In the February 2006 issue, Real Simple reader Shannon Thomas proposed to her boyfriend, Matt.

"Matt and I met in college in 1996 and got engaged. It didn't work out — we were too young — but we stayed the best of friends.

"Last summer my dad asked me, 'When are you two going to realize you're in love?' Since then, we've been dating. He proposed to me back then, so now it's my turn: Matt, you're home to my heart, a true love to my son (Kai) and to me. I would be honored to have you as my husband and to spend the rest of my days by your side. Will you marry me?"

He said...yes!

“I decided to take Matt out to dinner to propose. Earlier in the day I had cut the proposal out of Real Simple and mounted it on decorative paper. Then I gave it to the owner of the restaurant. They have contemporary art hung on their walls, and he hung up the proposal amidst the art by our table. A few moments after sitting down, I excused myself from the table, and when I came back, Matt said, ‘Could you please take down the Real Simple artwork on the wall so I can look at it?’ He read the proposal, I fished the ring out of my purse, stumbled through ‘I love you so much and will you marry me?’ and he said, ‘You betcha!’

“We plan to marry next spring in Door County, Wisconsin. Matt found it a bit hard to believe that I would go through all the trouble of having the proposal published....but that's just the kind of romantic girl I am! Thank you, Real Simple, for making our night so special.”

Shannon Thomas
Greenville, Wisconsin

Congratulations to Shannon and Matt.