Photo: Hailey Tash Photography
First comes love, then comes marriage. But before the joy of wedding planning begins comes the biggest, happiest question of all: Will you marry me? Thanks to HowHeAsked, we found some real, romantic, and ridiculously creative proposal stories that will get you inspired, tearing up, or both!
Blondes may have more fun, but being a natural redhead helped Kristin snare her future husband, Dustin. The two met at a pharmacy student bar night in Manchester, New Hampshire; they made each other's acquaintance after Dustin spotted Kristin in the crowd, and he sent her a friend request on Facebook that night.
See more: Design Your Dream Engagement Ring
Facebook messaging led to a date to go for a walk on a nearby running trail. That date sealed the deal for Kristin: "I will never forget how easy Dustin was to talk to, he made me laugh and I knew there was something between us," she says. "After that night we were inseparable; we spent our free time together sharing secrets, telling stories and getting to know everything there was to know about each other."
By the time Dustin decided to propose to Kristin a few years later, he had some specific ideas in mind. He wanted to involve her best friend, Hailey, who is also a photographer. He also wanted to pop the question while Kristin visited her family in Maine during time off from class. The only thing that stood in the way was her weekend job—but Dustin contacted Kristin's boss and got him in on the plan.
"When my boss notified me that she had given my shift to a classmate, I was so excited I didn't even question it," Kristin says. "I asked Dustin if he would come with me to Maine since we both had the weekend off. Hailey recently asked me to do a photo shoot and the weekend would be the perfect opportunity to do it."
See more: Over-the-Top Places to Get Engaged
Little did Kristin know, her "everything falling into place" weekend was not by accident! They set off for Maine with Kristin completely unaware of her love's big plans.
Once there, Kristin and Dustin made time for a photo shoot, taking some cozy pictures on the beach before Hailey instructed them to stroll down the beach. Dustin's heart skipped a beat; 'Stroll' was the code word for proposal time. He held Kristin's hand as they made their way down the beach, laughing and joking the whole way.
"That's when I stopped and told Kristin I loved her and I wanted to spend my life with her," Dustin says. "I pulled the ring from my pocket, lowered to one knee and asked my soul mate to marry me. I won't ever forget the look in her eyes when I proposed to her, it was a moment of excitement, shock, happiness and love."
Kristin said yes, the two celebrated, and they finished up their joyous photo shoot!
Our Takeaways
1. Who's the boss: Sometimes, you have to get more than friends and family in on the plan in order to make a surprise engagement happen! We love the fact that Kristin had an understanding employer.
2. Friend or photo: When it comes to proposals, having a photographically talented friend always comes in handy. Dustin and Kristin got great pictures, and Kristin wasn't at all suspicious when instructed to get gussied up for a photo shoot.
3. A family vacation: Since Dustin popped the question on a trip to see Kristin's family, they all got to celebrate together after the big moment.
Click here to read more about Kristin and Dustin's engagement and don't forget to follow @HowHeAsked on Twitter!