Marriage Proposal Appears In Archbold Festival Of Lights

Chris Buehrer used rope-style Christmas lights to spell out his marriage proposal to Jessica Schnipke. The signs were put up in Ruihley Park during the Archbold Festival of Lights. As the couple was walking through the park, Chris used a remote control to trigger the lights and surprise Jessica. Chris asked his question on New Year's Eve.- courtesy photo

Many women dream of seeing their name in lights, but what happened to Jessica Schnipke, Monday night, Dec. 31, may not have been what she had in mind.

Chris Buehrer, a 1996 Stryker High School grad, proposed to Jessica by spelling out the question, "Jessica, will you marry me?" in rope-style Christmas lights. As the backdrop for his proposal, Buehrer chose the Archbold Festival of Lights.

Schnipke, a 2002 Ottoville High School grad, and Buehrer live in Toledo. Both attended nursing school through the University of Toledo Medical Center and completed their bachelor of science/nursing degrees.

They knew each other throughout the four years of college, but only started dating in August 2006.

Jessica Schnipke and Chris Buehrer, soon after Jessica saw her name in lights, asking for her hand in marriage.- courtesy photo

Buehrer must have had a hint that Schnipke might be the one.

"I told her on our first date if I didn't think there was a chance we would get married, we wouldn't be dating," he said.

It was about six months ago that they began thinking about marriage.

He had purchased a ring from a Christian book store that said, "True Love Waits."

Planning

Planning for the actual proposal has been in the works for about a month and a half. He took his parents with him to pick out a engagement ring for Schnikpke from a Bryan jeweler.

The actual day of the proposal, Buehrer said he planned a scavenger hunt, just as his grandfather, James Bernath of Stryker, did for many years.

"The ring was the final part," he said.

As part of the day, he bought her flowers, took her to a movie, and read to her from a special book on love.

Before the big day, Buehrer had coordinated with the Archbold Parks & Recreation Department, hanging his sign on the backstop fence at the Ruih- ley Park Tennis Courts. He set up a remote control system to turn the sign on.

She Said…

The final event of the big day was a walk through the Festival of Lights.

When they got to the tennis courts, Buehrer's sign was turned off.

"We walked right past it. Then I said, 'let's get a picture with the tennis-playing elves,'" he said.

They walked over to the tennis courts, and turned to face the camera, looking away from the sign. Then he said something to get her to turn around, and tripped the remote control.

"It took a second" for her to realize what was being asked of her.

"She said, 'oh,' and then 'yes,'" he said.

The couple plan a June wedding.

Buehrer plans to continue his studies to become a nurse anesthetist.

Second Proposal

Buehrer's "proposal in lights" is actually the second in Festival of Lights history.

Ryan Hicks, then of Bryan, formerly of Archbold, used similar sign to propose to Alicia Sebring of Archbold on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003.

She, too, answered the question in the affirmative.- David Pugh