Monday, October 10, 2016

Popping the Question by Shanna Hatfield



In my contribution to Sweet Christmas Kisses 3, Untangling Christmas, the hero of the story has survived a very public, very humiliating rejection of a wedding proposal at a basketball game.

Another one of my stories, I have the heroine reject a proposal made on bended knee in the middle of a rodeo arena with hundreds of spectators shocked into silence.


One of my proofreaders shared a story about witnessing a painful rejection of a proposal at a hockey game. Apparently, the poor guy proposed and the camera panned to him. The girl shook her head and refused to take the ring while the camera lingered on the couple... and lingered... and lingered.

I was once in a restaurant and witnessed a proposal, offered in chocolate writing on a dessert plate. The girl appeared rather hesitant to accept it, but with a restaurant full of on-lookers, she seemed rather pressured to agree.

All this got me thinking about wedding proposals. I remember mine like it was yesterday (mostly because Captain Cavedweller proposed 23 years ago yesterday).

I was judging a Make-It-With-Wool contest at a fall festival. He claimed he was going to spend the day out at his grandpa's farm and I wouldn't see him until that evening. I'd just finished judging the wool contest when I saw him walk by. By the time I caught up with him, I sensed something was amiss. My typically laid-back guy was incredibly nervous about something. He made up some lame excuse to go back to my truck, which he'd parked next to. When we got there, he pulled a ring box out of his pocket, opened the lid and handed it to me. No prose-ridden words of love. No promises of life-long devotion. I don't think he could have spoken at that moment if his life depended on it. He was that nervous. Once I confirmed what his intentions were, I happily agreed to marry him.

I'd love to hear about wedding proposals today!

Share your story (or a funny story you've heard), in the comments below for a chance to win a digital copy of Sweet Christmas Kisses 3 (or, if you already have it, a book of the winner's choice from my back list. Winner will be randomly selected and notified Oct. 11).

~*~


Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, USA Today best-selling author Shanna Hatfield is out to make it happen, one story at a time. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances combine humor and heart-pumping moments with relatable characters.

   When this hopeless romantic isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.
Find Shanna’s books at:
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13 comments:

  1. I do have a funny story. My husband-to-be took me to a fancy French restaurant the night he proposed. The waiter who had a thick French accent told us about the specials, and my husband-to-be ordered the special. He wondered why I didn't order it. I asked him if he knew what he ordered. He said it was some kind of beef. I then informed him that he had order calf brains. We still laugh about that.

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  2. Oh, my gracious, Merrillee! What a fun story!

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  3. To be honest, I don't remember the proposal. I do remember my husband asking my father if it was ok for us to get married. Of course, he said yes.

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  4. Thanks for sharing such a sweet story about your husband's proposal and congrats on 23 years!

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  5. He took me to dinner and popped the question I wasn't expecting it bUT of course I excepted.

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  6. He took me to dinner and popped the question I wasn't expecting it bUT of course I excepted.

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  7. My husband proposed to me in Peru. Over Skype. So that my parents could be present. Poor guy hardly spoke any English and before he proposed he had to call my Dad and ask his permission. He practiced and practiced what he was going to say before he called him, and he was so nervous.

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  8. My husband proposed to me in Peru. Over Skype. So that my parents could be present. Poor guy hardly spoke any English and before he proposed he had to call my Dad and ask his permission. He practiced and practiced what he was going to say before he called him, and he was so nervous.

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  9. My then boyfriend showed up at the farm in time for breakfast to talk to my parents about us getting married. In his anxiety, he pushed his eggs around his plate so much that my quiet dad finally asked him what was the matter. We've been married for 39 years; thanks to my dad that's the only time I can recall him being anxious about eating :)

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