FREMONT, Calif. A love-struck California man was thrilled to pass go once his girlfriend accepted his elaborate handcrafted Monopoly proposal.
For Justin Lebon, what started as an idea for a Christmas gift for his girlfriend, Michal Ott, turned into a surprise engagement plan revolving around the pairs favorite board game, according to Mashable. The couple had been using a Monopoly board that Lebon built in high school, so he decided to build a new board designed to reap the ultimate prize: a yes.
Lebon turned to his woodworker friend, Mark Becker, for help designing a special board with a trap door just big enough to conceal a diamond ring.
The first thing I knew was that I could do something with the engagement ring and the luxury tax spot, Lebon told Buzzfeed Life.
While Becker worked on the board, Lebon spent hours crafting personalized cards on Excel. The real estate squares included places theyd lived together, as well as some of their favorite vacation spots like the Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Buzzfeed reports.
Becker delivered the one-of-a-kind game just in time for Christmas Eve, and Lebon set the stage using his homemade cards and vintage monopoly pieces hed thrifted.
On Christmas morning, the couple sat down to play the game. Unbeknownst to Ott, Lebon had rigged the dice so shed have to roll a seven landing her on the fateful Chance square. She drew the card Lebon had placed on top that read: Will you marry me? If yes, advance to Luxury Tax.
Spoiler alert: The ring was hidden in the trap door under the Luxury Tax square.
She was super confused, Lebon told the Huffington Post. I asked if she could help me with something really cool and she said yes. And thats when I popped open the trap door.
Lebon said his new fianc couldnt stop crying, in awe of his trick.
At the end, we were just sitting there laughing, he said. She was still in shock and couldnt believe all the ups and downs.
From start to finish, the board game took five weeks to build, Huffington Post reports. Lebon posted pictures from the proposal on Reddit, which quickly went viral.
The couple plans to wed in Maui in 2017, but told Buzzfeed there will be no Monopoly games at the ceremony.
For Justin Lebon, what started as an idea for a Christmas gift for his girlfriend, Michal Ott, turned into a surprise engagement plan revolving around the pairs favorite board game, according to Mashable. The couple had been using a Monopoly board that Lebon built in high school, so he decided to build a new board designed to reap the ultimate prize: a yes.
Lebon turned to his woodworker friend, Mark Becker, for help designing a special board with a trap door just big enough to conceal a diamond ring.
The first thing I knew was that I could do something with the engagement ring and the luxury tax spot, Lebon told Buzzfeed Life.
While Becker worked on the board, Lebon spent hours crafting personalized cards on Excel. The real estate squares included places theyd lived together, as well as some of their favorite vacation spots like the Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Buzzfeed reports.
Becker delivered the one-of-a-kind game just in time for Christmas Eve, and Lebon set the stage using his homemade cards and vintage monopoly pieces hed thrifted.
On Christmas morning, the couple sat down to play the game. Unbeknownst to Ott, Lebon had rigged the dice so shed have to roll a seven landing her on the fateful Chance square. She drew the card Lebon had placed on top that read: Will you marry me? If yes, advance to Luxury Tax.
Spoiler alert: The ring was hidden in the trap door under the Luxury Tax square.
She was super confused, Lebon told the Huffington Post. I asked if she could help me with something really cool and she said yes. And thats when I popped open the trap door.
Lebon said his new fianc couldnt stop crying, in awe of his trick.
At the end, we were just sitting there laughing, he said. She was still in shock and couldnt believe all the ups and downs.
From start to finish, the board game took five weeks to build, Huffington Post reports. Lebon posted pictures from the proposal on Reddit, which quickly went viral.
The couple plans to wed in Maui in 2017, but told Buzzfeed there will be no Monopoly games at the ceremony.
