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CNN Sunday Morning

Atlanta Couple Celebrates Engagement 'Set in Stone' Five Years Ago

Aired August 19, 2001 - 09:35   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: One Atlanta couple is celebrating their engagement one that was planned five years ago, but took place last week. Their story is so unique, we're just going to let them tell you all about it.

Joining us in our studio is Vincent Mulkowsky and his fiancee Liza Caceres.

Did I say it right?

LIZA CACERES, BRIDE-TO-BE: Yes.

PHILLIPS: People are probably wondering what's so unique about this love story. Here you were a couple. You guys dated a long time, but then you broke up. Why?

CACERES: We were in college. We had been dating for 1 1/2 years very seriously. I knew that I loved him, but I wasn't sure. I wanted to be positive that he was the one for me, so I decided that we needed to have some time apart to experience college meet other people. I always said hopefully, our paths would cross again. But I didn't break up with him expecting to get back together. I broke up with him hoping that maybe someday...but I never expected to get back together.

PHILLIPS: But Vincent, you had bigger plans. You went out a purchased something. Tell us what you did.

VINCENT MULKOWSKY, GROOM-TO-BE: After we were dating for 1 1/2 years, I knew that this was the girl that I would someday marry, and it wasn't the right time. I would never have thought of doing this out in the real world. I was always hoping tat we would make it through college. I never had a doubt in my mind we would. When you go out with someone and you're young and in love, you never think that there's an end to your story. So I felt no qualms about going out and buying this brick.

PHILLIPS: Tell us about the brick.

MULKOWSKY: I went with my mother one day, while they were offering these bricks. I went to Home Depot, and for $35, you could have your own inscription.

PHILLIPS: This is for the Olympics, here in the Atlanta. This is what everyone was going to walk on during the Olympics.

CACERES: They were renovating the park, and to raise funds to build the park, they offered the public to but engraved bricks that would set in stone forever in the park.

MULKOWSKY: This early in 1996, and like I said, we had been dating for about 1 1/2 years. So I purchased a brick, and I figured out what would be the best way to maximize all the characters on the brick, and I came up with "Lisa, will you marry me? Heart, VPM -- my initials.

PHILLIPS: So then you broke up, so were you thinking, What if she ever comes across that brick.

MULKOWSKY: I figured if she comes across the brick, ten she's tortured for the rest of her life

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: She'll feel guilty, right?

CACERES: I'm surprised I didn't find it. I work across the street from the park, and I've been in the park all the time. So I'm surprised I never found it.

PHILLIPS: So these years had gone by. The brick was there. You kind of forgot about it. You guys split up. You decided I wonder what Vince is doing.

CACERES: Exactly. I send him an e-mail around Christmastime, right after we gradation, because I didn't know where he went. I had no idea what he was doing. We didn't break up on ad terms.

PHILLIPS: That's rare.

CACERES: Exactly. I still had a lot of affection for him, so I wanted make sure he was doing OK. So I sent him a two-line e-mail, and I got a really long happy response. So we were very excited to get back in touch with each other again.

PHILLIPS: So then the brick cam to mind. Once again, what did you do?

MULKOWSKY: As soon as we got back together, all of my friends were like, the brick, the brick -- what are you going to do, you have to use the brick. Of course, I was so happy when we got back together.

I didn't propose to her just for the brick story. I fell back in love with her.

PHILLIPS: You've got to marry this guy now.

CACERES: He's a winner.

PHILLIPS: You took her to the park one evening, one afternoon? MULKOWSKY: One afternoon. It was for lunch. The premise was that since she works here in CNN Center, I would go down during lunchtime, and it was very inconspicuous. I was just going to come down and meet her for lunch, and we were going to go to the park, and have a nice picnic in the park. So I got the ring, put it in the lunch bag, and we walked down the park. I saw the brick, and I turned around, kneeled and proposed.

PHILLIPS: Were you shocked?

CACERES: I was shocked. I thought it was magic. I thought there was some program for guys who wanted to propose in the park, where you could pay a lot of money and they would set it all up so you could put the brick in the park. So when he finally told me, I said did you get this a month ago, and he said, I got this five years ago. And that was it; the tears were falling. It was an extremely powerful moment.

PHILLIPS: Did you feel guilty for breaking up with him?

CACERES: Yes, but no. I think fate has its ways of working stuff out. I think we broke up for a reason; it just makes our relationship stronger now.

PHILLIPS: You guys are getting married when?

CACERES: In April, hopefully.

PHILLIPS: She's getting all teary eyed. I can remember getting engaged. It's a pretty awesome feeling.

So you're going to get married here in Atlanta. Tell me the date again.

CACERES: End of April.

PHILLIPS: End of April.

MULKOWSKY: No exact date yet.

PHILLIPS: Are you going to do it in the park?

CACERES: No, we're too worried about rain. Everybody says that. I think it's an awesome idea. We'll have to play it by ear and see.

MULKOWSKY: We'll defiantly take our wedding photos there.

CACERES: Definitely.

PHILLIPS: Maybe we'll carry it live, since you work here at CNN.

CACERES: That would be the best wedding video ever.

PHILLIPS: Yes, it would. You'd have all the best people, that's fro sure.

Liza and Vincent, thanks so much for sharing your story. It was very inspiring. Best of luck.

MULKOWSKY: Thank you.

CACERES: Thank you.

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