I walked up to this bachelorette party and started talking to them. They already had plans that night--pre-booked package deal--and the group leader started walking away. One of the girls asked me if I could help her out with a scavenger hunt that they were doing. She had a card in her hand and a fake diamond ring. She asked me if I would propose to her.
As someone who plans on never getting married, I resisted this ritual, but she was cute and seemed like a nice girl. Its weird that I'm expected to physically lower myself in front of her and look up at her while asking to her to enter into a legally binding, perpetual contract --in which I surrender almost all of my power--with me while offering her an expensive gift--like a bribe or a payment. That aside, since I was participating in make believe, it was a fun experience and I'm glad I did it.
So, when she first asked me to propose to her I deflected and talked about something else while walking with her. Her group leader was trying to leave, so I stopped the girl I was with and she asked me again. I locked eyes with her and said, "Ok." She said she liked my beard and asked if she could touch it. Usually I say "No" immediately, but this girl asked nicely and besides, we were practically married.
She enjoyed touching my beard and we were in a little love bubble until her friends jumped in and demanded that we do the proposal. So we were standing in a place in the hotel with lots of foot traffic, and I stood facing her right in the center of the area. I slowly dropped to one knee as I was looking up at her.
Now at this point in my life I've done at least a thousand approaches, so I don't get approach anxiety. Whatever feeling there is--like if I'm approaching a total knockout--translates more as excitement rather than anxiety. As I dropped to my knee, people stopped to watch. By the time I said the words, "Will you marry me?" there were 30 people watching us.
With everyone watching, and because of what I was doing, I actually felt anxious and nervous. My hands were shaking, my face and scalp felt like they were on fire, and I'm guessing my voice cracked but I don't remember.
I said, "Will you marry me?" and she didn't answer. She looked completely overcome with emotion. I asked her again, and still nothing. The tension was too much for me, so I said "Say yes..say Yes..SAY YES!" while her friends basically did the same thing. She finally said "Yes!" and I jumped up swooping her into the air and spun us both around. As I swooped her, she latched onto me like a scared baby monkey.
Her friends and the crowd burst into cheers and applause. After I set her down we had a second to enjoy each other before her friends grabbed her and dragged her away. I didn't grab her number before she was taken from me because I was too overwhelmed, and it took me several minutes to compose myself. Its too bad because she would have been good to go after that proposal.