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Our soon-to-be son-in-law wanted to propose in a way that Kelly would never forget.  When he called us to ask for our blessing (yes, real men still ask for permission!), he asked for our help to make the occasion perfect.  They were coming home for a visit and he wanted to propose at a place in her hometown that was special to her.  We suggested a nearby lake.  He wrote a letter to Kelly that he then emailed to us. We printed it out, rolled it up, placed it in a pretty glass bottle and planted it in the sand near some driftwood on a remote beach the night before they were to arrive.  We took some pictures of the landmarks near the bottle and showed them to Brent so he would have some idea of where it was planted.

The next morning they took their dog for a run at the lake, when Kelly noticed a shiny object sticking out of the sand.  “Awww, look Brent! It looks someone’s put a message in a bottle!  Probably a little kid,” Kelly said.  “Why don’t we open it and see what it says?” Brent replied innocently. Kelly opened the bottle, unrolled the paper, and was shocked to see ‘Dear Kelly’ at the top of the page!   As she continued to read, tears started to fill her eyes.  Brent kneeled down in the sand, pulled the ring out of his pocket, and the rest is history. We can’t wait to make this great guy an official member of our family in the fall!

I tell this story because it is a great example of how you can make an occasion extra-special by taking everything you know about your ‘guest of honor’ and planning an event that is extraordinary.  Whether it’s an anniversary party, an awards luncheon, or other tribute, think about what you can do to give your honorees a memory they will always treasure.

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Event Planning Basics – The Guest of Honor