WINNER!Love at First Sight

Kevin and I met when we were 7 years old. We made our First Communion together. He in his tux and I in my white gown walked down the aisle and stood together. We have a picture walking out of the church in our "wedding apparel." Six years later, at the age of 13, we met again in junior high and started dating. We went to high school and college together at SUNY Geneseo.

Kevin and I share many memories, because we grew up together side by side, best friends. This past fall, 3 days before our 9th anniversary, Kevin asked my father and mother if he could ask me to marry him. He proposed with a bottle of wine and the most beautiful ring. I was so nervous that I gave him my right hand instead of the left.

We are getting married in August 23, 2008. It can not get better than this, marrying the man I already walked down the aisle with in a white dress at the age of seven.

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RUNNER-UPAnd They Say Fairytales Don't Come True...

I can't say it was one moment, or one gesture that made me realize that John Jay was my true soul mate. We began dating at the tender age of 17 and through high school, college and now as young adults our relationship has grown and matured into something quite amazing! Words seem inadequate to describe just how amazing my fiancé John Jay is.

We moved from a small town to New York City two years ago and have endured the best experience we could have ever hoped for. Throughout the hard times of barely paying rent and living off cans of tuna we still felt rich from love. We followed our dreams and followed our hearts...and in Central Park on New Years day he proposed! This past July was our ten year anniversary and we just felt so grateful to have the love that we do for each other. Albeit cliché... he truly is my best friend- the one person that even after ten years, can still give me butterflies!

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Fairy Tale

Jim was married previously only to lose his wife 4 years ago in a car accident. A man went through a red light and hit the family car. Jim was in a coma, his 16-month-old daughter had a broken leg, his 6-week-old daughter had minor injuries, and his wife passed away. Jim became a single father raising two girls.

After a few years Jim was bringing his 4-year-old daughter, Shiri, into my classroom to start preschool! Shiri was a girl who came to school with a skirt while wearing socks with her dad’s favorite racecar driver on them. Soon her younger sister Katie began school too. Shiri soon began saying all good things about her dad, including telling me he thought I was "cute." With enough pressure from Shiri he built up the courage to ask me to dinner.

Three months later Jim took me to NYC and on a carriage ride through Central Park and proposed! We are now planning our wedding together as a family!

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Perfect Strangers

The first time we kissed, I knew I loved him. I was afraid to say anything because he was scheduled to move 3,000 miles away three weeks later, so I kept my mouth shut until his car was packed and he was hours from driving away. I told him I had never met anyone like him; he told me he didn't have to leave. Not wanting to take him away from his dream of San Francisco, I let him go, but I committed myself to him infinitely.

I didn't know much about him, only how my heart felt in his absence. We spent the first three months in a long distance relationship, exploiting free nights and weekends. Afterward, while most were making awkward and compulsory introductions over dinner, we spent our first real date moving across the country to be together. We lived in Chicago, in Portland, and finally in Seattle, thousands of miles away and years from where we began, where they tell me there are clouds and rain but I honestly beg to differ.

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Best Date in the History of the World

My fiancé and I met on MySpace. He is a musician; I'm a writer. I bought his CD, and on it he scribbled: "Looking forward to crêpes in Paris one day". After months of exchanging emails, we finally met in LA. Kevin had sent a limo to pick me up and bring me to the airport, where he had just landed.

That day, it felt like everything in the universe held its breath, waiting for our worlds to collide. We spent all day talking and holding hands as we walked around Santa Monica. We visited the pier, and I had just told him the story of how birds ALWAYS seem to poop on me (yes, really, I am known as the Global Bird Target).

We were just about to leave the pier, when he kissed me. And that's when I knew that we would know each other for a very long time. The best part? We found a French café and had chocolate banana crêpes for lunch.

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Strong Enough For a Man

Yes, I did just rip off a line from a deodorant commercial. I assure you, it is most appropriate. I knew that Kevin is the one when he stood up to my father to support my unorthodox career choice (I chose a career that isn't widely accepted to be a real career in the Asian community). He stood up for me and supported me like a man. But graciously, he allows me to be in charge of my own company and works as my #1 assistant when he isn't working on his own job. He supports my endeavors in the hopes that I one day I will be a greater success than he already is.

Many men could win you a teddy bear, but how many men would sacrifice some of their own success so that you might be that much greater.

