A Proposal at the World War I Monument in Downtown Kansas City
Gabbi planned the perfect proposal at the World War I monument in downtown Kansas City, and had a photographer there to capture the pure surprise of the moment – Lauren had no idea that her closest loved ones had flown out to be there to watch nearby and celebrate.
Tell us about falling in love over champagne.
We met on Bumble, but it took Gabbi two months of texting to finally get Lauren to commit to meeting for dinner and drinks.
The first date ended rapping Nicki Minaj in a car, and the second date happened the very next night. Over movies and champagne, we got caught up talking. 4 am rolled around, and we both knew we had a rare connection.
Tell us about planning a proposal.
I would like to unofficially crown myself as a spreadsheet queen. I spent four months planning and building a spreadsheet with all the proposal details. Everything was planned.
I had Laur’s friends take her to happy hour while I packed up our suitcases, flowers, champagne, and my courage! Her friends dropped her off at the World War I monument in Kansas City. It is the perfect backdrop.
Unbeknownst to me, Lauren says this spot is where she knew she was in love with me. I had taken her here on an ice cream date in the past.
Lauren came (literally) skipping down the pathway and I popped out! The first thing she said to me was, “What are you doing here?! You sneaky dog!!”
I proposed without the speech I had been planning for weeks because I was so nervous.
Best moment of my entire life.
Some of our family and friends cheered from the viewpoint above, and she was so shocked. She had no idea at all! We then went on a two-hour photo shoot through downtown Kansas City with our AMAZING photographer, Kalena.
After the shoot, I took her to our favorite German restaurant in KC, where we rented out the upstairs room. Surprise! Both of our families were there waiting for us. My mother had decorated the tables with personalized name placements, candles, and flowers. We cried as our dads gave the most heartfelt speeches about how proud they were of their daughters finding their other halves.
This was a day we will never forget! It was perfect.
Photography by Kalena Photography
