Real People: Proposals - Please say ‘Yes’
Proposals come in all shapes and sizes. Whether it is a perfectly planned proposal, a forced “Marry me or else!” or spur of the moment at an exotic location, if done properly, the end result is an exuberant “Yes!” with tears, kisses and lots of phone calls (not to mention a wedding to plan and a lifetime with someone you love by your side).
There are several ways to go about proposing. Traditionally, the future groom calls his intended’s parents to ask for permission. Then, a search is under way for the perfect ring, which can involve girlfriends, mothers or the future fiancée herself. These are pretty easy to pull off.
The proposal, however, is another story. With nerves involved and the unexpected answer, the best laid plans can go awry.
Boyne City resident Amy Wicker, married to Obie for the past 12 years, recalls her proposal. Or, lack of one.
“We had the ring picked out and had talked about getting married a few times. So, we headed to Grand Traverse Mall to get my ring sized correctly. The women who worked at the jewelers asked Obie how he had proposed, which he hadn’t actually done at that point,” said Wicker, who continued to stroll the mall waiting for the finished ring.
“At center court, I look over and see the jeweler headed our way. Obie walks over to him, grabs the ring and drops onto one knee in front of everyone. I immediately start telling him to get up, my face is turning purple and he is asking me to marry him. Yes, get up, yes, get up, I kept repeating to him,” she laughed.
Stacey Harms, the children’s librarian at the Boyne District Library, took matters into her own hands. Together since 1991, Stacey took her intended, Richard, to a Vietnamese restaurant in Hillsboro, New Mexico.
“Richard is a Vietnam vet. In 1998, I asked him to marry me over spring rolls,” said Stacey.
Adam Poel, a special education teacher at East Jordan High School, proposed to his wife, Katelyn, on a snorkeling excursion in August 2008 to Higgins Lake. This is not your usual snorkeling story; Adam had a detailed proposal in the works.
“My dad and I went up to the U.P. to get some interesting rocks. I bought a cement mold and spelled out ‘WILL YOU MARRY ME’ and ‘KT I (HEART) U’ on five slabs of concrete,” said Adam.
Katelyn’s parents own a cottage on Higgins Lake, so with the location in place, it was time to set the scene. The weekend before the proposal, Adam, along with his brother and dad, took the boat out to the drop-off point in the lake to sink the cement slabs containing his proposal.
“There was a terrible thunderstorm, so we had to take cover and wait it out,” added Adam. “The next weekend, as you can imagine, I was really anxious, so Katelyn and I loaded up the car and it seemed like I drove 80 miles an hour to get to the cottage.”
Once there, Adam uncovered the boat and suggested a snorkeling trip. Katelyn, tired from the drive, took a little convincing. Ready to head out on the lake, he hid the ring in his pants, as well as an underwater camera. Then the two jumped in the boat, headed to the drop-off and geared up for some snorkeling.
“It took Katelyn a little while to see the rocks, which seemed like an eternity. When she did, she looked over at me like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. I pulled out the ring and she said ‘Yes,’” he added.
“I was overcome with emotion when he proposed to me,” Katelyn recalled. “I was surprised and excited, but most of all I felt so lucky to know that I was going to spend the rest of my life with such an amazing man.
“... When he proposed it was around 5 p.m. on a random Friday. We raced there after I got off work. He kept calling me to see if I could leave work early. I had no idea what was up, so I was completely surprised. It took a few seconds for it to register that it was really all for me. It was so awesome! They are still in the water. Last summer we went by to see if they were still there and they were.
“He proposed on Aug. 15, 2008, and we were married on June 13, 2009, in Norwood. We were married on the beach.”
Christina Calcaterra, also of Boyne City, was studying with future husband Randy when he suggested a drive to Northern Michigan. Explaining he had always wanted to get engaged up North, Christina decided to call his bluff. At the time, they were living outside of Detroit. They hopped in the car and headed to Boyne City, where Randy had said there was a jeweler holding a ring for the couple.
“It didn’t dawn on me that Randy was serious until we started leaving the Detroit area and actually kept going. Then, we get to Boyne City and he wants to hike Barn Mountain. Meanwhile, I am thinking let’s go get the ring,” said Christina.
He assured her the store would still be open, so the two started the hike up Avalanche/Barn Mountain. At the top, Randy proposed.
“I hiked up that mountain so fast to get it over with so we could get back down to get my ring, I could hardly breathe when he asked me to marry him,” said Christina, now married to Randy for 12 years.
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