Tessa said, "Yes!"

This boy:


Fell in love with this girl:


He asked her to marry him tonight...


...and she wholeheartedly agreed!


Congratulations, Tessa and Paul!!

Kate said, "Yes!"

Kate

My roommate and dear friend since freshman year at BYU

Kate's fiancee, Darren, proposed just hours before dropping her off at the airport, after which they'd be separated for over 2 weeks.

As Kate recounted...

He started by taking me to a sandwich shop in Sandy called the Village Baker that we both love and where he held my hand for the first time. We ate our sandwiches and then drove to Salt Lake. He parked right next to the Conference Center in the exact spot he parked when he picked me up at the airport a few months ago and I told him I loved him for the first time on Temple Square. I must mention that this whole time it is POURING rain.

We walked to the place where I told him I loved him and he mentioned what a special moment that was for him. He then took me to a place where I could "get a good picture of the temple." I turned to take a picture of the temple and when I turned back around he was down on one knee. He told me how much he loved me and then said, "Katherine Claire Sonne, will you marry me?"

I said yes, of course, and then we ran inside the Joseph Smith Building to get out of the rain!

Maggie said, "Yes!"

Maggie

Close Family Friend

My story…… After dating for a few months, as set up by Katie’s mother and a few other friends - Craig asked me out for a Friday night, informing me that he would be proposing that night (he’s an engineer, and believes in the safety factor – he didn’t want to propose if I’d refuse). We decided to go to the temple. On the way he started talking about “after we are married.” I reminded him that he had missed an important step He proposed as we waited in traffic on the Salsipuedes overpass (this should have told me something – he tells me that “salsipuedes” means “get out if you can” – and our first few years of married life would be different from most marriages, as he had three teenaged daughters and a ten year old son). So then we started talking about the logistics of getting engaged. He felt that first he needed to ask my Dad’s “permission” and we needed to talk to each of the kids to make sure that they were okay with this. Also Craig felt that we should not tell anyone about our engagement until we had a “ring and a date” (he listens to the Dr Laura show on the radio often), and,the “date” part would already present a problem (he was sealed to his children’s mother). When we compared our schedules for Saturday we realized that fitting in ring shopping was going to be difficult.

As we drove home from the temple through Ventura, around midnight, Craig said that his mother had a jeweler there that she particularly liked, and asked if I would mind if we took a detour through town to see where the shop was. After driving up and down the main street of town a few times, we decided to get out and walk. The store was quite literally a hole in the wall. As we approached to read the store hours, we were surprised to see movement inside the store, and noted that a light was on. We were even more surprised when the store owner asked us in. The store owner immediately showed us a very simple half carat solitaire ring. He was adamant that we take that ring as the stone was the finest quality possible, the most perfect diamond he’d ever seen. Craig liked that idea, but, as he tells it, I had to try on every ring in the store before I went back to the first ring I’d tried on. It was now past one a.m.. Craig handed the man his credit card, and we proceeded to make plans, while the store owner processed the sale. In our happy state (or maybe it was just that we were exhausted) we did not note that this was taking a really long time. Finally the store owner came out with a telephone, handing it to Craig, saying “This is your credit card company fraud department.” Apparently, the credit card company questioned a sale in a jewelry store at 2:00 a.m. We were unable to get the sale approved, and I drove back down to Ventura the next day to pick up my ring with Craig’s personal check.

(We purchased the wedding ring just before our wedding. After much deliberation and negotiation we went over budget for the ring pictured. As we drove away from that jewelry store Craig told me that I was worth it and was an “eight cow wife).

Estella said, "Yes!"

Estella
My Mother

My mom and dad met in their BYU singles ward. My parents were both 24 years old. My dad taught Sunday school and my mom was the pianist. Their meetings were held in the Eyring Science Center. Their bishop, Bishop Richard Heaps, was a young married man with young children. Today, he is my bishop and has grown, married children and grandchildren.

My dad likes to tell stories of how he kept asking my mom out and she kept turning him down. Once, she said her father was sick and she had to stay home to take care of him. My dad even once sent flowers to her while she was dating another boy. He was persistent in his pursuit and it finally paid off. They were married on December 15, 1978, 31 years ago.

