As the bachelor suddenly prepares himself for what’s about to come, he airs out his shirt and pulls on their collar throughout the day. That one little box in his front pocket that will change his life forever. As anxious as he feels, he perseveres through the nervousness, gets down on one knee, and asks, “Will you marry me?”

A marriage proposal can be one of the most life-changing events in a relationship. Many proposals usually go as planned; as they kneel down, present the ring, and their bride says “Yes.” Other times, it may be too soon to ask this grave question and a nervous significant other says “No.” Unlike most individuals, Ryan White, history teacher, chose to propose to his wife in an unusual way, even if it didn’t go 100% according to plan.

“I tied the ring around our dog’s neck on this ribbon. My wife was lying on the bed and the dog had short stumpy legs so he couldn’t get on the bed by himself so I had to go lift him on the bed and then she was like, ‘Snuggle with me’ and they laid there for 30 minutes just watching TV and snuggling. She never noticed that he was wearing a ribbon around his neck until I finally said, ‘Well isn’t that an interesting collar that he has on?’ And then she finally saw it,” White said.

Some choose to propose with the typical kneeling down and opening a ring-box idea, but others such as White have done so in a different yet unique way, even if it needed that little nudge. Marriage is a contract that many couples must be faithful to in order to be successful. With James Schanzer, history teacher, proposed, with the help of his 18 month year-old daughter at the time, he believes that marriage has helped him grow as an individual.

“Our daughter walked in with a poster at her job that read, ‘Will you marry my daddy?’. Marriage helped me consider how much I am reaching my own potential from a social and emotional standpoint, as an individual, as a partner. My marriage challenges me to be a better father as well,” Schanzer stated.

Although proposals are nerve-wracking and self-doubting at times, Schanzer agrees that marriage has helped him grow as a person and as a spouse as well. Before proposals even come close in mind, many people often ask themselves if that’s the person they want to marry or if they are “The One.” According to Javelo Jones, math teacher, he knew his wife would be the one the one he would spend the rest of his life with.

“On the cake, it said, ‘Will you marry me?’ and then I got down on one knee and showed her the ring. We were together about five or six months. We got married on our year anniversary. It’s when you can’t go a day without missing that person or wanting to be with that person. I think that kinda tells you or is an indicator that person is who you really need to be with. Just constantly wanting to be around them and want to do what’s best for that person and they do the same thing back to you,” Jones said.

Proposals and marriage are a sweet, yet expensive. These moments and memories to come will be cherished  by couples for the rest of their lives. Although it may be years into the future where Lake Ridge Eagles will get married, let’s just be thankful that the anxiety that comes along with this question won’t arise until many years to come.