So there’s this guy Mike Clark.
And from what little we know about him, he’s one romantic dude. Just listen to the way he proposed to his fiancee, Ryan Foley, and you’ll see. It’s something straight out of a movie. Or a movie theater, to be more exact.
For any guy out there who has popped the question to that special person, there’s a spot in this world where it just feels like the right place to do it. And for Clark, that place was Red River Theatres. It’s where the couple went on their first date (March 19, 2011), and have spent many nights watching movies in the quaint downtown theater. Three years later – on the anniversary of that first date – Clark brought Foley back to where it all began.
We told you this guy was a romantic.
“I definitely wanted to do it on a special day, a day with meaning,” said Clark.
The first date actually came about after an Oscar bet. The two were already friends after working together in the admissions office at Colby-Sawyer College. Foley thought The King’s Speech would win best picture (which it did) and Clark had his money on The Social Network (and was he ever wrong). So they saw The King’s Speech that first night and have been together ever since.
So when March 19 started to creep closer on the calendar, Clark made a plan to bring Foley back to Red River. But there would be no movie to see on this night. Instead, after some careful planning with Angie Lane, the theater’s event and marketing manager, Clark had his own idea for the big screen.
He talked it over with his dad and Foley’s grandfather, and bought the three-stoned engagement ring that Foley had picked out – the center stone being a green diamond and a smaller traditional diamond on each side. At that point, Clark had all the necessary pieces to ask Foley to be his wife.
“I had the idea a few months back and it really came together really quickly,” said Clark.
With the help of a co-worker, and without Foley knowing, Clark created a slide show of pictures featuring the two of them set to their favorite song, Ho Hey, by the Lumineers. As they watched from row five, seats one and two, in the Stonyfield Farm Culture Cinema, the excitement started to build for Clark. For Foley, she had a good idea of what was coming next.
“I was pretty sure it was going to happen, but I was playing along,” said Foley. “But I was freaking out inside and trying to remain calm.”
When the slide show ended, Clark pulled out the box from Romance Jewelers that contained what he hoped would be Foley’s newest piece of bling, got down on one knee and asked Foley to marry him. Now if that doesn’t pull on the old heart strings we don’t know what will. It didn’t take long to get a response.
“I think I started nodding before he was on one knee,” said Foley. “It was so perfect.”
The two had talked about marriage and even gone as far to do a little window shopping for rings. Clark just took it to the next level. But with the ring in hand a week before their anniversary, Clark had the box in his coat pocket. It was a constant reminder of what was to come.
“I had it a week before the proposal so I carried it around,” said Clark. “I got so used to it, the box is still in my jacket.”
But before they left their Pembroke home for their anniversary evening, Foley actually came within inches of touching the box when she moved Clark’s jacket. Luckily she didn’t and the night went like any other anniversary with gifts and a nice dinner at their favorite restaurant, Angelina’s.
The walk over to Red River was what gave Foley a clue that something was little different about this anniversary, especially since there were no more movies playing on that Wednesday night. But even though she had a good idea of what was to come, Foley gave no inclination that she knew.
“We were just sort of joking as if neither one of us knew what was going on,” said Foley.
A stop for gas on the way home gave Clark a little glimpse into how Foley felt about his question.
“I looked through the window and she was looking at the ring in the light,” said Clark.
They called some family and friends when they got home and then made it Facebook official the next day with a series of photos.
Next up is deciding on a wedding date. They’re looking at next June, but nothing definite. But if Clark can pull off this kind of night for a proposal, imagine what he’s got in store for the wedding day. And for all of you thinking about popping the question, the romantic bar just got raised from an MTV Movie Award to an Oscar. So good luck topping this one, guys.
