LEVEL 2
WEST WING
Wooden engagement ring box containing three photos (two are visible, one is hidden)
Crafted by Woodsbury, 2021
On loan from the personal collection of Bryce Connor (b. 1984)
Very early into our relationship, I knew Bryce was the one I wanted to marry, which seems strange because before him, I’d never considered myself being married to anyone. But with him it just felt right. We’d previously shared our thoughts on marriage and knew we were both on the same page. But even when you’re pretty certain they’ll say yes, how do you decide who asks whom? And when is the right time to do it? And in which special place do you ask them?
Despite all the questions, I knew I had to trust my gut on this one - and my gut decided to go big! I’d seen a heap of flashmob proposals on YouTube, and if Bryce had stumbled across my viewing history, he would have picked my plan instantly! I wanted to bring it all back to where we had started; on the steps of Sydney Town Hall, where Bryce and I first met. The Police (who were very supportive and encouraging of my proposal plan) had granted me permission to hold a flashmob there. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir had agreed they’d pretend to be tourists and bystanders sitting on the steps, and when Bryce and I arrived, they’d sing Queen’s ‘Somebody to Love’. Our family and friends would then make a surprise appearance, as I’d pull out the ring box, drop down on one knee and ask him to marry me.
But then the COVID-19 lockdowns happened and those plans were cancelled.
In hindsight, the more I think about it, the more I’ve come to realise that Bryce would have hated being the centre of attention and put on the spot like that.
So, I started planning something more intimate. I approached a local chef about preparing a private clifftop dinner for the pair of us. The menu was chosen, and I bought special plates and cutlery for us to use. Then Bryce’s job at sea was extended for another month and I had to delay the proposal date again. In the meantime, the personal chef had become so busy with the opening of his own restaurant that it was no longer possible for him to make this private dinner plan happen. So, the ring box stayed hidden in my desk drawer for a while longer.
Then on Wednesday, 22 December 2021, after a particularly tough day at work in the hospital, I was riding my motorbike home and reflecting on the sick, injured and dying people I had shared time with throughout the day. It got me thinking that if I were to be involved in a serious accident and possibly die, Bryce would never know that I wanted to marry him, or that I’d been planning a special proposal for him for months now.
So, within 20 minutes of arriving home, I decided there was no better time than right now to ask the man I love to marry me. I asked Bryce if he felt like taking a walk up to our favourite lookout, and while he was putting on shoes, I was secretly rushing around to get the ring box out of hiding, put the ring in it and wedge it in my waistband. While walking to the clifftop, I felt awkwardly silent, as I was trying to plan the perfect combination of words in my head to say to him right before I proposed. Everytime he put his arm around me, I was so worried he’d feel the ring box and ask what I was hiding, or why I was acting weird.
When we reached the lookout, Bryce hugged me tightly and started saying all of these really lovely and sweet things to me, and I suddenly thought that he was about to propose to me! He then turned away and said something about getting back home to start making dinner.
I’d missed my moment again, but knew I couldn’t hold off any longer.
Despite all the sweet words I’d prepared escaping me in the moment, I called out to him, “Before we go, there’s something I need to do.” I pulled the ring box out. He turned around to face me. I got down on one knee, and asked the man I love to marry me.
At first, he laughed, not realising I was actually proposing to him for real. When it clicked that I wasn’t joking, we both shed some happy tears. He nodded and said yes, as we both put the ring on him. Excitedly, we hugged and kissed each other on the clifftop, and once we had calmed down, we just sat quietly on the rocky ground, leaning into each other, wondering what happens next.
We strolled home, hand in hand, and made dinner like it was a regular Wednesday night. Afterwards, we made some tea and called our families to share the happy news. It all felt so surreal. I should have organised champagne to celebrate with. A few days later, we shared it on social media and received lots of love and support from everyone.
Inside the ring box, I added a few photos. One is Bryce’s favourite photo of me as a child, wearing a blue shirt, a black bow tie, and a big smile. The second photo is a favourite of mine, showing the pair of us sitting in the afternoon sun on our balcony at home. There’s also a secret third photo behind this one. It’s of a gorgeous golden retriever puppy with its lip caught on its teef. A while back, Bryce had shared this same image with me after I’d had some dental surgery, saying that I looked like this puppy, because I couldn’t feel my face and my lip got stuck on my teef too.