Carmesha: For weeks leading up to the proposal, Randy had been talking about us going out for a nature walk like we used to do when he lived along the American Tobacco Trail in Durham. On the day of the proposal, he was up early and ready to go walking. I--on the other hand--looked outside and saw the rain clouds forming and just wanted to go back to sleep. He was not having that...and now I know why! He took me to the North Carolina Museum of Art so we could explore the museum's trails and outdoor exhibits. It started to rain, so we ran to this clear, futuristic looking shelter. Once inside, Randy asked me if I loved him, then dropped onto one knee (while pulling the ring out of his pocket!) and told me he wanted to be with me forever!!!!!!
After saying YES, of course I wanted to spread the good news...but no one in my family would answer the phone! Little did I know, both of our immediate families were at the Cheesecake Factory waiting for us to arrive to celebrate! I was so surprised that everyone kept this secret from me, but I could not have asked for a better day!
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| Lowe's Pavilion, NC Museum of Art |
Randy: After years of dating the person I love, I knew was ready to take our relationship to the next level and propose. After weeks of browsing and thinking about how I would propose, I decided to go with a place that offered privacy yet provided a photo friendly atmosphere… The NC Museum of Art Park. I suggested earlier in the week to Carmesha that we should go out to the park to explore the works of various designers and artists, which I knew her spontaneous personality could not resist!
On Saturday, August 6, 2011, we both got up early despite the forming clouds to pursue our unforgettable walk through the park. After about 35 minutes of walking and exploring, it suddenly started to pour down raining. With the remaining energy we had, we ran into the Lowe’s Park Pavilion and began to talk. After a few minutes of conversing, Carmesha peeked out into the sky as the rain was coming to a brief stop. When she turned around, I knelt down, pulled out the ring, and asked her to marry me. She laughed with excitement and said “YES” and we immediately headed back to the car. She insisted on calling her parents who did not answer, but had no idea we were heading to meet with both of our parents at The Cheesecake Factory to celebrate the great news!