Will You Marry Me?

Last week my children and I, and a couple of close friends participated in helping a virtual stranger... Bill, a Hollywood producer, who had returned to the Midwest to surprise his girlfriend with a pretty special marriage proposal!

 Here is the back story.... Almost 30 years ago Bill, (who was 19 at the time), got his first break working on the film Risky Business ( you know... the film that launched Tom Cruise's career).

 All those years ago, while filming all over the North Shore of Chicago, one night, in front of a local

theatre, Bill saw Laurie, one of the "extras" in the film. As he tells it, "it was love at first sight". However, as young romances often do theirs didn't last. Fast forward 30 years they reconnected and this time things clicked! Therefore, Bill decided he needed to go "BIG & MEMORABLE" in asking for her hand in marriage.

My girlfriend met Bill by chance as he was scouting the theatre for assistance weeks before his girlfriend and he would be in town on the pretense of visiting relatives and friends.

 As a nearby shopkeeper and a good sport she welcomed the chance to assist him in arranging everything. That is when she called in assistance...us!

Here was the gameplan...

 Bill and Laurie would be having dinner at a local bistro and then casually saunter down the street eventually encountering the marquee. We were all positioned at different points along their route to secretly capture pictures and report "positioning" through text messaging.

As you can imagine for children especially this was pretty exciting stuff! My daughter pretended to sit at an outdoor cafe so she could watch the couple while they finished their dessert. My son was positioned down the street with me as we pretended to stand by our car to capture the moment on video that Laurie saw "her name in lights"

The moon was full...which always makes a good beginning to a story...right?

My girlfriend had prearranged with a local theatre to have his proposal put on the marquee...

Bill had also sent "movie posters" of the two of them together to fill the regular movie slots.

We all laughed so hard when we overheard two young boys biking by say one to the other....
 "I've never heard of the movie.. Will you Marry Me Bill, have you?"



Of course, Laurie was extremely surprised, touched and thrilled. A special music playlist, of meaningful songs, arranged by Bill played as she got close to the theatre... he got down on one knee and gave a very touching speech...

A crowd gathered, applauded and the newly engaged couple posed for pictures...

By the time the evening came to a close at around 10 p.m. we were all hot and tired but felt the wonderful excitement in the air and were glad we got to be a part of something so special!

One of the sweetest moments of the evening for me was seeing the delight this event brought to complete strangers. The sweetest (and cutest I might add) older couple came biking by and when they heard what was happening they got off their bicycles, went and bought an ice cream, and sat on a park bench to watch the show, beaming from ear to ear....romance was still alive and well with them!

I hope you have a delightful weekend full of the romantic aspects of life!