The story of their engagement ring is a funny one. My grandfather and grandmother had divorced a few years before and my grandfather remarried a girl who was just a few years older than my mother. They had connections with a jeweler friend and decided to go along while my father and mother picked out a ring. My mom talks about how intimidating it was to go ring shopping with her future in-laws, and confesses that she didn't actually adore the ring she picked because she felt so much pressure to choose one they liked.

As fate would have it, an unfortunate accident occurred one day when I was little. The diamond fell out of my mom's engagement ring and was never recovered. We think it may have been vacuumed up. Several years went by and on their fifteenth wedding anniversary, my dad presented my mom with her dream ring (pictured below).

My dad does a lot of work with his hands and always hated wearing rings. He never wore a wedding ring. For their thirtieth wedding anniversary, however, he surprised my mom with another ring, this time for himself. My mom cried. She absolutely loves seeing him wear it! What a romantic thing to do, Dad!

Erma said, "Yes!"

Erma

My Grandmother

I never met my Nanny Erma. She died when my mother was around 21 or 22. But she is alive in all the delightful stories my mother tells about her. According to my mom, I inherited a lot of her qualities, like my love for performing and my smile.

My grandfather Joe was 4 years older than my Nanny. They went to the same high school in Spanish Fork and knew of each other, but were not well acquainted. My grandfather's parents immigrated here from Englad when his older siblings were young. When my grandfather was 25, he went to a dance where my grandmother was there, dancing with another young man named Howard. Apparently, my grandmother said something like, "Is that Joe Harwood?" and Howard told her not to pay any attention to him. As you may have guessed, she ignored his advice. They had 3 daughters (my mom, the youngest, came 10 years after the second!) and were married for nearly 40 years when Nanny died of a brain tumor.

As far back as I can remember, I have always known how much my mother loves and misses her mother. She talks about her with such fondness and admiration that I long to meet her someday. I have grown up treasuring the funny stories about my Nanny and singing some of the same songs she sang to my mother. I have felt her presence with me on my mission, even though we never met. I know she is aware of my life and loving me from a place that I can not yet visit.

When she died, my mother inherited her "cigar band" ring, as the style was called. It's unique because it sits flat against the finger, even though it has a diamond studded design. My dad had it restored as a gift to my mother a few years ago. My sister is going to wear it on her wedding day in July on her right hand ring finger in honor of our grandmother.

Emily said, "Yes!"

Emily
My friend from college and a fellow music teacher

One thing that makes this ring special to me is that it has a few quirks that make it unique from any other ring. We got to choose the center diamond together, and we had the jeweler change the setting slightly from the model, which makes the ring feel more personal to us. I love it's imperfections. Where the ring rises up on each side of the center diamond, one side is slightly higher than the other, and the setting of the center diamond is just barely tilted. I realize that these are marks of human error, but to me they represent the imperfections that Trevor and I bring to our marriage, and what a beautiful thing it is anyway. I love my ring because it is uniquely mine, and it reminds me that I love my husband even when things aren't perfect.

Andrea said, "Yes!"

Andrea
A friend from my Hampstead Ward

David & I just got married Feb 12, 2010 - Only 1 month ago! We met when I moved into a student ward in SLC. I was busy dating around and as David would say... he was just busily waiting for a good time to ask me out. Luckily he was friends with one of mine and she let him know when I became free :) On our first date he took me to Memory Grove Park in SLC and we walked, talked and had a Jamba Juice. It didn't take me long to realize what I was missing with every other man I dated... 4 months later David took me back to that spot and proposed with the ring! He had my cousin take me ring shopping nonchalantly and so I still wasn't sure if he'd get the one I liked, but he did. I love it because it has 3 stones which to me 3 can mean tons. But mostly it's "I love you" in our eyes. I had him pick out his and he chose one that will never ruin - I wish mine was like that! Girls rings seem so breakable etc. Well, we've only been married one month, but it has been the best time ever... I feel so lucky and blessed.

Meg said, "Yes!"

Meg
Married a childhood friend of mine (and is now my friend, too!)

David and Meg met at BYU in the 70th Ward. David convinced Meg to forget about her current boyfriend and date him. They decided to get married 2 weeks after they started dating! David asked her on a Pontoon Boat in the middle of a lake where of course, she sad "YES!" They are so happy together, and now have 2 kids while living in Eagle Mountain, Utah.

Lyndsey said, "Yes!"

Lyndsey

A college friend

My ring is special to me because my husband chose and designed it all on his own. It is perfect for me because it is simple, yet uncommon. I love it!

