We have narrowed down the many stories we received, to these six finalist. It is now up to you, your friends, and our readers to vote on the winners. At the bottom of the post you will find a link to vote on your favorite. Polls are open for 1 week. Best of luck to our finalists and thank you for all our couples for submitting their stories.

Happy Valentines Day!

 

#1  Jenna & Nick
To be married on 6/26/2010 in Moscow, Idaho

Written by the brides father:

On Christmas Eve, Nick came to Christmas Mass with our family.  During the homily there was a story was about a Polynesian island where, when asking the father for the daughter’s hand, it was customary to offer between 1 and 10 cows symbolizing the value of the bride.  As time went by, this came down to just 1 or 2 cows with the occasional 3 cow bride.  Now, it came to pass that a particularly smitten young man wanted to marry this young nubile, and he went to her father and offered 10 cows for her hand.  The villagers were shocked!  The young lady was very plain, and clearly could have been married for 1 cow.  The young man however said, “Look, I want her father and more importantly her, to know how valuable she is to me!  This is what she is worth to me.”  Well, this young lady, now knowing how important she was to her husband, became the most incredible woman on the island, and her husband was soon the envy of all. All because once she knew how much she was valued, she lived in happiness and self-confidence, and became exactly what the young man had said she was to him. 

Well, since Nick was in church with us, I turned to him and said, “I want eleven cows!”  So, flash forward 3 days to Saturday.  With everyone but me out of the house, Nick knocks on the door and hands me a box which I open. It contains nothing less than 11 stuffed cows, in exchange for her hand in marriage.  I told him it was not my position to decide for Jenna and that decision is for her to make, but if it were up to me he is certainly the choice I would make.  Through tears he tells me he is very traditional, and while he knows it’s up to her, he also felt it was the right thing to do to come to us first as he will marry not just Jenna, but the family. 

Later that day,  Nick and Jenna head out for an afternoon adventure of snowshoeing and time away to themselves.  Nick's older brother had hiked ahead of them to set a romantic scene in a cabin halfway up the mountain, aptly placed to provide respite for hiker and skiers in need of refuge. There was a close call. The aspiring bridegroom sent his brother a text message to let him know they were on the way so he could leave.  The message never arrived, so Danny was lingering in the cabin, enjoying an emotional moment as he listened to the lyrics of the couple's song. When he saw the potential life partners approaching, he panicked.  In true old west style, he dove into the snow and crawled out of the path and around them to get away.  After some canoodling, and a couple glasses of fortifying wine, Nick gives Jenna a poem (family tradition….gifts are given with a poem) and has her read it with her back to him.  The last line of the poem tells her to turn around, and when she does he is on one knee with the ring.  Jenna tells him yes, and Nick finally calls down to the his parents home at the base of the mountain where both families have gathered for dinner and the celebration begins with about 10 minutes of fireworks.

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#2

Scott Field & Angel Watson
To be married on 6/5/2010 in Savannah, GA

On July 28 2008, our one year anniversary, Scott and I went to dinner at a really nice restaurant that has wonderful views of Camelback Mountain (a beautiful well-known mountain in Phoenix, AZ). We had already had a wonderful weekend getting massages at a nearby resort and spending time relaxing by the pool. I did not expect anything because Scott was being SOOO calm. We had a wonderful dinner, and our server (who coincidentally was not involved in the planning/scheming) asked if we had ever been to the top of Camelback Mountain to see the view of the surrounding cities. I said, “No,” and Scott said, “We should go up there!” I had always wanted to hike the mountain because it is on the “things to do list” in Arizona. We started driving up there, and I was getting nervous because the road was steep and winding. Being my usual self and having to be in control, I kept telling Scott “We need to turn around!” because it was getting dark, and we did not know where we were going. He, having plans of his own, did not listen to me thankfully and to my surprise we made it to the top. The view was gorgeous! We were so high up and it was such a clear night the stars looked like you could reach out and touch them and you could see all of the beautiful, fancy houses down below. Scott and I were walking around exploring and talking about our last year together and how much we loved each other. We talked and laughed about where we thought the next days, months, years would take us while holding hands and enjoying our surroundings. I still had no idea because Scott normally is very sweet and romantic, so his outburst of love and emotion was nothing new. All of a sudden Scott got down on one knee and said, “Angel Michelle Watson, will you marry me?”! It was the best question I have ever been asked. While tears of joy began rushing down my face I of course said yes, and now I get to marry the man of my dreams in the city of my dreams!!