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My Rock

It's not a story of fireworks and fancy dinners - it's a story about being someone I can count on. I knew it was forever with Jason when my dad was in the hospital for his heart. I had just gotten off the phone with my mom, went downstairs where Jason was watching TV and waiting for his friends to show up and watch the game. I told him I needed him to drive me to the hospital and when he asked what was wrong, I burst into tears. His arms were around me so fast and he didn't hesitate to call off his get together so he could spend the day with my family and me in the hospital.

My dad is OK thankfully - but Jason proved that family means everything and that he is someone I want to forever be able to lean on.

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Sneaky Surprise

I always knew Chris was the one for me, but it wasn't until he proposed that I realized how perfect we were for each other. I've always been a snoop when it came to presents. One weekend I came home from college to visit Chris. When I went upstairs to his room I saw a strange blue box and before he had followed me upstairs, I began to open it. Inside I found a porcelain dish (and by that time he had arrived). We exchanged glances as I continued to open the dish where to my surprise I found my engagement ring. He took it from my hand, got down on one knee, and told me he knew I was the woman for him for the rest of his life.

In shock, I hadn't realized that he expected me to go snooping that day. He had roses and a dinner invitation to follow. I said yes and we couldn’t wait to tell everyone the sneaky surprise I had found that night.

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Rock Star Lovin'

It was your average college night out - I huddled in a local bar with a couple of friends and 100 other rowdy Ole Miss students. The band was playing the blues and everyone was dancing. When the singer started playing "Not Fade Away", I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I was impressed, sure, but I turned to my friend and said, "He’s the one!" Not that I'd ever spoken to him, but somehow I just knew.

So I waited around until they finished up the set and finally mustered up the courage to go speak to him. We talked for a few minutes and I gave him my number, but didn't think he'd call. As my friends and I walked back to the car, my phone rang - it was him! We met up later that night and have been together ever since. He's the love of my life and I knew it before we ever met! This photo was taken at the same bar where we met!

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A Monday Like No Other

On Monday December 3rd, my coworker came into the office and stated that the entire faculty and staff had to watch the morning announcements because there was going to be a special announcement on the schools morning news.

As I watched the students give their reports Jeff (my fiancé) appeared on the TV screen. He spoke about me being the love of his life, and how we had our first date at my school and at that point I blacked out and fell to my knees and began to scream and cry because I knew he was proposing.

Several of my coworkers picked me up off the floor and lead me to the media center where all the students and faculty members were, cheering, clapping and crying. That’s when I saw Jeff on one knee, and he asked me one simple question: "Would you do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me and joining me in holy matrimony and becoming my wife?" and I said "Of course."

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A Scholarly Romance

When I moved to Oxford, England to study for a master's degree, I never expected to meet the man I'd marry. Scared to start yet another unsuccessful relationship, I tried to avoid any dates that year. Nevertheless, Garriy was so brilliant, worldly, and handsome, I accepted his invitation for long walks along the Thames River and to see the opera La Boheme.

After a late Spring date, I was headed home on my bike. Though I resisted, Garriy kissed me, and I was so blown away, I wrecked my bike into a wall. At that point we only had weeks left before we both returned home. Knowing that I was headed to Italy to meet my parents soon and that drastic measures were needed to keep the relationship going, he risked it and bought a ticket to Amalfi Coast to surprise me and meet my parents.

Overlooking the Italian Coast, we fell in love, and my parents fell in love with Garriy. My mom immediately predicted we would marry. Months later, we were engaged.

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Throwing Mints

My boyfriend, now fiance, Jeffrey had moved to Denver and left me behind in NJ. I visited him every other month and he tried to come back to NJ as well. I basically required him to come home for July 3rd though. That was when my family would throw our huge Indepedence day bash, and it was by far my favorite holiday.

A month before the party, Jeffrey told me he wouldn't be able to make it home because of work. Needless to say, it upset me. When July 2nd came around, I was still upset about Jeff not being able to come home, and we didn't really talk all day. I went to bed early that night but was woke up by something hitting my window over and over again. When I went to see what it was, I saw my Jeffrey standing there waiting for me to discover him. He had flown home to surprise me, and a year later he surprised me on the same day with a ring.