Becky said, "Yes!"

Becky

A friend from church

The story of how my husband and I met can get a little complicated. My brother married my husband's sister back in 1999. My husband and I might have met then, but my husband was in Russia. So, we didn't meet until 8 years later, (at a Schmeil Family Reunion.)

And I've loved him ever since.

Caytlin said, "Yes!"

Caytlin
A childhood friend

Chris and I met in our singles ward in West Jordan. We had all the same friends and went to all the same activities but never managed to have a real conversation for about 6 months after I moved into the ward. He claims he first really noticed me at a stake talent show we went to, where I happened to be avoiding a guy that had recently broken up with me. After that night, he started asking around about me...thankfully he didn't listen too carefully to my kind home teacher that told him I'd dated a lot that year and attracted guy drama! The next time we saw each other was at an Institute dance, which I did NOT want to be at. I went to give moral support to my roommate who wanted to see the boy she liked. In fact, I had decided I was on a "Man Fast" the week or so before that (because maybe my home teacher was a little bit right). After talking to Chris and a couple friends for a little bit, I wandered the dance, counting the minutes until I could go home. A little later, Chris approached me and my roommate and asked if one of us wanted to dance, to which I said "She does!" and shoved my roommate at him. So, as he tells it, I rejected him the first time he tried to get me. A couple weeks later, he was talking to my roommate and wanted to know if my "Man Fast" (yes, I had told him about it) was for real or if I would go on a date with him. That day played out like a scene from junior high...phone calls back and forth between me, my roommate, and Chris relaying information (with me right next to my roommate while she talked to Chris and he got my number from her). He finally called me and we went on a date a couple weeks later.

After 2 months of dating, we had decided to get married and had picked out our rings. Well, I had actually picked my ring out while shopping with my mom about a week before Chris and I went ring shopping, but Chris didn't know that yet. I fell in love with this ring and surprised Chris with how quickly I chose a ring. :) On July 18, 2008, we were going to the Capitol Building in downtown Salt Lake for a rooftop picnic with some friends...yes, the roof of the Capitol. We have a friend who is a cop with access to cool places like that :) When we got to the rooftop, Chris took me up even higher onto the rotunda, overlooking Temple Square and the entire valley. He said some great things that I don't remember then got on one knee and asked me to marry him. (That's him starting to kneel down in the picture you see here, taken by one of our friends below) Then, he turned on music (everything was set up by our friends before hand) and we danced as we watched the sun sink down over the mountains. It was perfect!! Oh, and I wasn't surprised at all...but it was still amazing! Every time we drive by the Capitol, I feel giddy inside just thinking about that perfect moment.


We got married on October 10, 2008 in the Mount Timpanogos temple. It was a perfect day, full of family, friends, and great memories. I feel so lucky to be married to my best friend. He brings so much joy to my life, and I love him more every day!

Jerah said, "Yes!"

Jerah

A friend from my mission

Kenny and I met in our ward. He saw me playing the organ in church and thought I was cute and then 3 months later we actually talked! We started doing American Idol nights, book club, and bowling each week. Through all of that we became good friends and then he finally asked me out! Since our first date we haven't been apart. He totally surprised me when he proposed. He sent me a rose and some game tokens at school and told me to go to the spot we had our first date. It was Boondocks. I headed up there after school where I had to play a game that we played on our date (Deal or No Deal). He wasn't there but a clue came after playing the game. I had to then go to the bowling alley where a lane was set up with my name. I had to bowl a strike to get my next clue. He was the next clue! He knelt down and asked me if I wanted to go to dinner with him while holding out a ring pop. We had to go pick up his car and while switching cars he knelt down on his knee while I wasn't looking. When i turned around he had the ring out. I was totally shocked! He picked the ring out all by himself. We never went ring shopping. I love that he picked it out because it truly came from his heart. He did such a great job picking it out! It means so much to me that he chose the ring for me and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Erica said, "Yes!"

Erica
My former roommate

We met at a BYU 66th Ward opening social (a pancake breakfast). Rick approached me with a strawberry and a jar of Nutella and said "Try this it's heavenly." I thought he was pretty cute so whatever he was offering, I was taking. I tried winning some brownie points when I found out he had served in the same mission as my dad. Two days later, I discovered that Rick was one of 3 guys in my tap dance class during Spring Term.

