THE BABY GOAT PROPOSAL

The Short Take

Nature loving couple Andrew and Allison kept their proposal outdoorsy with the help of a beautiful mountain range setting and a baby goat.

Some Background

Andrew and Allison met at Auburn University in 2015 through mutual friends who lived in the same student housing.

After spending time together, the two realized that they had a lot in common, and after even more time spent with one another, they fell in love.

One of their shared interests is the outdoors; nature, animals, and just generally being outside. It was this particular interest that spawned Andrew’s idea for his unique proposal.

The Trip

Andrew and Allison’s friends resting at camp.

Andrew knew that his girlfriend had an aversion to being the center of attention, so he had to set up the proposal to be a complete surprise.

The couple had spoken of camping out at the mountains of Max Patch, North Carolina (a part of the Appalachian Trail), and Andrew made a plan to celebrate Allison’s 22nd birthday by finally making the trip come true.  However, what Allison didn’t know was that Andrew “had been planning every detail of this weekend for the past two months” and getting her to celebrate her birthday with a camping trip in the mountains was only a fraction of the plan.

The Set Up

Andrew came up with several different diversions to throw his girlfriend off the scent. One of these being a fake birthday present that he told her she wasn’t allowed to open. The present was actually a couple of bricks in box, something that Allison didn’t find out until much later.

The friends that tagged along were a huge part of the ruse, as they were the ones who kept Allison distracted enough for Andrew to execute his grand design.

Andrew went M.I.A. for a few hours, retrieving the baby goat he had gotten for her and heading back to the campsite.

The Proposal

When Andrew returned with the goat, Allison was ecstatic. A baby goat! Who wouldn’t be charmed by that?

But it wasn’t until Allison read the name tag on the goat’s collar that she knew the true purpose of the whole camping trip. He had asked her to marry him.

Allison presenting the custom name tag.

In the time it took her to read the name tag, Andrew had dropped to one knee. Allison said yes, their friends all cheered, and the goat kept its thoughts to itself.

Props

• A group of friends or family to keep her distracted
• A fake present to throw her off
• A campsite or hiking location that she has been interested in visiting
• A custom name tag to pop the question
• One baby goat

Location: Max Patch Mountain, North Carolina

Cost: price of gas + camping materials + goat: @$400

The Catch

Obviously, this plan only works for a couple that loves nature and animals. Also, that goat is small now, but it’s going to grow up one day: keeping such an animal as a pet is a lot of responsibility.

You’ll also need a dedicated group of friends and family that can keep her attention for a few hours without blowing the surprise. If they can’t keep her distracted, then the plan is a total bust.

Preparations

You’ll definitely have to purchase the goat beforehand and have somewhere to keep it hidden.  Also, you’d have to order the custom name tag a few weeks beforehand.

Everything else is low to no prep.

I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Goat Owner

Watch the video below.

Photos courtesy of Alex Sattler and Connor McCullum. Video courtesy of Tim Sanderlin.

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