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Thank God for Track and Field

Spring of my freshman year at the University of Arkansas I was competing as a sprinter. The Ladyback team had made a trip to Stanford University in California. The first day of the meet I noticed an amazingly attractive guy wearing a Loyola Chicago sweatshirt. He certainly noticed me as well. Without any shame we both stared at each other until we had to leave the meet for good.

I kept telling myself I should have said something. Well, five months went by and the Ladyback team was meeting for our first practice. When we got to the track there he was, I absolutely remembered his face, but could not figure it out. When my coach introduced him I was like YES! Well days went by, a few words said, and definitely no conversation. The first one-on-one conversation we had, I asked him why he decided to come to Arkansas, and he straight up said, "because of you." Even though he said he was kidding, I knew he was the one.

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School Rules

From the beginning, we had chemistry - I mean literally - we met the first day of freshman chemistry class. We were the only two nerds in the front row. Over the next four years, we dated off and on, so in love, but convinced that we were too young to commit our lives yet.

Our senior year, we applied to medical school, and got into schools 500 miles apart. I was devastated. My top choice was only 30 miles from his school, so I started calling them daily, emailing constantly and finally, on a warm summer morning I got the call from them. I was accepted! We spent a joyous first year commuting to see each other, and still being nerds and studying together. Then, this Thanksgiving, he popped the question out of the blue while we were home visiting family. He didn't have a ring, so he tied a piece of white yarn from the blanket in our room around my left finger, and I wore it proudly until I got the diamond!

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How We Fell in Love

Three years ago, I was working at a school for children with mental and physical disabilities. My fiance had been there for a while, and I was the new girl. He thought that I was a spoiled brat, and I thought that he was a bad boy.

We were both invited to join the Special Olympics volleyball team for the state competition in Tampa. He and I ended up in a van with one other chaperone and four Special Olympians. During the nine-hour drive there, I learned that he wasn't so much of a bad boy, and he learned that I wasn't a spoiled brat. I love how compassionate he is about people with special needs. I love how compassionate he is about me. After the trip, one of our mutual friends invited us to go hear her husband’s band play. That was our first date, and the band we went to hear will be playing at our wedding!

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High School/College/Grad School Sweethearts

I never knew that the boy I sat in front of in 10th grade French would be the man I would marry 14 years later. He aced every test, which annoyed me so much that I just threw them back at him without turning around. Fast forward through 2 more years of high school, more French classes, free periods hanging out together and a mutual, platonic agreement to go to prom together - amazingly, we had become friends!

Of course, we were clueless to the fact that we actually liked each other - until one day on the phone, when we decided to address the fact that everyone kept asking what was going on with "us." On that very day, we decided that we were 'going out' (don't you just love high school dating terms?). We haven't looked back since - through college, long distance grad school, and beyond. We're getting married on the 12th anniversary of that date, and I couldn't be happier - though I probably could be better at French!

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RUNNER-UPHe's the One

3 months into our relationship, I planned a surprise 50th Birthday party for my mother, at my aunt's home. Darrell had just really met my aunt the day prior, as we visited her house to do some prep work. On the day of the party I needed time to distract my mother. This meant I couldn't step away from her, so I had no time to go over to my aunt's and finish preparing and decorating.

My new boyfriend thought he was simply coming to party that day. However when I called him 3 hours early worried about all the things needing to be done, he got dressed and rushed over to my aunts to lend a helping hand. This included picking up extra supplies, decorating, and grilling all the food, out in the rain. I was worried that he'd be uncomfortable with my family, just having met them, plus I wasn't around, but he was a pro. After all his hard work they all said that night – He's the one.

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A beautiful wake-up call

July 7, 2007 at 7:07am I was awakened by Logan's words of "good morning babe...there's something out here you should see". Logan was living in NC and had just been in TN (where I live) the previous week for a missions trip with his youth group.

I was shocked that he was in my apartment, and it continued when I walked out of my bedroom to see an aisle runner lined with candles and sprinkled with roses with Logan at the end in a suit on bended knee while "Forever I'll be Your Man" was playing in the background. I kept asking "What are you doing here?" And he finally said "I've come to ask you to be my wife...so will you marry me?" My response was "But I have bad breath!" Logan reassured me that my breath did not matter; I said YES, and he put the ring of my dreams on my finger! Heart-shaped pancakes, muffins, and fruit were waiting for us on the table!

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From Start To Middle To End?

