Nowadays, the marriage proposal is almost as exciting as the wedding itself. Boyfriends and girlfriends come up with elaborate plans to surprise their significant other with a memorable moment. But sometimes, we have to marvel at just how elaborate the plan is.

This was the case for Nick Boucher, 28, who surprised his girlfriend Emily Weindorf with one hell of a proposal–on a plane, when she least expected it.

He surprised her on a layover

Emily was coming back home from a 5-week international physician’s assistant rotational program in Peru. Sitting on her seat in the plane, she was shocked to see no other than her boyfriend, Nick, walking down the aisle. He then got down on one knee and proposed to her.

The two started dating back in June 2019 but Nick knew pretty much right away that he would end up marrying her.  

I had known pretty early on that this was the girl I was going to marry.

Nick Boucher to GMA

Nick planned an elaborate surprise called ‘The Gift’

Before Emily even left for Peru, Nick already had set his plan in motion. He contacted Southwest Airlines in January 2020 and arranged to surprise her when she would least expect it, inside her flight while on a layover.

Because he had anticipated the problem of distance during Emily’s stay in Peru, Nick had sent her a bunch of presents along with custom crossword puzzle he came up with himself.

Every morning, as part of the bigger puzzle, he sent Emily a clue by email so she could solve one of the questions–each answer was a word or phrase that related to some part of their relationship. The whole plan led up to his incredible proposal.

“I had no idea it would lead to a proposal,” she told Good Morning America. “The notes, crossword puzzle, and videos were all leading up to the word and phrase ‘regalo’ which means gift in Spanish.”

I thought I had opened the end of the gift in Peru, but unbeknownst to me, the gift was culminating in the proposal.

Emily Weindorf

When Nick walked up to her on the place, he presented her with a small box that had the word ‘Regalo’ written on it. When she opened the ring box, that was his cue to drop down on his knee and ask the ultimate question.

Of course, she said yes! The couple plans to marry some time in July. But one thing is certain, she’ll never forget the proposal.

Don’t hold back your feelings

Sometimes, it’s easy to let life turn us hard. Past rejections can make us reluctant to be vulnerable. If Nick has proven anything, is that taking the plunge and showing your love for someone is not always the wrong thing to do.

More touching stories: