When Christian started planning his proposal to Erin, he sought the help of her parents. Unfortunately, Erin found out about his plans when she saw the exchange of text messages between him and her mom--but that didn't make his proposal any less of a surprise.

Although Erin already knew that Christian was planning to propose to her, he was still able to catch her unaware. He let obvious proposal dates like their anniversary, his birthday, and her dad's birthday pass before actually popping the question. Finally, another important occasion arrived, and Christian seized his opportunity.

He invited Erin's family and close friends to spend a day at Sofitel Manila, where they had spent their first anniversary. He also asked their friends to bring a board game to make it seem like any other gathering.

By that time, those dearest to them were all in on the new surprise. Erin's family and friends stood outside their room holding placards that spelled out "Will you marry me?" and the moment the couple came outside, Christian popped the question. Erin was so surprised that she started to cry--it took her a while to answer "Of course."

Christian's not-so-secret proposal was still a lovely surprise for Erin, and it was all the more meaningful because it involved the people they loved most.