She designed the engagement ring (she's an artist) and I had to meet with the jeweler about six times. My strategy was to tell her it was still three weeks away from being done when it was, in fact, finished.

We have a wonderful dinner and spontaneous dancing of disco (it was the theme night ): of the club) then to my apartment swimming pool at 1 am. I dropped to my knee near the waterfall and we really couldn't hear each other but we knew a proposal was made and accepted. Within 30 seconds a security guard made us leave. I didn't tell the guy that I just got engaged but I did reach into the bushes and pulled out about 10 dozen white roses.

I took her home and the next day her mother had put them in two vases and MIL was pleased by the flowers and ring. The engagement ring had its foundation as the state gem of Texas. Blue Topaz with the Lone Star cut. I ordered our wedding rings online and got great quality at a wholesale price (I pretended to be a jewelry store.) It was a summer's night in Dallas at The Village apartment spread on Southwestern Blvd. 23 years ago. She stuck around.

We rented an entire small restaurant (Thai) on a Saturday night and the food was great but we had a major hiccup. The preacher didn't show up but we were able to find a substitute preacher and the ceremony began at 7:09 PM about an hour late. Thanks wedding planner lady who was in the "audience."