A few weeks ago, SparkNight was lucky enough to be a part of that special evening.

We had the opportunity to set up date for John and his girlfriend, Michelle – and were thrilled. After learning more about the couple, we began planning their evening out. Then he gave us the real news. He had a ring – and he planned to propose. But, his exact words were “No pressure, Shelly. I’m sure anything you guys plan will be great.”

No pressure?! As fellow women, we were thrilled with the opportunity but couldn’t help to be a little nervous. It was all on us to plan a perfect evening – an evening I knew Michelle would remember forever.

We wanted them to experience a bit of everything, but went back and forth (and back and forth) on what would give the evening that extra special touch.

Finally, it was time.

Upon checking into their hotel, John and Michelle were given the first stop of their date – an ice skating rink. There was also a disposable camera inside the package, and they were told to take a photo of each place they stopped so they’d always remember their SparkNight .

When they got back to the hotel, they had time to clean up and then were off to Sbrocco, a local wine bar and restaurant. Afterward was, as Michelle thought, the evening’s final stop – The Grand Piano Bistro. They enjoyed good music and drinks, then headed back to their hotel room.

We’d decorated their hotel room with a bouquet of roses, candles, and an engagement photo album. Now, I can’t say we know exactly what happened after this because it was out of our hands – but I do know the answer was “Yes.”

At 4 p.m. the doorbell rings. Sara opens the door to find a bright bouquet of daisies – her favorite. As she picks them up, she finds a note:

Looking forward to our night on the town. Love, Matt

“What’s gotten into him?” she thinks. “It’s usually the same old date – dinner and a movie, just blah…Matt must have something up his sleeve.”

Two hours later, she arrives at Dos Rios in downtown Des Moines. The host escorts her in and says “Hi Sara, Matt has a table waiting for you in the corner. He’ll be here in just a few minutes.”

As she sits down, she finds a bottle of her favorite red wine. “Wow,” she thinks, “This is shaping up to be an amazing evening…”

After dinner…

Sara and Matt head over to a salsa dancing class at Hotel Fort Des Moines. After an hour of learning and intense dance, they’re exhausted. As they step outside, they find a beautiful limo, ready to take them home.

Exchanging shy grins over breakfast the next morning, Sara and Matt realize they haven’t felt this blissful in years…

It’s been awhile since our last post, but that’s good news, because it means we’ve been busy!

During the last month, we’ve sent several couples on their very first SparkNight – and they all had a blast! We’re lucky to live in such a great city with local restaurants and venues that have been thrilled (and very supportive) of the idea. They’ve been happy to help us make each SparkNight the fun, spontaneous evening we want it to be.

Another important thing happened during the month of August – We were awarded the seed money from Startup Weekend 2009. A special thanks goes out to ClassTrack – a fellow Startup Weekend business – for their support!

And finally…we had our first published article in the Des Moines Business Record. Check it out here. You’ll also find a snazzy photo of us – we look a bit better than we did during the 54-hour marathon Startup Weekend.

That’s it for now. We’ll be better about keeping you updated from now on - we promise.

- Your SparkNight Team