Shaun White had various plans to propose to Nina Dobrev – but they kept getting thwarted. The first was scrapped during their summer vacation after Nina injured her knee in a dirt bike accident. Then he thought about early November when they were in Cape Town for the Earthshot Prize ceremony. But he could tell, Nina Thought it could happen in South Africa – because, well, all her friends kept asking if it would happen. And here's what's special about Nina, says Shaun: She's an extremely organized person who rarely surprises, but loves Be surprised. He had to surprise her.

So White decided to propose during an otherwise mundane week in late October. He had everything prepared: date, location (The Golden Swan Restaurant in New York City), flowers, a photographer. For weeks, he carried Nina's future five-carat Lorraine Schwartz ring around her house so she couldn't find it – first in the safe, then in his sock drawer, and finally in the back of the tool shed. (“The garage?“Nina calls out as Shaun reveals his hiding place to me. He shrugs his shoulders: “I thought She's not getting out of here.”)

A few days before he wanted to pop the question, Nina told him she wasn't feeling well. She wanted to rest before Africa and not go out at all until they left. But this time he refused to reschedule. Instead, he decided to do something drastic. He had his publicist send Nina a fake invitation to an intimate CFDA.fashion Dinner with Anna Wintour at the Golden Swan in New York City. Nina accepted. “He made the invitation look so legitimate,” Nina says with a laugh.

Photo: Andrew Arthur