I proposed at Rose and Crown in August of 2005. Her younger sister was about to get married in about 6 weeks. I told her that I wanted that to be over and done before I officially proposed so the time planning would be all about us (well, HER) without horning in on the impending action. She of course didn't want to wait for a LITTLE sister to get married first. At one point I even let the cat out of the bag that I was planning to ask her at WDW but she willed herself to forget
So we had reservations at Rose and Crown and with a little bit of needling I managed to get a seat outside (which we were always able to get before, the ONE TIME I "needed" it, they put us inside, in a corner, next to some seriously loud drinkers! But it all got sussed out). I didn't bring up the proposal or anything else beyond small talk and how nice the vacation was so far. A few minutes before 9, flowers arrive at our table. She was not expecting this. I told her that I hoped this night would be a special night, that I hoped she's been happy on the trip, that I hope she's been happy with me, and would continue to be so...but right now, I said, the most important hope, is that the ring will fit. And with that I got down on one knee and whipped it out (no, the ring, what the hell is wrong with you?), told her I loved her and how the ring was a replica of her grandmother's wedding ring (who had passed before I met her but was a very big influence on my wife), and then I said the words. She said Yes. A large group of CM dining around the corner whooped it up. People sitting right next to us had no idea why people got so loud, turned around, saw the proposal happening 6 inches from them and screamed. Great timing, RoE started and we had our fireworks. After the show, the CMs at Rose and Crown presented us with a certificate by which to remember the night and sang a bit of "All You Need Is Love."
Now comes the awkwardness.
Instead of going back to the room, WHICH WOULD HAVE MADE ALL THE SENSE IN THE WORLD, we opted to go to Pleasure Island, because it was our last full night. Went to Comedy Warehouse, got the "hot seat," the place where there's a phone, the cast calls you up, asks you questions so they can instantaneously write a song about you. So they got the whole proposal story. My wife is a very private person, despite being a teacher. She'll make an out of herself in public for the good of a lesson or to be a good sport but doesn't like people knowing our personal bidness. She took the song like a trooper, though. However, after that show, we went to the ol' Adventurer's Club. I'm sure the good little Disney gnomes had scouts reporting that a couple that just got engaged were entering as a way to make our night more magical. However, when the cast members there told us all about OUR OWN LIVES AND OUR PROPOSAL, it made my wife verrrrry uncomfortable. People who shouldn't be privy about our lives know who we are! Yikes! She didn't flip out but you could tell she was put off. Then the next day, WDW guests who recognized us from one club or the other congratulated us, and she still felt weird about strangers knowing us. I joked "yeah, I remember the first time I was profiled on America's Most Wanted, it felt weird to have so many people recognize me, but it passes, don't worry."
We tend to remember the first hour of engagement bliss more than the following 12-24.
