Proposal story: Wedding ring missing from box

Dave Van Veen’s Proposal to Kailyn Kenney: A Memorable Day

Dave Van Veen had a plan to make his proposal to his girlfriend, Kailyn Kenney, a truly memorable moment.

“The goal was to make it a surprise, and it was certainly a surprising day,” Van Veen recalled.

The preparations for this special day began on December 22nd, with Van Veen meticulously setting the scene. He had been carefully planning this moment for months.

“I was super nervous,” Van Veen admitted.

He started by showing Kenney’s custom engagement ring to his family in the Madison area, sharing his proposal plans with them.

“We all looked at the ring and were filled with excitement. I closed it up in the ring box, put it in my jacket pocket, and zipped it shut,” Van Veen explained.

His day included multiple stops in Milwaukee, from the Speedway gas station on East Oklahoma to Cafe Corazon in Bayview.

Van Veen even arranged for an engagement after-party at Anodyne Coffee in Bayview before picking Kenney up at Milwaukee’s Intermodal station.

Finally, Van Veen brought Kenney to South Shore Park, where he got down on one knee to propose.

“There was a moment of confusion when the ring box turned out to be empty,” Van Veen revealed.

“I was puzzled. Was this part of the plan? What’s going on?” Kenney added.

The missing ring became a mystery for the couple. Despite the ring box never leaving Van Veen’s pocket, they do not believe it was stolen. Their theory is that it may have slipped out of the box and his pocket at some point during the day.

Regardless of the missing ring, Kenney happily said yes to Van Veen’s proposal.

“This experience has truly shown us what is important,” Kenney reflected.

The couple is now reaching out to the public for help in finding the missing ring. They have filed a report with the Milwaukee police department.

If anyone has information about the ring, please email the couple at kailynanddave@gmail.com.