The Cinderella Proposal

 

We had been dating for about a year and had discussed the possibilities of getting married.  When it appeared that it was the next step, I came up with the following plan:  the Cinderella proposal.

 
What was needed: 

ü  Glass slipper

ü  Prince costume

ü  A horse

ü  Evil step-mother

ü  Evil step-sisters

ü  Trumpet/bugle

 

I found the glass slipper at: Fortunoff

I rented the prince costume at a costume store

I contacted a riding stable and arranged for them to deliver a horse near her parents home.

She had a mom... so the concept of an evil step-mother was not a huge stretch.

I arranged with two of her girl friends to be at the house.

I purchased a trumpet when I was at a recent sporting event

 
Action Plan:

 I arranged for my girlfriend (now my wife of 21 years) to go to her mother's house under some pretense of some family matter at: 2:00pm

I coordinated her 2 girlfriends' to be there at noon.

At noon, I arrived at my girlfriends house.  Coordinating the balance of the day with both her parents and friends.

At that time, I asked her father for permission to marry her.  He blathered on something about cows, milk and paying for it.... I did not pay much attention.

I dressed in my prince costume.

At 1:00 I met the stable people at a nearby (1-mile away) strip-mall.

 
We saddled the horse and I had to figure out how to hold a pillow with a glass slipper on... how to carry a trumpet ... and how to ride the horse on pavement.

Watching all of this were two little girls who thought it was funny and that I was dressed funny.  They inquired about what I was doing and I explained to them that I was asking my girlfriend to marry me.. but I was doing with the Cinderella theme.  Surprisingly, they did not know the story of Cinderella, and so I took the time to briefly tell them.

 
At 1:30, I mounted the steed and began to ride to her parents house.  I failed to mention that this is in a bedroom community of NYC.  Horses are not exactly seen in the town.  Before I could travel the 1 mile to her house, the police had pulled me over asking for a permit.  When I explained what I was doing, they  waived me on and wished me luck. 

 
Unfortunately, my bride to be was LATE.  I spent an hour riding around the town avoiding the roads that she may travel to arrive at her parents house.

This all created a stir in the neighborhood.  I would stop and chat with multiple men, women and children - all wanting to know why I was on a horse and dressed in a costume.  It was all fun.

 
Finally she arrived, I was notified (pre-cell phone days) by having a neighbor call the house wherein they notified them that she was there.

 
I could now ride up to the house.  Because of the delay in her arrival, the newspaper was able to send a reporter, and about 30-40 people were all milling around her parents house awaiting my arrival.

 
I rode to the front of the house and announced my arrival with my plastic trumpet. Toot-toot.

She, her mother and girlfriends all came running out of the house and sat on the front steps.

 
I dismounted and then proceeded to explain that I had met the woman of my dreams and that she had lost the glass slipper I was holding on a pillow.

I explained that whomever the slipper fit would become my wife.  I proceeded to have them all remove their shoes and tried to put the slipper on each person.

When none of the women fit the slipper, I explained that there was an alternative way to find her.  I had her engagement ring in my pocket. I removed it and then proceeded to try it on all of the other women before I bent down on one knee to try the ring on her finger.   When it fit, I asked is she would marry me.  Lucky for me, she consented to a huge round of applause.

 
I then took her to my trusty steed and we both mounted it and rode off into the sunset (really it was back to where the stable had the horse carriage). 

 We married 5 months later and will be celebrating our 21^st wedding anniversary in late November.

 

Bryant Nielson
North American Business Development Director
) (212) 422-4320   |   * bryant.nielson@acf.co.uk 
ACF Consultants Ltd & Acumen Technologies Inc.
www.acf.co.uk - our main website
www.acumennet.com - for eLearning