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Down on one knee: proposal stories

Denali and Craig proposal copy.jpg

Married couples always remember the moment they agreed to marry each other, whether it has been 50 years or two.Usually, this happens when one person formally proposes to the other, but not always.Jarek Buss, a senior in political science from Wyoming, said of his marriage proposal, “She asked me.” He met his wife, Kaylee Buss, a junior in vocal performance from Colorado, “on a Saturday. I knew right away I wanted to marry her, but thought that was crazy. She actually had a boyfriend. We saw each other every day and on the 5th day I asked her ‘what’s our relationships status?’ since she had a boyfriend and everything. She said, ‘I prayed about it and I know I’m not going to marry him. I’m going to marry you.’ And we decided to get married six months later so we could get to know each other. Crazy but amazing. Later, when I got the ring, I asked her on her birthday, but we had already planned the wedding.”Each couple's timeline of meeting, dating and engagement varies, but each story holds a special place in their memory. Sarah Sze Wan, a junior in communications from Hong Kong, became engaged to Carston Feigleson, a junior in supply chain and math from Utah, on Jan. 19, 2015. “We went to Sunset Beach. I thought it was just for relaxing, but then he prepared a picnic and sang songs, like ‘I can’t help falling in love with you.’ Then he kneeled down and proposed.” She had just returned from her mission on Dec. 10, “but all together it’s been two and a half years. I think it’s a good time,” she said. Surprise is often an element of a proposal. Some more than others. Jerry and Sue Harris have been married since June 4, 1969. “In those days, people didn’t really talk about getting engaged or married, so I didn’t know he was going to ask,” said Sue Harris. “We were going to BYU at Provo. We had been dating for a year, and one night, we went to movies and dinner—which we did quite a bit—and afterward we hiked up to the lookout, so we could see the whole city. We were just standing there, talking, when he went down on one knee and asked if he could marry me. I said, ‘Are you sure you really want me to?’ and he said yes so I said yes.”Denali Grawe, a senior in emergency medicine from Texas, and Craig Hatch, a sophomore in biology from Oregon, were engaged on New Year’s Eve at her family’s home in Texas. She said, “Craig went to place the firecrackers on the ground so I could light them, but he kept moving them around so much it was driving me nuts! He grabbed my arm as I was walking away and there was just enough light from inside the house I could see a box! I started losing it and said, ‘No! No! No way! Are you really doing this now!?! Oh my gosh!’ Then I shut up because he started talking. He said something along the line of: ‘You make me happy everyday, and I want to be the one to make you happy each and every day too. Will you marry me?’ and opened the box (that had a light on the inside so I could see it!) He got me so good! Apparently then I said, ‘Are you freaking kidding me!?!’ And then I remembered that I needed to say yes so I wouldn’t give him a heart attack. Ah, man, it was great. I had no idea! None!” Simple proposals can have extra sweetness depending on the location and timing. Mavis Rumble, a recent graduate in business management from Fiji, and Patrick Rumble, a senior in business management from New York, got engaged two days after Mavis returned from her mission. After meeting in 2009 and being reunited after their missions in 2013, Patrick proposed to Mavis at a senior missionary’s house on Laie Point. “It was evening, and we were on the front porch and could hear the waves crashing,” said Mavis. “It was perfect, actually. Something I liked and loved. It was a romantic proposal. He made a photo album of pictures of our experiences together.” The last few pages of the album were blank and he said, “’I want to continue this journey together and fill these pages with you.’” That was Jan. 1, 2013, and they were married June 21, 2013. Uploaded Feb. 12, 2015.
Writer: Samone Isom