In this day and age of social media, massive and public marriage proposals have taken over and become a trend. From private helicopter rides ascending onto rooftops covered in roses, to surprise parties planned months in advance for the shock and awe with cameras flashing, dozens on onlookers, and then he drops down on one knee.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars are now spent on creating or recreating these movie-like scenes and scenarios where the wow factor of one of the most precious moments a couple will experience can be judged and scrutinized, and is expected to be posted, recorded and captured with photography and videography for the entire world to see. But at what cost? When does an over-the-top proposal become too much?
I pondered on these questions for two years while waiting for my boyfriend, now fiancé, Brian Lucien, to ask me to marry him. One of the things I love most about Brian is his attention to detail and how much he knows my likes and dislikes, which is why he knew to ask about the type of proposal I wanted or expected, years before he actually popped the question.
It was the evening of Friday, December 20, 2024, five days before Christmas — my favorite holiday, and nine days before my 31st birthday. We were driving up I-85 to stay in a cabin for the weekend in the mountains of Blue Ridge, Georgia. Since December was my birthday month and we had already celebrated my birthday early at Art Basel, in Miami with friends, I knew this three-day trip was going to be the staycation we both needed to end the year, before the Christmas holiday frenzy began.
I had my work laptop out on the passenger side of Brian’s SUV, taking phone calls through the two-hour drive. I work remotely full-time so this was a regular Friday for me, moving around while working. Once we arrived at the cabin which Brian reserved on Airbnb, I told Brian I needed to complete one more task before logging off for the night. He said ok and began unloading the car while I put away my luggage and changed into a long, comfy robe. The time was about 6:45 pm or 7:00 pm, and the sun was now down behind the mountains and nighttime was falling. The cabin was small and cozy with a TV, small kitchen, and living room.
BlackLove.com Related Articles:
6 Magical Proposals That Show the Beauty of Love
I Slid in His DMs, and Now We’re Happily Married
I suggested we open a bottle of champagne, one of the many we brought to the cabin, to celebrate our safe arrival to Blue Ridge and Brian obliged. I personally just wanted something to sip on before powering through my last work task and pulling my laptop back out again. By then, Brian had also changed into his long robe and began setting up the wine glasses in the kitchen. He popped one of the bottles and poured, but before we could toast he told me to wait. He then set up his smartphone on the kitchen table with the mini tripod we brought along. I didn’t know why it was necessary, but I helped him set it up anyway so that we could both be seen in the wide frame. He wanted to record the toast I guess so I didn’t think anything of it. I just wanted to drink.
We picked up the wine glasses, mine was filled higher than his with champagne, and I said, “Cheers to this weekend, may it be full of peace and relaxation.” Brian said cheers. Our glasses went clink, and we sipped. I then started talking about how happy I felt in that moment, and I looked over and finally noticed the wifi username and password for the Airbnb and said, “There it is! I’ve been looking all over for this.” Simultaneously, Brian dropped down on one knee and pulled out a diamond heart-shaped engagement ring. It sparkled in the dim cabin light. A sound of surprise escaped my mouth. My jaw dropped, and the glass of champagne would’ve dropped too, but I recovered just enough to put the still full glass of champagne down on the table. It was all now starting to click. The video recording was still going. “Oh my God, this is it,” I thought to myself. I was shocked. My mind was racing, and my heart started beating faster. My hands shot up to cover my mouth in surprise. This was the moment — I realized, finally, my marriage proposal. A few seconds of silence passed then he began to speak.
From down on one knee, Brian told me that he knew how long I had been waiting for this moment, almost five years. He told me that he loved me, our lives together, and the house we bought together. He told me how thankful he was for everything we had experienced together, everything he had learned from me, and how excited he gets when he thinks about our future, goals and plans together. Then he said, Danielle S. Reed, “Will you marry me?”
I paused for a few seconds, still examining the ring with dozens of questions bouncing around in my head, feelings of shock and surprise and true disbelief at the fact that I truly had not seen this coming, about to explode inside of me. His ultimate goal of catching me off guard and popping the question when I least expected it had been achieved. I was impressed.
Then I said, “Yes, I’ll marry you!” Brian placed the heart-shaped diamond ring on my left ring finger, and all I could do was stare at it. I was still in awe, still in shock. When did he buy this? How did he find such a perfectly different and unique ring? No one else has my heart-shaped diamond ring, at least no one in my circle or network that I have seen so far. He continued to talk while getting back up on two feet. I have no idea what he was saying. I was too busy staring at the thing I had prayed for, fasted for, fought for, and waited for, for years. This ring, the symbol that our lives would officially be spent together for the rest of our lives as husband and wife under God. On December 20, 2024 I became the happiest woman on Earth. We embraced.
I decided not to tell anyone about the proposal for 48 hours. I wanted to cherish the special moment and words for days and keep the intimate moment private and sacred between us.
Brian was shocked at this decision because again he knows me. Me – Danielle S. Reed, the social media maven, content creator and event planner, me, the Atlanta publicist, socialite and influencer, me – his girlfriend, now fiancé, who was so tired of being patient waiting on his proposal that I posted a reel giving him a 30-day deadline to propose to me! It was a joke, but not really. And it worked ladies, so definitely try this at home.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION