The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
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The Art of the Proposal
Saline High School graduate thinks of an artful way to propose
By Sheila Pursglove, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: February 14, 2008
Eat your heart out, Cupid. A Saline-area man has you beat hands down with a unique -- and artistic -- engagement proposal that also resulted in a family heirloom to be enjoyed by future generations.
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Christian Swenson, a 2005 Saline High School graduate, found a romantic way to propose to his girlfriend, Krista Aschenbach, a 2005 Pioneer High School graduate. Both are juniors at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, where Swenson is studying mechanical engineering and Aschenbach is studying pre-pharmacy.
Last November, Swenson obtained permission from the Grand Rapids Art Museum to use the museum as the scene for his proposal. He then contacted huntfor.com, a Web site for reproduction and original oil paintings.
"They had an artist that could paint oil paintings from photographs, so I went to the museum and had a picture taken of me proposing on one knee," Swenson said. "I tricked Krista into a pose on a different date that I wanted her to be in for the painting.
"So with those two pictures, the artist painted Krista into the museum picture."
Swenson, the son of Craig and Gail Swenson of Lodi Township, then contacted Cheryl Urban at Urban Jewelers on Main Street in Ann Arbor, who helped him to create a custom engagement ring.
"The painting took about six weeks and about three weeks for the ring," Swenson said.
He had the painting framed at Frames Unlimited in Grand Rapids.
"So everything was ready to go and I chose Jan. 13 -- a random date to ensure Krista would be totally surprised," Swenson said.
On the big day, Swenson showed up several hours early to the museum and dropped the painting off with security staff; they set up the painting on an easel in the exact place the earlier pictures had been taken.
"I told Krista we were going to have a fancy date gazing at art and then a nice dinner. This allowed me to suggest what she should wear to dress up," he said.
"We went to the museum and walked into an exhibit and, as we came around the corner, there on the easel was the painting of me proposing.
"The painting looked exactly like the scene -- we were even wearing the same clothes as in the painting."
Needless to say, his girlfriend was stunned.
"Krista turned to face me and I got down on one knee and proposed," Swenson said. "She could hardly say anything. She finally was able to gasp out, 'Of course I will.'"
The couple, who plans to marry in the summer of 2009, then dined at Mangiamo in Grand Rapids, where Swenson had a bouquet of a dozen roses from Kennedy Flowers waiting for his love.
"We had a wonderful dinner and spent the rest of our night calling family," he said.
Sheila Pursglove is a freelance writer. She can be reached at bingley51@yahoo.com.
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