Couple Gets Engaged at the Highest Point of a Vertical Lift Bridge in New Hampshire

One man took his marriage proposal to brave new heights – on top of a bridge.

According to the Associated Press, Dan Del Tufo, an engineer in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, planned to propose to his girlfriend, Julia Kallmerten, also an engineer, on the Memorial Bridge.

The Memorial Bridge was a particularly special place for both Del Tufo and Kallmerten, The Boston Globe reported. The couple met at the University of New Hampshire, and Del Tufo worked on the bridge for his senior thesis as part of the Living Bridge project. Meanwhile, Kallmerten worked for an engineering firm that designed Harborwalk Park, which is located under the bridge.

Del Tufo told The Boston Globe that they still “frequently like to go Prescott Park, which overlooks the bridge and Portsmouth, and sit and watch boats pass under it.”

Naturally, this made for the perfect spot for the couple to get engaged.

In order to arrange the proposal, Del Tufo had to get permission from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, so traffic wouldn’t interfere with his grand scheme. “This is not something we typically do,” said Eileen Meaney, NHDOT chief communications officer, to The Boston Globe. “DOT approved the request as long it could be tied to normal bridge maintenance operations. They were super-cute and we wish them the best.”

Kallmerten arrived at the bridge that day thinking they were going to take pictures for some of Del Tufo’s projects, according to The Boston Globe. Once the bridge raised and reached its highest point, he popped the question.

According to The Boston Globe, his exact words were, “Honey, I want you to aggravate me for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?” Both of their families were poised and ready to cheer for the couple as soon as Kallmerten accepted the proposal.

“I’m going to think of that moment every time I see the bridge,” Kallmerten told The Boston Globe.