Leo’s Perfect Proposal Contest winners, Michael Samuelson and Vanessa Vargas, immediately after their onstage proposal at December Nights.
On Friday, December 6th, one lucky couple experienced the moment of a lifetime. At San Diego’s very own beloved December Nights event at Balboa Park, the winner of Leo’s third annual Perfect Proposal contest took the stage to propose to his girlfriend in front of thousands of people.
After an introduction from interim San Diego mayor, Todd Gloria, and the traditional tree lighting ceremony, Leo Hamel invited Michael Samuelson to take the floor and ask his soon-to-be fiancée, Vanessa Vargas, to join him onstage. Michael took a few moments to profess his love for Vanessa before bending down on one knee to ask her to be his wife, and present her with a $10,500 Hearts On Fire® diamond engagement ring. Vanessa quickly and enthusiastically said yes!
The proposal plan to keep the element of surprise intact was relatively simple—Vanessa’s dear friend invited her to a girl’s night out to explore the December Nights holiday festivities. Unbeknownst to Vanessa, her boyfriend anxiously waited for her arrival backstage at the Organ Pavilion. Their families and friends, who were in on the action with Michael, sat patiently out of sight on the other side of the pavilion with cameras and tissues in hand.
But the second surprise of the evening was when Michael revealed that he’d kept the proposal a secret from his father, Ron, who happened to be celebrating his birthday that same day. After the commencement of the opening ceremony and the proposal, the newly engaged couple was reunited with friends and family in a truly emotional and heart-warming moment.
Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers would like to congratulate Michael and Vanessa on their engagement! To read Michael’s love story submission that won him the opportunity to propose onstage to his true love, please visit: http://www.leohamel.com/decembernights/