 

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#3

Nick Birren & Emily Gan
To be married on 8/13/2011 in Door County, WI

It might not have been such an extravagant proposal had I proposed a long time ago.  However, having made Emily wait 12 years since the day we first started dating as freshman in high school, I felt I had to do something special.   I proposed to Emily this past November during our vacation to New Zealand.  About half way through our trip, I surprised her with a helicopter ride to the top of a glacier (one of three of its kind in the world).  We hiked for a few hours through crystal blue ice caves, and even drank crisp and freshly melting glacial water.  When the time was right, our guide lead us to a remote little section of the glacial with a spectacular view where I finally proposed. What was special about this proposal wasn’t the magnificent scenery, the thrilling ride to the top, or even the butterflies in my stomach when I finally got down on one knee (or the fact that I managed to not drop the ring in the snow!).  It was the realization this proposal symbolizes everything our lives together had become: happiness.

 

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#4

Becky Gibbs & Mike Staton
To be married on 8/28/2010 in Charlotte, NC

We flew to Germany to visit with Mike's brother & sister in law who are stationed there with the US Army. Mike planned to propose in Prague but after walking around the town, he decided Germany would be the place.  He woke up early Sunday morning (October 4th) to take some pictures around the little German town.  I got online and tried to order an Italian train pass to use a few days later.  The website would not take my credit card and I was getting very frustrated.  By this time, we were running about 45 minutes late and I HATE being late! (we were heading to Oktoberfest in Munich) Before we left, Mike wanted me to walk up the hill to a beautiful overlook and take a few pictures.  I was in a bad mood, but decided to be a good sport and go up with him. When we got to the lookout, Mike handed me his itouch and told me to watch a video he made for me.  I LOVE taking pictures and he had made a video of all the pictures we have taken during our relationship.  At the end of the video, there were lyrics to a song he WROTE FOR ME :)  I then realized that the music in the background of the video, was him playing the piano.  He had written and recorded a song for me.  After I saw the lyrics he wrote, I looked up and he was on one knee.  He said some sweet things that I don't remember because I was in shock.  After I said yes, we started hugging.  At that very moment, the church bells from an 18th century church started ringing...it was so beautiful and amazing!  I soon found out that his brother was down the hill taking pictures during the entire proposal.  It was such a thoughtful proposal and I can't wait to marry my best friend!

 

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#5

Eric Del Valle & Amanda Baird
To be married in Savannah, GA in the Spring of 2011

My fiancé Eric proposed to me in Iraq shortly after we arrived to country.  The months leading up to our deployment had been a little rocky.  We were experiencing many emotions that ordinary couples probably never had to feel. 
I met Eric right after he returned from his Iraq deployment.  We were attracted to each other right from the start and began dating right away.  About 6 months later, I received orders to go to Iraq in a couple of months.  Since Eric had just returned, he was not on orders to deploy with me.  I was faced with decisions on whether or not we were going to make things work or call it quits.  I wasn't going to expect him to wait for me for 15 months while I was away.  We just met, so it didn't seem realistic to me.  I expressed my feelings to him and he told me that he didn't want to give up on us. 
The next day, he asked his chain of command if he can deploy on the next deployment and waive his dwell time.  Next thing you know, Eric and I deployed together to Iraq. 
The first time we got a day off, we took a trip down to Saddaam's Palace and he proposed!!! Although we were in a war zone, I felt like I was in heaven! I immediately said "YES!!!" and put he put a beautiful ring on my finger! That is my favorite memory of the war torn country of Iraq.  He stayed by my side through the worst times of my life and protected me through harm.  That is why I love my man and I can't wait to marry him!!! We have now been engaged for over 3 years and currently deployed to Afghanistan separately this  time.  Due to all of the deployments, our wedding date is now set for spring of 2011.

 

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#6

Paul Haas & Kelaine Zimmerman
To be married on 10/15/2010 in  St Paul, MN

Paul and I had been dating for 3+ years. This summer, I knew that marriage was on the horizon and that a proposal was in the near future, but I had no idea how Paul was going to do it! We go to the MN State Fair every year, and 2009 was no different. The first year we went to the fair, we had only been dating a few weeks and I wanted to ride the ferris wheel, Paul agreed. When he started turning white and shaking, I realized that he was trying to be "cool", but was actually terrified of heights! He was too smooth to tell me he was afraid then, but for some reason he agrees to ride it every year with me. :) On August 29th, 2009, when the ferris wheel stopped while we were at the top...Paul, with his eyes closed, asked me to get a box out of his pocket, which was my ring. I started laughing and crying at the same time, he was so afraid of being up so high that he never opened his eyes. He said a lot of really mushy stuff about me making him the happiest man in the world, and finally got the nerve to get the ring out of the box and put it on my finger. Telling this story makes me smile every time. The fact that we were with thousands of people, but alone at the same time was great. It was such an intimate proposal and super fun. I will always have fond memories of the State Fair.

 

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