Rick and I would spend time together as he walked me home from our class--it ended at 7 pm so Rick would walk me home at night. We prepared and took our tap final together--i add a special step so that Rick had to hold my hand during the dance. We went home during the summers and began to exchange emails.

In August, I return to Provo before Rick and invite him for dinner when he returns from St. George. He misses dinner because he stops to help a family stranded on the side of the road (I knew then he was a keeper). He went with some friends from work to play ultimate Frisbee with me--now he tries to claim this was a date and that I asked him out first, but he and I both know better. On August 27 or 28: My roommate Katie, never the discreet one, upon meeting Rick asked, "So when are you going to ask Erica out?" August 29: Rick called to ask me out, On August 30: Rick and I go on our first date. It was marvelous!

We decide to get married driving back to Provo, from St. George. It took us FOREVER to make it official and that is where my GORGEOUS engagement ring comes into play. When we decided that we wanted to get married. I informed Rick that he needed to call my dad to ask for my hand and my mom for the ring to put on it. This ring was my mom's mom's and was one of the only things we got after she died. Since my sister and i were her only grandchildren, I got her engagement ring and my sister will someday (when she finally takes an oath not to have it reset) will get her wedding band which looks much like mine. The ring was in TERRIBLE condition when Rick received it (my granny was a factory worker) so he took it to a wonderful jeweler in Provo who restored it for me. The ring also played a VERY important role in our engagement story.

November 27: We make it official. We were supposed to leave Provo at noon, when Rick isn't to my apartment by 3, I start to get a little up in arms. While sitting with my roommate, Katie, and his roommate Ben, waiting for him, I ask Ben, "Is he going to propose?" Ben lies and replies "No." Something I have never let him live down:) Especially considering he was the one who helped Rick stuff 20 balloons in his trunk! Rick finally shows up and we head out. NOTE: Rick was at the jewelers, waiting for the delivery boy to bring back the ring from the master jeweler. The delivery boy was 3 hours late getting back and Rick was VERY nervous. About half way down to St. George, his mom calls to tell us dinner is waiting. About 45 minutes out of town, I tell Rick I'm starving, and he asks if I want to stop--I say no, so we keep driving (I just wanted to get to St. George and eat!). As we roll in to town, Rick decides to take the long way home, because he "hasn't seen St. George at night in a long time." We stop on the Red Hill and he gets out to take a picture. He asks me to get out, but I am mad we stopped in the first place. He finally convinces me and as I turn around from looking at the city, he popped the trunk and a sign was carried out that said, "Erica I love you" and was held up by 2 dozen balloons. He was down on one knee and proposed--I later found out that he had rehearsed what he was going to say and it is stored somewhere, I'll have to find it. I said yes and we enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving!

We separated for the summer, before we separate we order my wedding band which I wanted somewhat to look like what my grandmother had. I tried on several "stock' models until I found one that I didn't hate (the cost to re create the original band was outlandish--at least for an unemployed undergrad) and we ordered it. Because of a misprint in the manufacturers catalog...we were sent the wrong ring 4 times!!! Finally they were able to get the right model to me and the president of the company handpicked the stones for my band, so they are significantly higher quality than the ones they usually put in these bands:) I love my set and we had them soldered together so that they would not damage each other. I was so excited to permanently have that ring placed on my finger on July 26, 2003. We have been married for nearly 7 years now and I can't imagine my life with out him. He is the MOST AMAZING husband and father. I never cease to be amazed by his ability to put the kids and I before himself at ALL times. As we have prepared for the birth of baby number four (a surprise in and of itself), we have had a difficult/high risk pregnancy, made even more difficult by our required trips to a doctor an hour away. Rick has sacrificed so much to be at each one of my appointments and has really taken care of our family during the last 8 1/2 months. I can't imagine what would have happened had a certain roommate (who will remain unnamed) had not been so bold! I am grateful every day for her forwardness with Rick, because who knows if he ever would have gotten around to asking me out in the first place! And again, my life and more importantly, I would not be complete without him. He is not just my other half, he is my better half.

Briana said, "Yes!"

Briana
My former roommate

This is my ring and. . .



...this is what it means to me:

Stephanie said, "Yes!"

