Hello Ellen!

I would have to say the DEFINITELY no matter how expected the proposal may be, when it actually happens--it takes your breath away!

I have been with my fiancee for over four years. We live together and run 6 businesses together. We had discussed marriage, and children...so I knew he had some intention of popping the question.

We went on a cruise in November of 2006. Everything was wonderful and we were having a great trip. We went to a late night show with another couple we had met on the cruise. It was a funny game show where the audience was involved. At some point (this is where the fuzzy part sets in), the announcer--who was also the cruise director--answered one of the "game show" questions (that dealt with proposing) and asked if anyone in the audience disagreed...all of a sudden, my fiancee jumps out of his seat and says, "I DO!" He then runs down the isle and takes over the microphone...and says something that I don't remember at all! (good thing the other couple was videoing this whole thing for us!) The cruise director whisks me down the isle and my fiancee gets down on one knee--in front of 400 STRANGERS no less--and asks me to marry him!

As you could imagine, I don't remember most of this! But I do remember being handed the microphone and I said yes!

I found out later that he had the whole thing planned with the cruise director and captain...I was completely clueless!

By the way, he did ask my father MONTHS before it happened--we are both from large Italian families, and this was important to have his approval...
and he was SOO nervous (I also found out after the fact that the couple that was with us told him to run and grab his video camera--he didn't want to wait for the elevator in fear that he would miss his cue--so he RAN the stairs. He was so nervous, he missed the floor to get off, and ended up two floors above! )

Good Luck with your book!
Anna
Discount Favors & Supplies --PRINTED NAPKINS ONLY $12!