by Anonymous
Something that happened to me years ago gave me this idea for a romantic proposal idea.
I was the hostess at a fine dining restaurant in a resort in the Florida Keys. One evening before we opened and while the staff was having their dinner, a young man came in. He appeared a bit nervous as I got up to see what he wanted. He said that he and his girlfriend were vacationing in the resort and he was bringing her in the next evening for a romantic dinner during which he planned to ask her to marry him.
This was his first trip to the resort and he wanted to check out the place to see if it was proper for his plans. The restaurant was charming, candlelit and romantic.
First, he asked if he could check all the tables to see where they were located. There were four separate dining rooms and we went through each one. I suggested he choose one located in an out-of-the-way corner of the smallest room. I promised him that I would hold that one for him the next night.
Then he asked about the music we played, which was light classical and played on CDs. He pulled out a CD he had brought with him and asked if I could arrange to have it played after they finished their main course. I agreed.
Then he asked if he could speak to the server who was going to wait on them. The table sections changed nightly and so did the servers. The table he picked was going to be served the next evening by someone I did not think would be right for what the young man was planning. Since I had the authority to change a table in a section for something like this, I called over a fellow with a delightful French accent who was the most professional and experienced. The young man told him what he was planning and they worked the plan out together.
The next evening, I made no sign of recognition as the young man and his unsuspecting girlfriend came in for their reservation.
I took them to their corner table and after they finished the main course and the waiter cleared the plates, I put in the CD the young man had left with me. When their favorite songs began playing, the lady's head was swaying to the music. Perhaps she recognized "their songs."
The waiter appeared, with a flourish, and placed a lace-doilied china plate down in front of her and left. Across it was a perfect long-stemmed red rose and in the center of it was a black velvet box, opened to show a gleaming diamond ring.
I could see him mouth the words "Will you marry me?" As she nodded "Yes" everyone in the entire restaurant, including the servers, exploded into applause. They apparently told all their customers what was about to happen!
The event was romantic, and that night everyone left the place beaming and feeling good. How nice.
The sequel is that the next year I got a phone call from them asking if I could reserve that table and that waiter for them on their first anniversary, which I did!