Hairball: Here’s The Story Of How I Proposed (And Some More Photos)

Hairball: The news is out! I revealed on the Dwyer & Michaels Morning Show on Monday that I proposed to my girlfriend, Ali, over the weekend, which led to what we're thinking is a record 5.4 seconds of stunned silence from the entire show.

I've gotten a lot of messages and congrats, and I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to send their happiness for me. I got a bunch of messages asking for the story, and wanting to see more pictures, so here's how it all shook out (and more pictures):

Before I Could Even Make The Plan:

I decided two months ago that I wanted to marry Ali, and I began setting my plans in motion, planting small seeds to make her think this wasn't happening until next year, to put any thought this might be coming anytime soon completely out of her head.

I first asked her sister for some help to run interference when needed, soften family members up when needed, and be my secret enforcer (if) needed. Being we didn't really have any sort of excuse to be in the same place at the same time without Ali present, I asked her in the socket aisle of an Autozone while pretending to be in line for a new battery for her car.

I went to Habano's Cigar Lounge with her dad, Rich, where after 20 minutes or so of the typical cigar-lounge small talk, he looked at me and said "Alright, down to business. Why did you really ask me here?"

After I asked, he stared at me for what felt like an hour, but was probably more like a few seconds, before saying yes. This was honestly the part that was the scariest of the entire process.

Next, I talked with her brother - a simple "Hey, can I have your blessing to propose to your sister?" He said "About time you asked me, been making me wait all this time."

Finally, her mom - after the morning show last week, I picked up flowers, and drove over to their house, and asked her right in the kitchen.

The Ring

I needed a ring.

If you remember much of my story, I grew up very close to my grandparents, especially my grandma. After both grandparents passed away, 11 days apart from each other, I bought the house they had lived in my whole life, which she inherited from her father. Needless to say, Grandma was huge for me.

One day while I was at my mom's house, she asked me if I was ready to look at what rings Grandma left for me, and I found the diamond for Ali within those. Now, I needed to find a setting.

I knew Necker's Jewelers was going to be the spot - their tagline is "Where the Quad Cities Gets Engaged," so how could I go anywhere else? I went on their website from my company computer that doesn't leave the radio station (couldn't let her find this out, so I was overly careful). I saw a setting, and knew that was the one right away.

I AirDropped the link to Megan, who sent it to my mom. We went to see it right after the show.

I walked into the store, told Collin I was looking to set my heirloom diamond (a term I just learned in this process) and he grabbed Pam, who has a couple decade's experience.

They showed me the setting, and I already knew she'd love it. We traded in a couple other older rings we had, and jumped on their 0% financing. They got it put together and put my grandma's diamond in the setting, and it turned out more perfect than I ever could've imagined.

Look how beautiful this thing turned out:

The Proposal

My church just got a new parking lot (it was like driving across the moon) and to help pay for it, the photographers in the church held a special mini-session photoshoot for families to get their pictures did.

I asked Ranae - who has been my family photographer since my 21 year old brother was born - to help me out, and she took the flyer for the event, and changed all the info to make it look as if there was another one of these fundraisers coming up at Black Hawk State Historic Site in Rock Island.

Next, I sent it over to Ali, and pretended I was annoyed my mom was making me do another of these. Then, after a couple days, my mom told her she decided she wanted us all dressed up because she had to wear a hockey jersey at the first one. Ali thought nothing of it, but went and bought a dress anyway.

We got to the photoshoot, where we posed for our family pictures - all of my family and Ali, and then it was a breakout with my parents, then it was time for Ali and I's photos before my brother and I's photos. I asked my brother, "Did you bring those steins for our pictures?"

He replied, "Oh crap, I forgot them in the car. I'll go get them."

Ranae re-posed Ali and I by the halfwall in the garden, changing our pose over and over again to keep Ali from seeing where my brother went.

He walked back up the hill behind Ali, gave me a thumbs up, and I started my proposal.

I can't be certain of what I said, because of the adrenaline and the nerves, but I do know I told her how much I loved her, and wanted to spend my life with her, and probably some other sweet stuff.

Then, I dropped to my knee, and pulled out the ring.

She said yes, and we had our moment.

If you're wondering why my brother was off getting "steins" that didn't even exist, it's because her mom, dad, brother, sister, and grandmas were hiding around the corner, and he left to go get them.

She was so focused on me, that she didn't know they walked up, and didn't even hear them clapping and cheering for us. I told her "Okay, now turn and say hi to your family!"

You can see how shocked she was:

And that's my story. I have to shout out all of the family that came together to make this happen - everyone worked so hard to keep it all secret, and I can say this might be one of very few engagements where 1) the lady had no idea it was coming, and 2) every single piece of the plan went exactly as planned.

You can see the rest of the best of the photos below: