This marriage proposal photo at Jim Stuart Park is one of the most treasured to ever be KelownaNow's Facebook cover photo. Now we hear the story behind it. Dave Gast said he knew his fiancée would say yes, but he was still nervous as he took a knee. "I was definitely shaking," he admits. "I wasn't as cool as a cucumber like I thought I'd be."
The rink had a good number of skaters around that night, but somehow at that moment it seemed to magically clear, making the couple look like the only two people in the world. "It looks staged!' laughs Kari Robb. "It's so perfect."
The bride-to-be knew it might be coming, but in the moment it was a complete surprise. "I was really in shock," she said. "I couldn't believe that he did it there on one knee and everything. The ring was beautiful. I just remember the ring, it was really shiny in the lights."
The photo was captured by Robb's daughter Jordan, who is building a portfolio as a photographer. But that night, there was a glitch, recalled Gast. "We forgot the battery for the camera! So I had to drive all the way home and back." Meanwhile, the circle of people aware of the proposal plan had grown so large, he worried it would get to Kari. "I had about a one hour window when I was just panicking," said Gast.
In the end the secret was safe. "Oh yeah, I had no idea," said Robb. It all went according to plan, and the couple's engagement is off to a great start with a photo they can enjoy for a lifetime.
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