Most wedding proposals involve a romantic dinner, a creative setup, and a very formal atmosphere. Then, there are some that may be hockey themed, but few utilize an element of the sport that is found at each and every Blackhawks game: the jersey. This is precisely what I did when I proposed to my girlfriend, now wife.
On Friday July 24, 2009, I had planned to take the next step with my girlfriend Dana and ask for her hand in marriage. We had planned to go to dinner that evening at a small town café, and I planned to propose after dinner to cap off a great evening. But, as with any hockey game, changes “on the fly” are part of life. I was scheduled to be off from my hardware store job at 5 that evening. However, a detailed kitchen design kept me there until 6. With butterflies in my stomach, I drove to my house in my hometown of Buffalo, Iowa to get ready to go to dinner. Much to my surprise, Dana was waiting for me upon my arrival! I casually hid a package on the table, containing the Blackhawks jersey I was about to propose with, and gathered non-work clothes to change into. I put the ring between a folded pair of shorts and a t-shirt to hide it. Prior to heading to dinner, I told Dana to open the present on the table. To which she replied, “Not now, let’s go eat and I’ll open it when we get back.” However, I insisted that it must be opened before dinner. My nerves had gotten the best of me at this point; it needed to be done before going to eat! Dana sat down on the couch and pulled out the home red Chicago Blackhawks jersey, enough to see the Indian head on the front, out of the box. She then asked, without turning the jersey around, “Why did you get me a Jonathan Toews jersey?” I informed her to turn it around to look at the back. Dana did so to discover that “Mosier” was the last name and “09” was the number. The look on her face was one I will never forget, one of surprise and a little confusion. I then proceeded with the wedding proposal. I asked, “You wouldn’t mind wearing that last name on your back the rest of your life would ya?” A smile began to emerge on Dana’s face. I then presented the ring with the traditional question, “Dana, will you marry me?” As the smile grew larger and the initial surprise developed into excitement, she responded with a resounding, “Yes!” The last name symbolizes a name that will be hers for the rest of her life. The “09” symbolizes the year the proposal took place. We were married exactly one year later, after a Blackhawks themed rehearsal, on July 24, 2010. To quote play-by-play announcer Pat Foley used in correlation with this story, “I hope you enjoyed the ‘broadcast,’ I know you enjoyed the outcome.” And those, Blackhawks fans, are two points worthy enough to claim the President’s trophy. Images: The first image is from the night of the proposal. The second is from our wedding night at the reception.