Walking on my way to the car, I couldn't help but notice this amazingly gorgeous guy walking into the Safeway I just left. Being young and daring, I planned on leaving this gorgeous guy a note, describing just how gorgeous he is, on his truck. I back out of my parking space and SMASH! Someone hits my car from behind. I'm devastated at the damage done and am at a loss of what to do.

As the tears rush to my eyes, the same guy I was so struck by is walking towards me. He tells me not to cry, puts an arm around me, and tells me everything will be okay. Five years later in the same parking lot we met, he gets on bended knee and tells me how much he loves me. Our love and life story has our start and middle, I look forward to everyday until we reach our end.

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A Chance Meeting

I was supposed to go out one night with my girlfriends. Earlier that day, my best friend, Tiffany, ran into an old friend, Mike, and invited him to come out with us, and he invited one of his best friends, Garry. I knew the moment I met Garry that he was someone special. We always thank Tiffany and Mike for bumping into each other that day or else we might have never met.

Garry later told me that he knew from the very beginning that I was the girl he was going to marry. Now here we are two and half years later... engaged! We recently got engaged while on a snowboard trip with our friends. The first day on the slopes, Garry had me stop, telling me he had to fix his bindings, while our friends went ahead. When we finally got to the bottom, our friends were standing before us wearing tshirts that spelled out "Marry Me!" After alot of crying and hugging, I finally managed to say YES!

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Everything Happens for a Reason

Jerrod and I have known each other since junior high school. We became best friends in 8th grade. He is the only guy that mom trusted. He taught me to drive my first stick shift. He always loved me and always wanted to be more than friends, but I always said no.

After college we went our separate ways. He stayed around here. I moved away. Then it came time for out 10 year reunion. My boyfriend at the time asked "Who do you look forward to seeing the most?" I said Jerrod. We had a blast. We exchanged numbers. I lost his. A few months later a mutual friend called and asked if I would like to go on camping trip. Jerrod was there, and the first day we just clicked and sparks started flying. Before I left to go back home he said hurry up and move back here and marry me. That was all he had to say. We are getting married on September. Almost one year after that wonderful camping trip!

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Love Is In The Air

I am an airline pilot based in Seattle. My fiancé, Gary, is an airplane mechanic for the same airline. I had been desperately flirting with Gary for quite a few months. He was always smiling and friendly, but I didn't know if he was involved (mechanics don't usually wear rings when working on the planes).

One night my airplane broke down in Helena, MT. The local mechanics were unable to fix the plane and the airline sent out a mechanic from Seattle. When we returned in the morning, there was Gary in a snowsuit, working in -7 degree weather. The plane wasn't fixed yet, so Gary and I exchanged numbers and the crew went back to the hotel. I mentioned the lengths I had to go to in order to get his number! I thanked him for working all night in the cold. He replied that it was nothing a little Carmel brownie wouldn't fix. The next week I baked brownies and brought them to the airport. It was love!

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I must love Christmas sweaters...

The first day of English class my junior year of college, a cute boy walked through the door and grabbed the empty seat next to me as I thanked the spring quarter gods. He wasn't my type, but the conversation came easy, and I dubbed him my "English crush." Three months later, he took off to Scotland to study abroad for the summer while I took an internship in Florida.

When we returned to school in the fall, he turned on the charm, and I continuously turned him down! I still thought we were too different. But when he walked into my Cheesy Christmas Sweater Party (Oh, college) sporting a goofy grin and a spirited sweater, the smile on my face showed me what I should have realized months before - he was perfect for me. He proposed 14 exciting months later on the beach near where we live. We've turned out to be much more alike than different - we even grew up only 30 miles apart!

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Tears left on the Court

I'd just graduated from college in Raleigh, NC where I'd been the star basketball player for 4 years. I met my fiancé, Chad, 3 days after graduation and told him all about my "days of glory" as we had gotten closer. I informed him of the ceremony the college had in my honor, to retire my jersey, a month before we met. Chad had known how much the sport meant to me throughout our courtship; since that's how we met.

On our year anniversary, Chad surprised me by taking back to Raleigh during Alumnae Weekend. My old coaches were there waiting for us with a television placed on the court. As we watched a DVD of the past year's pictures to "our" song, Chad proposed to me on the court. Tears ran down my face and all I could do was look at him. I was speechless! I knew he loved me enough to propose in a place that meant so much, with my tears left on the court!

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In any clime or place...

