A woman was on the verge of crying joyous tears every step of the way when her middle school sweetheart planned a scavenger hunt across town and some of their most memorable spots, leading to a surprise proposal. Kristen DeCicco, 25, met her now-fiancé, James Silberger, 26, in a 7th-grade math class. They soon became boyfriend and girlfriend. Having been with Kristen for over half his life, James created a proposal incorporating the key spots where so many of their most precious memories had taken place. On September 8, the pair’s first stop was Woodmere Middle School in Hewlett, New York, where they met and where Kristen thought she was headed to play sports with her family. When Kristen and her siblings are all home, it's not uncommon for them all to play tennis, football, or pickleball together, so she didn't expect anything when James took her to school to do so. But when an unsuspecting Kristen, dressed in workout clothes, arrived, she was greeted by a selection of photos and roses, set up by her sister, Samantha. Kristen couldn't believe her eyes, joking that she was being proposed to in workout gear—but James revealed that was only part of the surprise. The scavenger hunt then took Kristen to her parents' home, where the couple shared their first kiss; saw her get styled by her friends, who helped her pick out a dress for the big occasion; and onto Woodmere Docks, to symbolize the first vacation the couple took together on a cruise. Each step of the way, Kristen was being handed a clue by family members, and it was then on to the local lacrosse field, where James had asked her to prom, before she was taken to the spot of a local ice rink, which, James said, symbolized the couple's love of the New York Islanders. Then, for the final clue, Kristen was told that she would be going on a boat ride. This was a hobby she, James, and James' dad would often do, and she thought it was a fitting end. But when she reached the waterfront, Kristen was instead met with a re
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00She couldn't believe he was proposing like this.
00:07I can't!
00:09It's okay, read it.
00:11In this building's math class, we found our start.
00:14Little did I know that choosing you would be smart.
00:18Kristen and James are middle school sweethearts
00:20and have been together since they were 12.
00:23When you know, you know.
00:24And I've known since I was a little girl
00:27that this was the man that I wanted to marry.
00:29But what she didn't know is that today was her proposal.
00:34And James took her down memory lane before the big surprise.
00:37Now go to this place, your hair and makeup will shine.
00:41I'll be leaving now to give you some time,
00:43so get ready to find me as I venture away
00:47for a special surprise at the end of your day.
00:53I wanted to do something grand.
00:54I wanted to do something big.
00:56I wanted to do something really special for her.
00:58I wanted to sort of incorporate some of those meaningful places
01:01from our hometown into the proposal.
01:03Like the docks, to symbolize their first cruise together.
01:06Back to the place where our love continued to bloom,
01:09where we shared thoughts, feelings, and dreams in crowded classrooms.
01:13Look all across for the spot where I asked you to be my palm date.
01:18It's where your next blue will await.
01:23That spot was the lacrosse field where James asked her to prom.
01:27Oh my God.
01:28We love the Islanders where skates and puck hit the ice.
01:32I won't make you go all the way there, that wouldn't be nice.
01:35A place like the games we both love to see,
01:39go to the local spot where the Islanders' spirit might be.
01:42It was honestly a surreal moment.
01:45I was so overwhelmed with emotion.
01:48Every spot that we went to, there was a different person there
01:52that was giving me the next clue that was significant in our lives.
01:55After every clue, I was like, is James going to be there?
01:57When is it happening?
01:59I was really excited and just ready for him to get down on one knee
02:02and ask me to marry him.
02:04We cherished every boat ride, you and me.
02:07Now one last sail awaits on the open sea.
02:19From two big thrills to fishing days,
02:21this final ride will end with a surprise that stays
02:24with every ripple of light shining clear,
02:26this last journey will bring me near.
02:28Oh my God, he's going to be there.
02:32Go.
02:35Oh my God.
02:54Oh my God.
03:00I give myself a pat on the back,
03:02really because not because of how I did or what I planned
03:06or how it turned out,
03:07but because I know it's really something meaningful for Kristen.
03:13Now they're planning their dream wedding
03:15and will even be getting married on the exact same weekend
03:18they met 14 years ago.
03:20We're a story that I hope that inspires other people
03:24to fight for who they want to be with and who they love.