The Story Behind a West Baden Engagement (And How We Can Help)



CJ Cleveland had the girl, had the ring, had the gumption. Only thing he was missing was the plan.

So when CJ found the time was right to pop the question to his girlfriend Molly Harber, he reached out for a little assistance in pulling of his engagement. We have done this a time or two, after all.

French Lick Resort has been the site of scores of engagements over the years. The whole process can be a little overwhelming when you think about all the logistics required for everything to unfold just right. But CJ discovered what many before him have also found — help is out there, and all you’ve got to do is ask.

Back in March, CJ got on frenchlick.com and submitted a general question form explaining what he was trying to do. Marsha Tellstrom of the concierge staff got back with CJ, which began a four-month process of swapping emails and hatching a plan for when CJ and Molly recently visited here the last weekend of July.

The two of them both graduated from Butler University, though in picking a location for the proposal to go down, CJ thought proposing at their alma mater might be a little too classic or predictable. Plus, he needed somewhere that would maintain the element of surprise, as “we have been dating for seven years so I knew it was coming at some point,” Molly jokes.

So CJ got to thinking a little outside the box. He and Molly had been to French Lick Resort for the first time last Christmas, and they had talked about returning once it was warmer to get out and see more of the resort. And that aligned perfectly with what CJ had in mind when it came to the feel and location to get engaged.

“I was looking for something that was kind of unique and special but still manageable; you don’t have to fly somewhere. You don’t really feel like you’re in Indiana when you’re there,” says CJ. “It’s kind of like a cool getaway and unique place.”

West Baden Springs Hotel concierge Marsha Tellstrom (right)
was the one who worked with CJ for months to arrange every
last detail of his surprise engagement.

And when Marsha got back to him with a couple scenarios about how specifically to execute the engagement? Even better.

“Because that takes off some pressure, how she was able to organize everything,” he says. “She had a lot more ideas than what I was expecting. That was actually really nice, because I didn’t really have much of a plan besides what she suggested.”

The tricky factor behind any engagement is documenting the whole thing. That’s where Marsha enlists the assistance of her husband Jan, who does professional photography on the side. We won’t spoil the exact gameplan they used to surprise Molly — since Marsha is an undercover engagement agent of sorts who’s helped several couples do this over the years — but let’s just say everything unfolded precisely as planned until culminating in this moment in the West Baden Springs Hotel formal gardens:


The tough part over with the huge question answered (Molly said “yes,” of course), but that was just Phase 1 with more pre-arranged special touches for the two. Including dinner at 1875: The Steakhouse topped off with two complimentary chocolate-covered strawberries and another piece of chocolate with a message congratulating them on the engagement.

“Obviously the photography was a surprise and having all that on camera which will be so nice to have,” Molly says, “but then we went to dinner and then there were flowers and Champagne, which was nice. We went back to the room and there were more flowers in there. It was like the surprises just kept coming.”

“Another one of Marsha’s ideas was for me to send some old photos of the two of us and she’d blow them up and laminate them,” adds CJ. “She did that and had the photos set up in the room after dinner, so that was another surprise.”


Marsha even ran through backup plans with CJ in case it stormed and they couldn’t be out in the gardens. But fortunately the rain held off long enough to pull off the plan which was four months in the making — and originated from an email simply asking for an assist in crafting a memorable moment.

“He definitely surprised me,” Molly says with a laugh.