The phone call came into my office right after lunch. Although I was with a client, my coworker rushed in with the phone. "Your boyfriend's on the phone! I'll take over for you so you can talk to him." Normally, personal calls are looked down on, but this wasn't just any call. It was coming from Iraq, where my Marine boyfriend Ismael was serving a 7-month tour.

Our contact had been minimal since he'd left, so hearing his voice was a surprise. Even more surprising was when he asked me to marry him, in a rushed voice, explaining he had to go back on patrol. All my life, I'd imagined that picture-perfect proposal: roses, bended knee, tears, and a crowd cheering. This had none of that, but it did have one key similarity. I KNEW. I knew right then that the answer was yes, and that over-the-phone and across-the-miles proposal is one I will always cherish.

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Long Island Railroad Love

Honestly, we knew something the moment we locked eyes. I was on my way to my first real-job in NY after being relocated from TX. We were riding the same train and locked eyes. We ended up getting off at the same stop and walked into the same building, rode the elevator together, and ended up walking into the office together. That's when I found out we were going to be co-workers.

We had an instant connection and out of fear of ruining our work situation we dated in secret for two years before telling our co-workers after I got a new job. The first month into our relationship, we simultaneously called our parents and told them we had found the one! Even though we wanted to fly to Vegas and get married we decided we wanted to take our time, 3 1/2 years later we are engaged and still going strong. Who would have thought you could find love on a train?

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10 years later...

High School Calculus class....18 years old. That's where it all began really - a teacher that forced us to sit alphabetically. (Thank you Mr. Ringstrom!) So there we were - Anderson and Armstrong...together 3 days a week, but never realizing that we would eventually be together forever! We started dating the summer after graduation and quickly fell deep in love.

I went to off to college in Santa Barbara, and Colin stayed in San Diego. The distance was heartbreaking! That was 1998! And now after 10 incredible years together, 7 of them attending different colleges and then living on different coasts, we're getting married! We were engaged on the beach in July 2007 (our 9 year anniversary) and will be married September of 2008 after 10 incredible years together! It is so hard to put into words the type of love we share...it is an "irresistible, consuming, can't eat, can't sleep, reach for the moon, homerun in the bottom of the 9th of the world series-kind of feeling."

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The One He Kept for Me!

We had dated a little over 2 years and we had talked about marriage but I had no idea when it was going to come. We were out of town at a wedding, he was the only guy for the garter toss (of course he caught it), so then the grooms asks, when are you going to put the ring on her finger and he was like.... right now!

Nobody knew what he was about to do.... he walks over to me pulling this huge box out of his pocket (I never even seen the box in his pocket), the camera guy and the photographer were behind him catching every minute. I couldn't believe what was going on at this moment and all I could do is scream the whole time. He finally managed to pop the question and I finally was able to say yes! One of the best things about our moment is my whole family was there and it is all on tape. I got the DVD! :-)

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366 Kisses - Because I love you!

I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Matt after what he did for me on our anniversary. He un-wrapped 366 Hershey kisses removed the tissue tags that say "Hershey Kiss," and re-wrapped every one of them with his own tags. On every single tag was a reason he loves me.

He said because we live 2 hours away from each other and he's not able to kiss me everyday, that I can eat one each day until our next anniversary and it will be another reason he loves me and a long distance kiss from him. Some were cute like "you look beautiful in sweat pants" and some were things that were just between him and me. I couldn't believe he came up with 366 reasons he loves me. Everyday I got a "kiss" from him, I fell in love with him all over again and was reminded how strong our love is!

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Our Perfect Proposal (Joel & Liz)

December, 22, 2007, we were preparing to go from Joel's parents' house to my parents' house for Christmas. Joel expressed he wanted to stop at his brother and sister-in-law's house to see Kate, his niece. I tried convincing him otherwise, because it was snowing and roads were becoming icy. We were also going to see them again on Christmas Eve. Joel convinced me we needed to visit.

After arriving, Joel said that Kate looked really cute. When I saw her, she was wearing a onesie that read "Liz, will you be my aunt?" I was shocked but confused. I turned around, and Joel was there, down on his knee with the most beautiful ring. He told me how much he loved me and asked me to be his wife. Of course, I said yes!!! I was surprised because I hadn't expected him to propose at 10:30 A.M. It was the greatest proposal!!! I was there when Kate was born. So, for me, this was the perfect way to join his family.

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