I always knew I'd be the one popping the question, but as our two-year "anniversary" approached, I truly knew Stephen was the one. We'd survived a long-distance relationship and his eventual move to Charleston, a trip to China, and a cross-country trip to Colorado. But then we hit a roadblock - the weekend I'd planned to propose, he took a job at my school and I thought it best not to add any additional stress. Weeks came and went, and I waited, with the ring hidden away in Adam's room. I finally decided one Sunday afternoon that it was time. I always knew how I would ask, so it was a pretty easy decision. The first time Stephen came to Charleston, I took him to Sunset Park, and we sprawled out on the dock, planning our future honeymoon. I purposely never took him back there after that night because I wanted the next time we went to be for the proposal. So I whipped up a little picnic and we took off. I didn't have a great place to hide the ring, so I took a jacket (it was August, y'all) and hid it in the pocket. Of course he got cold, grabbed my jacket, felt the box, and asked what it was. I blanked - I couldn't think of anything to say other than "open it". So he opened it and I asked him to marry me - sitting at a picnic table at a public park with another couple watching us. He felt so bad, he let me try again, but properly - on the dock, my cheesy line at the ready. In the whirlwind of wedding planning and becoming homeowners that's happened since then, I've never once doubted my decision, even if it didn't go 100% according to plan. PS - I've had a lot of questions on how rings work between two guys. I didn't know myself, and lots of Googling basically told me I could make it up myself. So I picked out a ring for myself and proposed to him with that, then he picked out a ring for himself for me to wear. At the ceremony, we'll exchange rings.

It was a typical Sunday- woke up, ate breakfast, took a nap, woke up again, but then Daniel had a random idea. He suggested we plan an evening picnic at Sunset Park, the park we visited on my first trip to Charleston to see him. Naturally, I agreed, as that meant I got to eat some bangin' food (literally every day with this guy). It was a little later in the evening by the time we finished eating, and a breeze came in since we were by the water. I grabbed Daniel's jacket that was on the table and he tries to pull it back. I pull harder and win that war, put the jacket on, and place my hands directly in its pockets. At that time I feel a box. I freeze and just stare at Daniel. I ask "what is this?," and he hesitates, but then tells me to just open it. In the back of my mind, I knew exactly what was happening, but at the same time, I was clueless. *Bling*- it's a ring! He then pops THE question. I immediately doubt everything that's happening and tell him that it's not a funny joke. Several minutes later, and an abundance of convincing me that it's real, Daniel finally had his answer. YES! It's totally like me that I completely ruined the surprise, but it also couldn't have represented our relationship any better.