The day began with a breakfast at The Egg and I in Boulder. After Nicole enjoyed her pampered day at The Finishing Touch Spa, R. J. spent a good part of the day visualizing his "game face" in carrying out a perfect engagement.

R. J. picked Nicole up from her Boulder apartment with casual plans for a "fun date night in Denver." At promptly 6:40 p.m. en route to the surprise date location, 99.5 The Mountain's Pete McKay played a requested U2 song, "A Man and A Woman" on the radio, much to Nicole's surprise. The newly released song was followed by a humorous footnote by Pete about RJ's request to Nicole, the 'coolness' of working for National Geographic Maps, and commentary about online dating. Family and friends “in the secret” tuned in to hear the surprise request.

Lent and Dating

Match.com first introduced “nicole0220” to “alwz1dr” in March in an email with a subject headline, “Lent and Dating.” On March 28th, the two met in person for the first time at Stella’s Coffee Shop. After coffee, they decided to eat dinner across the street at Sushi Den. Had it not been for Lent, surely red wine and chocolate would have figured into the equation.

They arrived at Sushi Den in time for 7pm reservations. After handing the car keys to the valet, the couple proceeded inside and was seated at a choice table displaying three red roses and a carafe of red wine. The significance of the flowers and wine remained unsaid until after dinner.

Shortly after ordering the “date special,” R. J. presented Nicole with a paper scroll wrapped in a red bow, similar in color to the roses and R. J.’s “stylish shoes.” Nicole carefully unrolled the scroll to find a black and white photograph of the couple taken on the beach of Costa Rica, days after professing their love for each other for the first time. Also printed on the card were lyrics from the U2 song played earlier that evening.

A Costa Rican Beach image and U2 lyrics added to the emotion of the evening.

Red Wine and Roses

After four delectable courses of sushi and sashimi specially prepared by the head sushi chef, R. J. mentioned the significance of the “mysterious” wine. It was given to R. J. as a departure gift from his news editor, David Braun, at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C. The South African wine had been saved specifically for “a special night.” The previous evening, the hostess was instructed to hide the cork and bottle to keep the secret. The couple savored the final sips.

After the warm lava chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream was enjoyed, R. J. drew attention to the roses on the table. He mentioned the occasion marked the first time Nicole received roses in the relationship (the bouquet of a dozen compass roses does not count!). “The small rose represents our past, the middle rose our present, and the tall rose our future,” R. J. stated.

The idea for the three roses was inspired by a story from R. J.’s parents told two days prior. His parents had just returned from a Caribbean cruise and had about an hour flight layover at Denver International Airport (DIA). As the story goes, three diamond “bejewelments” were gifted to my mother with a similar significance.

Undercover Love

Earlier that evening, R. J. discreetly spoke with Nicole’s grandfather at his home and then her Father at Maggiano's Little Italy Restaurant and asked them for their blessing in Nicole’s hand in marriage. Both gave R. J. resounding encouragement and were anxious to collect on the “family bet.”

With the parental stamp of approval, the next challenge was to obtain the diamond engagement ring, purchased while R. J.’s parents and grandparents cruised through San Juan, Puerto Rico. It exceeded his mother’s high expectations for color, clarity, cut, and “a good deal.”

A sport coat was worn to dress the occasion and conceal the hidden treasure. While on a “trip to the bathroom,” the ring was given to the nervous suitor while Nicole waited in line for coffee. Nothing out of the unusual was expected.

How is a young suitor to learn of her fiancé’s ring choice?  R. J. was confident in the selection, as the ring choice had been confirmed by third party sources. Microsoft browser settings facilitated this knowledge discovery, allowing R. J. to sleuth out the rings she last viewed online (yet, another reason to use an Apple computer!). Tiffany & Co film clips in some of Nicole’s favorites movies to help shed more light on what tickles her fancy.

R J. places the engagment ring on Nicole's finger for the first time.

Popping the Question

After explaining the significance of the rose and without waiting for a response, R. J. knelt down and asked, “Nicole Anna McBride, will you be my wife?”

“Yes! Of course,” Nicole said with tears of joy streaming down her face.

Guests cheered and there was gentle applause. Cameras flashed and caught the action unfolding. The hostess and waiter, familiar with the cameras from a “scouting visit” from the previous night, were prepared with the proper lighting, angles, and exposure settings (Perhaps that is the influence of the Boy Scouts and National Geographic!).

The engagement date was chosen in loving memory of R. J.’s grandparents, Robert A. and Ethel E. “Betty” Kern, whose 58th wedding anniversary was celebrated on December 14th, 2004.

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