Stephanie

My friend since preschool

We'd looked at rings a lot, and he knew I wanted a simple, elegant round solitaire. We found a setting that we both loved, and then Greg chose the stone on his own (and chose well!). He proposed in July of 2009 during a walk on my favorite beach. I was absolutely blown away, but of course when we called my parents, they already knew, because Greg had called the day before to ask my dad. Humorously, my dad was touched beyond belief that Greg called him, but he responded, "We're thrilled about you two getting married! But you should really ask her, not me." We're getting married on the anniversary of our first date (September 18th), and on that day, I'll be adding a diamond eternity band to keep my solitaire company. All shiny sparkly things aside, I'm just thrilled to marry my best friend :).

Priscila said, "Yes!"

Priscila
My trainer on my mission

Capistrano and I met on the Internet. We talked on the phone for two weeks and started dating exclusively on our first date. That was also the day Capistrano proposed to me. He didn't plan to ask me to marry him, because he still didn't know me personally, but he felt that he should and proposed to me that night. I accepted. Before he was about to leave for his home in another city, we talked and decided to buy a symbolic ring until we bought our official ones. Then, we went to a shop in the bus station 30 minutes before his us left. My ring cost 20 reais ($10 American dollars) and his cost 10 reais, yet he knelt in front of everyone and put on the rings. A few weeks before the wedding (5 months later), he took me to a restaurant and asked me to marry him (for a third time) and handed me our official rings. But still, we keep our "false" rings with great affection.

In Brazil, our rings are always made of gold. The silver symbolizes committment, but not engagement. The ring is used on the right hand during engagement and on the left hand after marriage.

Side note from me: Very often in Brazil, couples will get their rings engraved on the inside, as you can see in the picture of Pri's ring above. The rings are simple and elegant, most often a gold band. They are beautiful. Thanks, Pri, for writing and translating your wonderful story for us! I miss you!

Alaina said, "Yes!"

Alaina

My friend from my mission

My ring is white gold with an opal as the main stone and small diamonds inlaid on the sides. I had always toyed with the idea of an opal engagement ring, partly because it is my birthstone, and also because I have always just really liked opals. And I guess I just wanted it to be unique. Morten and I are a very unconventional couple - he is from Denmark and I am from the States (we met at a YSA activity while I was traveling in Europe), therefore an unconventional engagement ring also seemed appropriate for us.

Did you say, "Yes!"?

I would absolutely love to feature YOUR ring and story on the "She said, 'Yes!'" series of my blog. If we've never met, so what?! All the more fun! Please email your picture and mini story to ktkarrots@gmail.com.

Christina said, "Yes!"

Christina

My little sister

Christina and Jer met at BYU when they were freshman. After two years of writing letters while he was serving an LDS mission in Taiwan, they decided their relationship was worth it enough to both of them to make it last forever. Jeremy sent her on a scavenger hunt to places significant to the two of them. The treasure at the end, of course, was him on bended knee. Oh yeah, and this "little bobble," as my roommate Kate would say.



While we love each other very much, Tina and I are about as different as night and day in many things. While I've always wanted a simple solitaire, she's always known she wanted something that sparkles! Her ring is beautiful and perfect for her. I wish the quality of the picture was better to give the full effect. Stay tuned for wedding pictures after their marriage on July 13th!

Stacey said, "Yes!"

Stacey

My friend from Freshman Year at BYU

Jeff proposed to me the night before we'd been dating six months. We were married three months after that on July 8, 2005. My ring today, almost 5 years later, looks a little different than it did before. When he had my ring made originally he asked them to inscribe GOMD on the inside and place four stones inside the ring (diamond, emerald, ruby and diamond).


Near the wedding day a couple of those inside stones fell out, as well as one of the side diamonds on the outside of the ring. Needless to say, we were a little upset about this but waited until we returned back to school a couple months later to get the repairs done. Now I have those four stones on a separate band that I wear above the diamond band and wedding band.

The four stones now on the top band are a reminder of Christ's Atonement and go along with a poem Jeff wrote. I love having the constant reminder to live my best so that our temple marriage remains in effect through all eternity. Looking back, it was interesting to have so many problems with my ring when we were getting ready to start our lives together, given what it symbolized about the Savior and His sacrifice and love for us all. Marriage is wonderful but it requires the help of the Lord in so many ways for things to work, just like my ring felt much more complete with all of its stones. I am thankful that I found the man who calls me "Girl of My Dreams" and love building a life and family with him that I could not have imagined would bless me this much.


"True love is not so much a matter of romance as it is a matter of anxious concern for the well-being of one's companion." --Gordon B. Hinckley