Before entering your new phase of life, the most exciting moment most couples look forward to is the proposal. And since it's one of the biggest decisions of your life, we feel, the grander it is the better. Going all out for your proposal is a given but making the experience unique to surprise your better half can be a task. Not only is it quite the challenge, but also painstaking and there's a lot of hard work that goes behind curating the perfect experience. For inspiration, check out Akshay and Priyanka's proposal in Oahu, Hawaii. It is just what an ideal proposal is made of—good memories and intimate moments spent together with loved ones.
"Akshay and I met during our undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania and have been dating for the past eight years," recalls Priyanka. Akshay had planned a surprise trip for the two of them to Hawaii and this was their first time visiting the city of paradise. It was during this vacation that Akshay went all out planning a truly thoughtful and unique proposal for his soon to be wife.
Giving us a light insight into the proposal Priyanka shared, "On our second day in Hawaii, Akshay planned a series of surprise activities for me. He's always been a nerd who loves puzzles, so throughout the day, he gave me personalized puzzles to solve about our relationship that revealed our activities throughout the day." The duo started the day with adventurous activities including snorkelling with sea turtles followed by an afternoon hike at Diamond Head, lunch on Waikiki Beach, and then ultimately ended the evening at a "surprise location."
Building curiosity and adding to the series of activities, Akshay had thought out this special moment completely. "It took us about 20 minutes to drive through the mountains to the surprise location. On the way there, Akshay handed me an iPad with a video to watch. The video was titled ‘Why we love Priyanka’, and included a series of clips from my friends and family from around the world sharing what they love most about me. Once we reached our destination, he blindfolded me, walked me for a few minutes, and then revealed a beautiful picnic on a secluded beach. The picnic area included a small teepee, plush pillows, photos of our relationship, and my favourite snacks (mini cupcakes, macarons, and bubble tea), all while my favourite song, ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ by Keane, played in the background," said the bride-to-be.
Reminiscing the best moment in her life she went on to share, "Akshay told me what he loves about me and then got down on one knee to propose. I, of course, said ‘Yes!’ Our photographer then came out to greet us and took photos of us on the beach. At one point while taking photos, she (the photographer) asked me if I missed my family. Given they were miles away on the mainland, I sadly told her I did. In my heart, I knew something was missing without them with us. For the next photo, she told Akshay to twirl me around. While he twirled me, I turned around only to see my parents, my sister and brother-in-law, his parents, and his brother all on the beach to surprise me. It was the best moment of my life! We were all so happy to be together."
The couple celebrated with their family over a special dinner with a personalised dinner menu that featured Priyanka's favourite dishes. On returning to Atlanta, the duo’s family planned a surprise proposal for the newly engaged couple. Magical, dreamy and intimate perfectly describes their special moment.
