HOME PAGE | OUR STORY | SCHEDULE | ACCOMMODATIONS | OUR FAMILY | REGISTRY | GUEST BOOK | RSVP

He said, She said: Or How We Got Engaged
by Rubina Gulati and Mike Scholz 

Mike:  As I walked up to the coffeehouse to meet Rubina for our blind date, I wondered what she'd be like.  I had Googled "Rubina Gulati" before coming over and got some startling results.  One Rubina was an obviously talented journalist, the other was a bank robber wanted in seven states. Needless to say, I was hoping for the journalist.  As I arrived, I found I was a little early.  I nervously fiddled with my drink as I waited.  How should I react?  I recalled from skimming through a Cosmopolitan in the checkout line that women liked semi-emotional uninterested guys that played things really cool. Cool. I could do that.  That's right, cool like the Fonz.  Then I turned around and saw her for the first time and blurted out, "Oh, you're pretty."  Verrry cool.  Cosmo 1, The Fonz 0.

Rubina:  The conversation flowed easily on our first date. We continued our coffee talk over dinner, and shared a lot of laughs that first night. When I came home, I remember that my cheeks hurt from laughing and smiling so much, and I knew Mike was someone special.

Mike:  Our first few dates were a series of heartfelt talks that spanned topics from our families and friends to our jobs, hobbies, views on life's funny quirks and our shared love of all things chocolate and coffee.  At first our talks were tentative and discussed safe topics, but over time got more adventurous in attempt to determine whether this was a relationship of destiny.  At a certain point, it became a contest to see if we could unnerve the other with a hidden truth about ourselves. 

"Some days are bad hair days. Very bad hair days.  Deal breaker?"

"I have left things in my refrigerator for so long that they are now asking to be left alone.  Deal breaker?"

"You know that light in your car that says check engine?  Mine has been on for two months.  Deal breaker?"

"I aspire to forsake my engineering training and one day be known as the mighty rap-star Zip Loc.  Deal breaker?"

"Whenever I hear Rush Limbaugh, I want to karate-chop the nearest man.  Deal breaker?"

"I'm an old school Star Wars fan. Boba Fett rocks. Deal breaker?" 

Rubina:  I’ve never seen Star Wars, so I have no idea what he’s talking about. I just smile and nod when he talks about Star Wars. So far, it hasn’t been a deal breaker.  

Mike:  Over time, our dates got more serious.  We became less about "you and me" and more about "us."  Work had me traveling half the time out of state.  We saw so much of each other when I was around, and yet it wasn't enough.  It's never been enough.  Although it's a hard thing to be away from each other and still grow a relationship, I think that's part of the growth we've both had to experience and use to commit to being together.  I remember looking at Rubina over dinner once, and thinking this person will be my wife. Good times and bad. Sickness and health. Wrinkles and gray hair. Okay, it'll just be me with the gray hair.     

Rubina:  Can you see why I think he’s such a great guy…? 

Mike:  Ten months into our courtship, I asked Rubina to come visit me in Minneapolis.  As she walked out of the airport with her bags I drove up and loaded her bags.  Instead of a hotel 20 minutes away, I took her to Lake Superior.  The next morning was an unusually warm late-October day. We sat out on the shore on a pair of Adirondack chairs and watched the open sky reflect off the placid Great Lake out into the horizon.  This could go on forever.  I had asked some pretty hard questions about us the past few days and I got all my answers.  This really could go on forever.  All I needed to do was take that step and see if she'd follow.  I broke the silence. 

"You know, honey, I'm going to ask you to marry soon...." 

"Yeah,” she said. “I know.” 

One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi. 

"Rubina, I love you,” I said. “Will you marry me?" 

Rubina: I was so sure that Mike wouldn’t be able to surprise me when he proposed that I had even said to him a few weeks before, “You’ll never be able to surprise me.” I guess he took that as a challenge, because he certainly surprised me. It’s one of the few times in my life I’ve felt speechless. In my mind, I figured the holidays were coming, and that he’d have a few weeks off from traveling and we’d get engaged during the holidays. Just when I thought I had him figured out, he got me. And all I could say was, “Seriously?” “Are you sure?” “Seriously, are you sure?”  

Mike: I'll be honest, my whole memory gets kind of dicey from that point on.  Explaining to her I was serious as a heart attack.  Sipping champagne. Meeting her wonderful family.  Introducing her to mine.  Just a blur of happiness and love. I'm pretty sure she said "yes."  

Rubina: I did. 

p.s. The photo on the right is our view of the cove from the Adirondack chairs the day that we got engaged.