The Swift clan was gathered in Waimea on the Big Island of Hawai’i to celebrate the life of Gayle Swift, mother of the bride. One of her last private conversations with the groom was confirming that he planned to propose, and the time was now here. The custom-designed ring had been selected months earlier and had been created and delivered in time for the flight. Now that the custom crafted, rose gold creation sat in the prospective groom’s pocket, there were two steps to the plan: first to gain the father’s blessing and check in with her siblings, and second, to find an appropriate time. The father of the bride was happy to share his blessing and his son became the point person in finding the perfect time. A traditional Hawaiian lūʻau was held, and while the food was delicious, the timing wasn't right. A trip to the rainforest and a volcano yielded some fun pictures, but a proper proposal location still eluded them - the rainforest was unsurprisingly too wet, and by the time they reached the volcano, it was too dark - no matter how bright the diamond, it could not be seen in the inky blackness that arose over that ancient mountain. The hope of forming this new relationship and tying it to the new land that was formed as the great volcano erupted was dashed. The group returned on the long drive across the island back to the house. With a post-proposal trip to Jamaica already booked, time was running short. As the sun faded into the horizon for the final evening in the house, hope for a proposal began dwindling along with the daylight. Flights were leaving the next day to all corners of the globe, but the future brother-in-law had an epiphany and began constructing the final plan. Late into the evening, a fake family photograph would be staged - the future bride was directed to the front in order to thank her for organizing the trip, but secretly the future groom kneeled behind her with the ring in hand. He was not going to have to carry that ring in his pocket any longer as she said yes, cried, and the post-dinner hangout instantly transitioned into a family engagement party, and the story of Jess and Rodney had opened a new chapter.