me her "big" in her sorority persuaded her to go. It was a late night in September, six of us huddled around a small fire-pit sheltered under a gazebo. The others must have thought it was rude but I couldn't stop talking to Carol-Anne. We talked for hours that night. I wanted nothing more than to see her again, so I asked her out - and well here we are.

I know it sounds strange but Carol-Anne and I have always shared an admiration for the Walker Tower. She even knows what each signal means! "Red is rain, blue is clear skies, flashing blue is cloudy and flashing red is our favorite: snowfall!" I grew up looking at the tower from our family patio at the old Charleston Building on 4th and 13th, I loved the neon glare it cast on the city. I knew this had to be it. I called at least a dozen different buildings asking for access to a view worthy of an engagement, and all of them - heartless to their core - turned me down. I was discouraged but I knew I'd find a way. It wasn't until I walked into CA's dad's office to tell him about my intentions to marry his daughter that I finally got the opportunity I needed. As it turned out, Jon's coworker owned the building I desperately wanted, and with a few footsteps down the hall, he handed me the keys! I needed help if I was going to pull this off. I emailed some of our closest friends, with the subject line: "stuffed poblano pepper recipe" to hide our trail. I arranged with CA's boss to quietly give her the day off, and her mother convinced her they needed to grab something at the Hotel Monaco - but when CA opened the door she was met with Carter and Carol - with simple instructions; "No questions, just put this dress on and follow us". My heart jumped when I saw her walk out of the hotel, I gazed nervously from the roof hundreds of feet up, thinking somehow she might see me. She came out of view and that's when I knew she would be opening the door at any moment - I stood there for a few minutes but it felt like a lifetime. She opened the door and was already crying, by now she knew exactly what was happening. "I was completely blown away by the extravagance of this proposal and by how well Ridley was able to hide it from me as I usually have a hand in everything. Amidst sobs I was able to answer, 'Yes!' to my favorite question Ridley has ever asked me. It was perfect." -CA