The Event
The 12th Annual Open-Air Concert: Folk on the Water is a grand scheme orchestrated by Benjamin Tong to surprise his partner of 3 years, Ellen Jin, with a proposal for marriage. Ellen is a major outdoors person; she loves nature and will hike most any distance to get to it. In fact, she might prefer hiking - which can make her preferred setting for a proposal very difficult if she doesn’t want to look all sweaty in mountain gear for when the question is popped. Even more difficult if it’s supposed to be a surprise.
So what is a man who loves his girlfriend and future wife supposed to do? Why, ask everyone he knows to help in a complex series of duplicitous deceptions and convoluted cover-ups to make that nature-set sweat-free beauty-filled surprise-proposal happen, of course!
Earlier in the year, Benji started making several group chats with his friends and Ellen’s friends and family and his family (mostly emotional support for that last group honestly) to share opinions on the proposal itself as well as check for opinions on the ring. On May 8th, Benji went with his dear friend and coworker, Todd Kessler, to a jeweler he knew to commission the ring. The following week, on May 15th, Benji collected the ring with his friends and emotional support humans, Michael Wong and Katherine O’Kelly. Ellen was traveling for work on both of these dates. Over the next few weeks, there was lots of scheming and discussion and a whole side adventure where dear friend Denise Tuan kept Ellen busy for the day while Benji went to get Ellen’s parents’ blessing for the proposal.
The plan for July 13th was as follows: our happy couple would drive up to Lake Minnewaska to see Benji’s friend Elizabeth Castaño play for a music festival event. Elizabeth would indeed be at this ‘festival’, along with Katherine and Michael, who would be setting up a very romantic setting prioritizing rings and monogamy rather than live music. They would, however, bring violinist Mathilde, to play a song rendition specially made by Benji’s expert music producer friend Chris Felix.
By the time Benji and Ellen roll up to the 12th Annual Open-Air Concert: Folk on the Water, she’ll probably be figuring out what’s actually happening. If you’re reading this, everything went according to plan - or she at least said yes despite everything not going according to plan. Benji will take either one as a win!