Just how memorable can one patch of wildflowers be?
An incurable romantic, Craig Jacob thought he'd find out. The 27-year-old EMBA student from The Colony turned an outing to the nationally-famous Bluebonnet Trails Festival in Ennis, Texas into a quest for the symbol of true love – and a moment his fiancée Rachel Manfred, 26, will remember every April.
"We had heard about the bluebonnet festival from one of my coworkers – we wanted to come down. We had never experienced the bluebonnets to the degree you guys in Ennis have them," he said.
However, that was his cover story. In actuality, Jacob was a man on a marriage-minded mission.
"A co-worker of mine said the bluebonnets were real good last year – I thought we'd get in a field of bluebonnets and I'd propose to Rachel," he said.
There was a slight, um, hitch. The bluebonnets that had set state records in April 2007 were a bit thin in April 2008, and the roadsides were busy with visitors looking for them. But at the Ennis Convention & Visitors Bureau, Craig found the help he was looking for: a map to the most perfect patch of bluebonnets.
"She drew us a nice map – it was cool, like a journey in itself," Craig said.
The pair threw on some shoes in case there were any snakes about, and found the perfect spot – occupied by a Missouri photographer who specialized in wildflower photos.
After taking a picture for the lovebirds, he kindly left them the prime place. After taking a few photos for good measure, Craig set up the tripod and camera, and then quickly went down on bended knee.
Rachel, thinking they were going to kneel for the picture, crouched down obligingly. "No, stand up!" he said, assuming the time-honored bent-knee position.
It was a Prince Charming minute.
"I got down on one knee and proposed to her – it was just a beautiful, beautiful moment," he said.
So what did he say?
"I was so taken – I think I said, ‘You swept me off my feet when I first met you, and to this day you still do. You're an amazing, beautiful person and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?'
"Something like that."
That would work.
"It was just one of those surreal moments," he said.
Surreal, nothing – the thing took planning. Months ago, when shopping in San Antonio, he'd casually asked what kind of ring Rachel liked. She pointed it out. They kept shopping. She was finishing her internship; they were too busy – it was too soon.
Craig went down to San Antonio a few weeks ago, contacted the jeweler where they saw the ring, found it, picked a stone.
The knee, the ring, the bluebonnets – Rachel was overwhelmed.
"I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is really happening!' Whatever he said, I heard just pieces of it," she recalled.
"I was really surprised and amazed by all the work he did … he did awesome," she said, noting that while she was tempted to tell him she didn't care where he proposed, she thought better of it. Surely, such romantic consideration is worth nurturing over a lifetime together.
The proposal is completely appropriate, given their outdoorsy approach to life and their love of the outside world.
"It was fun that he found something unique and different and special. It's not something you see every day, and it's kind of special to us," she said.
So who did they tell? Well, the folks at the Convention & Visitors Bureau for starters.
"There were two teen girls – they were so excited, they were jumping around. It was a wonderful moment and a wonderful day," Jacob said.
Next, the newly-engaged pair went to eat at Brown Street Café, who produced fresh strawberry cake upon hearing the good news.
The day could hardly have been more special, Jacob said.
"We just had a blast in Ennis – everyone was so friendly and generous, and after we got engaged, everyone was so amazing. You get that small-town feeling, that when something happens, they're excited for you," he said.
This article originally appeared in The Ennis Journal. For more Ennis Journal stories, see www.ennisjournal.com
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