This past weekend, while visiting St. Louis I discovered a secret that everyone should know! St. Louis is a very romantic town, but that's really another story.

On Sunday while gallivanting around Forest Park, my husband stopped to talk to a cyclist (Gregg) working on his bike in front of the Grand Basin. The cyclist was a fireman. So of course, we liked him immediately. (One of our dearest friends is the Fire Chief of our town and an avid cyclist).

During their conversation, Gregg told my husband how he had proposed to his wife at this very spot.  The story was so sweet I asked him if he would share it with Wedding and Party Network.  So here it is as told by Gregg:

Gregg & Kristin Engagement Story.

The day started as a typical Saturday (9/3/05).  We did some miscellaneous cleaning and all day talked about going to our favorite Italian restaurant, Tumo's, for dinner.  I placed a fake call to the restaurant, pretending that there was a 30-45 min wait and suggested we go on a evening drive through Forest Park.

Once in the park, the cool air was a welcomed guest after a warm day. It was dusk, when we approached our favorite spot in the Park – the Grand Basin.  The night was settling across the water, the sun having set long behind the huge art hill, home to the world famous St. Louis Art Museum.  The six fountains in the basin were illuminated, and the occasional early frog and insect provided the only noise.

Grand Basin at Night

As we approached the first set of stairs, Kristin saw 8 white candles making a "V"-shaped walkway to the water front. Kristin noticed the candles, and thinking they were for someone else, began to move towards the edge of the basin.  At this point, I took Kristin by the hand, leading her through the walkway of candles.

Still assuming the candles were for someone else and seeing a group of people sitting on the steps, Kristin began getting nervous saying we should go. At this point, I dropped to one knee, and opened a ring box. Immediately Kristin began crying. Since she couldn't speak, she dropped to her knees to hug me in acceptance while the crowd behind us cheered.

I have to give a special thanks to my fellow firefighter and one of our groomsman, Ken, for setting up the candles in advance.  Also, although we don't know who the crowd of people were who cheered, thank you as well. You made our special moment movie-esque.

Later, we actually did go to Tumo's where we had a reserved booth and were greeted with a bottle of sparkling wine on the house. We called our friends and family and basked in the night together."

With such a beautiful proposal, what girl could say no. The Grand Basin at night exudes romance, but the really impressive element here is the thought and planning Gregg put into his proposal. I'm sure Gregg's romantic gesture, was greatly appreciated by Kristin.

A proposal with such a romantic setting can lead to only one thing – an enchanting wedding. From the picture taken at the Grand Basin on their wedding day, you can see how radiant Kristin was in her strapless wedding gown. The sheer happiness of the day is clearly reflected seen on the face of every groomsmen and bridesmaid. The intense red roses in the wedding bouquets give us a hint of the passion that lies behind the smile of this very happy groom.

Although I didn't attend the wedding, I would like to toast Gregg and Kristin. My greatest wish for the two of you is that through the years your love for each other will so deepen and grow, that years from now you will look back on your wedding day, as the day you loved each other the least.