I knew two things that Maria wanted for a proposal.

She wanted to be surprised and she didn’t want family at the actual proposal, but did want them there to celebrate immediately afterwards. This sounds simple until you realize that her family lives all over the eastern seaboard. I knew the best opportunity to propose was Fourth of July weekend because that is when the McIntyre family converges for a weekend of love, laughter, and extremely loud voices.

As usual, there were hurdles. Knowing nothing about Maine and having to post on Reddit to find a proposal location. Scheduling the tour and photographer on the phone while Maria and I were in lockdown in an apartment so small you could hear Snack fart in any room. Trying to keep Maria’s family from spoiling the surprise. Almost missing our plane because Maria did not get a continuance for her bench trial until 1 hour before our flight (it got continued to the Monday after we got back).

Thankfully, I wasn’t nervous at all about asking the love of my life to marry me (I’m lying).

On July 3, 2021, my plans came to fruition. I booked us a private tour of the Hamilton House, a historic home in rural Maine, and hired a photographer. To keep Maria fooled, I arranged for a photographer to meet us in the garden and say “Hello, I’m from the Maine Historical Society, may I take your picture for our website?” Maria actually responded, “Oh my God, this always happens to us!”

We were in the middle of being photographed and I leaned in and said, “I have a question for you.” Maria thought I was going to make a joke so she brushed me off and said “Cameron, we’re being photographed.” I had planned to speak eloquently about my undying love for her, but instead I immediately started sobbing, hit a knee, and asked her to marry me. In true Maria fashion, she responded “Yo, what the f**k?!” but thankfully she then said yes.