We love a great Woodstock, Illinois proposal story, don’t you? When we read their unique proposal story submission, we knew that we wanted to feature Erica & Dylan’s Groundhog Day House proposal story.
Share with us when and how you met each other.
Dylan and I met way back in 2009. We both were from small towns in Missouri but had lived/been all over the US after graduating high school. We both were ‘called back’ to another town close to our hometowns for a job opportunity and became acquaintances. Dylan was working in-house management while I was a traveling sales professional, so we rarely saw one another between the years of 2009 and 2012 while working for the same company.
Fast forward, through a lot of life for each of us, to 2016 when our old boss reconnected us. I was working my own business cleaning and caring for homes in the Kansas City area and our past boss from 2009 happened to be one of my clients. In passing, he mentioned to Dylan that I was back in the area and available, and subsequently, Dylan texted me out of nowhere asking if I remembered him! I was in the midst of an incredible life change, looking for a home for myself and two of my sisters, and felt I didn’t have the time for dating.
Dylan was understanding and we ended up chatting for about a month prior to meeting up. During this time he also helped me look for rentals (how sweet is that?)! As I learned how incredibly kind and thoughtful he was, my no-dating walls came down and I decided to go for it! Our first 2 dates consisted of us, sitting and talking to one another nonstop for hours and hours. In fact, in one of them, we were so engulfed in one another we completely lost track of time and reluctantly drove our separate ways around 3 am! :/ By our 3rd date we were both hooked and our daily lives revolved around getting to see one another again.
What are your favorite things to do together as a couple?
Dylan and I love going for hikes/walks together and being in nature. We absolutely love our critter watching and find ourselves excited at the baby lizards on the windows, squirrels in the yard, pups on our walks, or the stray kitties that visit our backyard. We enjoy dog sitting and walking whenever we can too!
Dylan enjoys writing music and we both love listening and analyzing music together. As we have grown together, our past concert-loving experiences have faded into just wanting to be comfortable close to home, however, our bucket-list concerts we always will be ready for when they happen!
We both hold health and healing close in our lives, as we have been through much of that separately and together. We work out together, sauna, swim, and take daily supplements and therapies together to maintain our health. We also love to travel. We have lived in 3 different states together, visited 30 states in the US, and have plans to travel internationally together in the future. We love eating good food, whether it be a snack brunch out or a healthy homecooked meal we create together.
How long were you together before getting engaged?
We were together for 5 years before getting engaged.
Did anyone help with the Groundhog Day house proposal?
Our best friends, Matt and Sarah Ingram, from Woodstock, IL helped with the proposal.
Share your marriage proposal story…
I was completely unaware there was any planning of any kind going on! That is how smooth Dylan was throughout all of this! He had been in contact with our new-founded best friends, Matt and Sarah, to have my engagement ring shipped to their home so I would be surprised! The town we had moved to in northern Illinois was a few miles from Woodstock, IL, where the Ground Hog Day Movie was (partially) filmed, with Bill Murry. The actual house Bill Murry lived in in the movie, is now a cute little Bed and Breakfast that has kept the history of the movie and its filming intact, like a little B&B Ground Hog Day museum and event space.
My friend Sarah had taken me here a few different times since we had met for fun events and to meet the owner, who suffered from the same health condition as me. It was my birthday weekend and Dylan had mentioned he had made plans to take me to dinner. When we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to find our friends Matt and Sarah at the restaurant! We had a fun night out together and then Dylan surprised me again when we pulled up to the Ground Hog Day B& B instead of going home!
We were getting settled in our room (which was exactly Bill Murry’s room in the movie- alarm clock and all!), Dylan turned on James Taylor, we put on our PJs and I was beginning to brush my teeth in the bathroom. In my mismatched pjs with my old softball socks pulled up to my knees (it was a bit chilly), and a toothbrush in my mouth, I turn around to find Dylan on his knees with tears in his eyes, presenting an engagement ring to me! I about choked on my toothbrush as I realized what was happening and saw the nervousness of his body.
He asked me if I wanted to keep doing the same thing we have been doing but over and over again until forever with him?! I was so taken aback by the love, thoughtfulness, smooth planning, and clever-witted proposal! Through our shaking, crying bodies and my toothpaste-filled mouth, I said yes! It was perfect. He had also planned an in-room breakfast the next morning for us and had spoken with the owners prior about my diet restrictions!
I had learned later, that he had actually planned on proposing during breakfast but apparently, he was moved by our moment together that night getting ready for bed and felt a spontaneous pull to do it right then and there, which explains why he looked just as surprised as me while proposing!! Just the sweetest and most clever in my eyes! We have our Ground Hog Day mugs from that morning, which always remind me of how lucky I am to have such love and connection in my life every day. Dylan says he thinks of this every morning when he wakes to me beside him and would never want it any other way.
What was the best moment of the proposal?
The best moment was when Dylan was using the repetitive concept of the Groundhog Day Movie in the proposal for our life together and in the same room at that!
Who did you tell that you were engaged first?
My mom.
Tell us about the ring!
My ring is a diamond ring by designer, Tacori in 14 karat white gold. Coastal Crescent. Set in the ring is a 1.00 carat Emerald cut diamond with 30 round brilliant cut diamonds with a total weight of 0.16 carat. He purchased it from Meierotto Jewelers in North Kansas City, MO.
Other people’s excitement! lol (we’re older).
Being able to call the man of my dreams my fiancé!
What are you most excited about wedding planning?
Incorporating the “new me” into it since my health diagnosis.
60 guests.
We are unsure at the moment but we know we want to be frugal.
Natural, nature, love.
Regroup when things get tough and ask yourself if you are doing this for your love or for other people’s good times. Sometimes the decisions become difficult when we are losing focus from truly why we are planning what we are planning. Remembering that helps in those tough moments!
Congratulations Erica & Dylan on your Groundhog Day House proposal!
Want to feature your proposal? CLICK HERE to submit your story!
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