A Fairy Tale Proposal

Our engagement story all started with searching for the perfect surprise. For as long as I have known Kelsi...

Nothing excites her more than the idea of being surprised...

She had always talked about how much she loves surprises, but to her disappointment, no one has ever been able to truly surprise her. For as much as Kelsi loves surprises, she also loves to be involved in everything! I knew I had my work cut out for me.

The Ring

My first challenge was to pick out the ring of her dreams. I had a basic idea of the type of diamond she was looking for, but I was still unsure of the final design. I had seen her look at many different styles and knew she was still undecided on what she wanted. Kelsi has very particular taste and I knew that if she didn’t know what she wanted, how would I know? I went to a local jeweler who designs custom rings and after a few weeks of tossing around ideas...

I decided on an elegant princess cut diamond set on a simple band...

This would only be a placeholder. Once the proposal was complete, the plan was to go back to the store and design the band together! Once the ring was complete I took it home and safely hid it away.

The Perfect Surprise

My next task would be the toughest. How could I possibly surprise Kelsi with my proposal? There was definitely no surprise between Kelsi and I that we intended to get married. The only question that remained was when and how. As Christmas 2016 approached I could tell that Kelsi was getting anxious and felt that a proposal was imminent. What better time to propose than sitting beside the tree? Christmas passed with no proposal. New Year’s was next and we had already decided to spend a few nights in Banff. I could tell Kelsi thought for sure this was the moment. The scene was perfect. What could be better than spending New Year’s Eve in Banff surrounded by mountains and snow? New Year’s passed with no proposal.

I had avoided all the clichés, but I still didn’t have a final idea...

After tossing around ideas with close family and friends, I finally pieced together my final plan. I knew that spending time in the mountains meant a lot to both of us. I also knew that Kelsi loves experiences and trying new things. I decided to combine them all into one. As February approached, I knew Valentine’s was not far ahead. Using it as a distraction, I told her we would go for a fancy dinner on Valentine’s Day. I told her I had something special in mind. My goal was to make her believe that Valentine’s would be the moment. Instead I threw a curve ball. A couple days later, I casually told her that I won a raffle contest at school. I said the prize was an adventure activity outside the city but that she couldn’t know what it was. The activity was set for February 11.

The Day Arrived...

On February 11th, we made our way out to Banff to claim my “prize”. In typical Kelsi fashion, she started guessing what it was. Dog sledding? Nope. Sleigh ride? Shit….she guessed it! I couldn’t contain my frustration and admitted it was a sleigh ride. No worries, I will still make this work. We got to the stables and boarded our cozy sleigh and went on a lovely ride through the mountains. The idea for the sleigh ride came from “Sex and the City” where apparently the main character was taken on a sleigh ride through New York…apparently, every girl fell in love with the scene. The ride was stunning and surprisingly I was quite calm. As the ride was nearing its end, the driver pulled over close to the river and suggested we take in the view by the river.

The moment arrived...

We walked through the snow away from the sled towards a small clearing by the river. It was only then that a wave of nervousness swept over me. After a few seconds of fumbling for the ring which was buried in my coat pocket, and almost dropping it, I lowered to one knee and proposed. Even though I had rehearsed for days, my speech was a blur as a million emotions raced through me.

For the first time since I had known her, Kelsi was truly surprised! There was no faking it. The look on her face was of sheer surprise! In her stunned amazement, she gave a resounding YES! It was a perfect moment between just the two of us. We made our way back to the sleigh and went for a beautiful dinner in downtown Banff.

Once dinner ended we headed back home where the final surprise was waiting. While we were out, I got my sister to set up the grand finale. When we entered the house, Kelsi was greeted with a beautiful trail of rose petals that led upstairs. At the end of the trail was a grand display of candles, prosecco on ice, two beautiful rose gold glass flutes, chocolates, and a magical Rose complete with glass case from “Beauty and the Beast” (look closely in the invitation video for the Rose makes a cameo!!). Anyone who know's Kelsi is aware of her Disney Princess obsession and her love for Belle, the smartest, prettiest (brunette) princess who loves books (in Kelsi's words). It took her a few moments to soak it all in but the look on her face was incredible!

The proposal was not only a success

but also the biggest surprise Kelsi has ever experienced.

This was only the first of what I intend to

be many more surprises to come for my future bride...

Written with Love & Care by the Groom:

Marco Ribecco