Featured Proposal: Hakob & Nicole

A relaxing mother daughter trip to Hawaii turned into a super romantic proposal! We recently caught up with Nicole and Hakob to find out more about their proposal story and all the details of how Hakob planned this special surprise. From coordinating with his future mother-in-law, to fake calendar invites to throw off Nicole, Nicole and Hakob share their love story and all the details before, during, and immediately after their Hawaiian proposal in Oahu. 

To start off, tell us how you two met.

Nicole:We met during my first semester in college at Glendale Community College in 2012. We were both working in the computer lab at the time, so we saw each other almost every day and worked next to each other. I was attracted to him when we first met, but it wasn’t until a few months later that we started dating. It has now been 6 years since we started dating. 

Hakob: I knew Nicole’s mom before I knew Nicole. She was a lab technician and I was a student worker working for her at GCC. When Nicole started going to the same college, we met and started to get to know each other.  Funny enough, when we started talking, due to me not being where I wanted to be in my career yet, I had straight up told Nicole that “I’m open to talking together and getting to know each other on a more personal level, but at this time I’m not looking for anything serious because I want to make sure I have a solid income source and career before anything else.” She was completely okay with that, which was great. But that plan didn’t last long and within a month I had already started considering her as my girlfriend and completely forgot what I said. I had accepted my feelings for her and decided to pursue them.

So you were together for 6 years before the proposal?

Nicole: Yes, it will be 6 years this year. His birthday is on October 26th and I had gotten him a little card with some chocolate. He asked for my number so he could thank me for his gift, but we ended up texting all night and eventually confessing our feelings to each other. On October 31st, the next day, we decided to start dating and see where things go.

We want all the details from the proposal! 

Hakob: I proposed on July 25th, 2018 at  Makapu’u Beach Park in Oahu, Hawaii. I did some research online and found some possible areas to pop the question. I found an ideal spot that was a secluded beach where we would have some privacy. It was by a light house with a beautiful backdrop that would have been perfect for photos. However, the location had to be changed slightly because in order to get to the spot it was a 30-minute hike. So instead I sent them to Kaupo Bay, which was closer to the beach on the shore line a little past the lighthouse. Nicole landed in Hawaii on 22nd of July which was a Sunday. My family and I deliberately left a few days later to throw Nicole off. We got there on Wednesday and right after landing rented a car and drove up to the meet up point. I had to make sure the proposal was the first thing that I did otherwise once Nicole saw me she would immediately know the reason of my visit to Hawaii. So, after we drove up and walked up behind her siting on the beach, I preceded to surprise her.

Wow, sounds magical! Nicole, share your version of the proposal!. And how did you feel when Hakob surprised you?

Nicole: My mom and I were on a trip to Oahu, Hawaii for a week. We arrived on Sunday, and on Wednesday, my mom suggested we go to this beach with a nice view about 40 minutes away from our hotel. We planned on having dinner afterwards, so we were dressed nicely (not in swimsuits). We arrived at the beach, decided to relax a little and then my mom decided to do a mini photo shoot. During our photo shoot, Hakob managed to sneak up behind me. It was such a surreal, out of body experience. I remember the first thing he asked me was something along the lines of “What are you doing here?” I remember thinking I should be the one asking him that question! He stood me up, got down on one knee and popped the question!! I was stunned. I can’t even begin to describe how happy I was. Everything was picture perfect; I wish we could’ve just stopped time in that moment because it was all so beautiful. We were both so happy, and I couldn’t have imagined a better proposal. 

Hakob, how long were you planning this this incredible proposal? 

Hakob: The proposal was a year in the making. In 2017, Nicole and her mom had received tickets to go to Hawaii. Once I found out about it, I knew in that moment that it would be the perfect way to surprise her. I wanted to fly out after they departed and surprise her over there in Hawaii. So, for almost a year I was waiting on them to plan the trip and use the tickets, but nothing was happening. I had to confront her mom and let her know about my plan and finally get the ball rolling. Once I told her about my plan, she was on board and started planning for the trip. Throughout the whole process she would be my inside source to coordinate everything.

Was the proposal a complete surprise?

Nicole: He had told me that he had been planning the proposal but that some things weren’t going as planned so he had put a pause on his plan. I knew he was planning on doing it sometime this year because he had given me hints but I didn’t know when or where. 

Hakob: She was aware that I was planning on proposing to her sometime this year, however she didn’t know when it would happen. As they were planning the trip she was constantly inviting me to go along with them and I had to come up with excuses as to why I couldn’t. 

Did you face any challenges along the way?

Nicole: I was curious, so I would ask him questions here and there trying to get information out of him. He was great at keeping his mouth shut, but I think he was starting to get annoyed with me after a while lol. 

Hakob: To get ideas of my timeline, Nicole was also trying to look at my phone’s calendar to see if I had written down any possible plans inside of it. So, I created a fake event in December. I simply titled it “IT” with a mind blown emoji and a heart emoji. That was the best thing I could have done, because when she saw it, it threw her for a loop and she was constantly asking about it.

Did you go ring shopping before?

Nicole: I had never gone ring shopping. I had seen pictures of rings I liked on Instagram and I would give him subtle hints of the style I liked (oval shape with a thin band). 

Hakob: As for the ring, I got it custom made without her knowing what it would look like. But it was designed based on how she wanted it. I had previously asked her about ring styles in order to see what she likes. And a few years back I had gotten her a promise ring for Valentine’s Day which gave me something solid to go off of. I got her ring size and her preferences from it. 

Are you planning to have an engagement party?

Nicole: The day we came back from Hawaii, two of my closest family friends surprised me by decorating my house with “I Do” and heart balloons and with a “Congrats” cake and some rosé. My immediate family came by later that night too for a small celebration. I was so happy to be able to share my special day with everyone I love.  

We’re planning on having a more formal but small engagement party sometime soon. We’re currently looking for venues using the Harsanik directory. We plan on incorporating some Armenian traditions into our engagement because we are both of Armenian descent. 

Congratulations to Hakob and Nicole on their special Hawaiian proposal! We love hearing these romantic love stories and we can't wait to follow along on your wedding planning adventures. Wonder what special surprise Hakob will have up his sleeve for the big day?