Before I start telling the story, know first of all that it was an entire day event and included multiple videos, which I have posted on www.railroadst.com/wedding. Furthermore, although Bethany knew I was going to ask her soon, she didn’t know exactly when or how. With the help of her mom and sister, we were able to create enough doubt that she wouldn’t know immediately if I planned something elaborate. Bethany woke up Friday morning at 5:45am planning to open Cups Coffee at 6:30 and work the morning shift until 2:00pm. When she arrived at the coffee shop, Bethany first found a rose and note on the front door. The note led her to other notes around the shop at places where she usually prepares to open. The last note led her to a portable DVD player in the conference room and instructed her to watch a video that I’ve secretly filmed and edited. Getting instructions from this video to open a note by the DVD player at 7:30am (as well as finding out that her shift is covered), Bethany follows this new note’s instructions to return to her apartment with the DVD player. Walking in the door, her roommate, Deb, is ready with their bikes to go mountain biking, which she loves to do. Bethany and Deb get in the car and watch a second video on the way to the trail. After biking and hanging out together, Bethany and Deb returned to their apartment so that Bethany could get ready to have lunch. On the way to lunch, she is presented with yet another video. Although the mountain biking video alluded to the fact that Bethany would have lunch with me, upon walking into the Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar, her grandmother, who flew in from Maryland, and her mom were sitting at a table ready to have lunch. After spending time with Frankie and Mel, Bethany was picked up by one of her good friends, Christa. Christa gave Bethany a journal with 240 hand-numbered pages that had questions written on random pages throughout. The driving directions were located on the same page as the questions, but in order to find them in the right order, Bethany had to answer the questions correctly so that she would be directed to the correct page number. One set of directions during the hour and fifteen minute drive had Bethany watch another video. Finally, they arrived at Lake Oconee. The guys that are in my Bible Study were lined up ready to escort Bethany down to the dock where a friend’s boat was waiting. They drove Bethany to an island on the lake, where I had previously blazed a long trail up to boulders at the top of the island, which overlooked the lake. That was where Bethany and I finally saw each other. After climbing the ladder to the top of the rock, I asked her to be my wife and she promptly said yes. After driving around on the wave-runner tied up near the island, hanging out, and eating dinner on the island, we finally drove back to Athens where she watched a final video, and was congratulated by friends and family at Cups Coffee for a small engagement party.

- Charles R., Athens, Georgia