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The worst-kept secret in Edmonton ended in a public Valentine’s Day engagement for a local couple.

“This is the best Valentine’s Day ever,” said Laurie Moring, after her boyfriend proposed to her using a billboard with a photo of her face.

Mike Dagenais had arranged for the billboard proposal to take place earlier this week but it wasn’t until Thursday morning that he was able to pop the question to Moring.

READ MORE: Fish photobombs marriage proposal attempt at Toronto aquarium

“He was taking me out for lunch. I was at work and I wasn’t expecting to be leaving early, but he showed up.

“He said, ‘We’re going, we have to leave right now, we’re going out for lunch,'” said Moring. Tweet This

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Dagenais told Moring that there was a nice restaurant by the Edmonton Inn on Kingsway. He pulled into a lot across the street from the Inn where some media vehicles were parked. The couple got out of the car to look at the billboard that had drawn the cameras out into the cold.

Seeing her face on the billboard was the last thing Moring expected.

Mike Dagenais proposed to girlfriend Laurie Moring using a billboard with a photo of her face. Julia Wong, Global News Mike Dagenais proposed to girlfriend Laurie Moring using a billboard with a photo of her face. Julia Wong, Global News Mike Dagenais proposed to girlfriend Laurie Moring using a billboard with a photo of her face. Julia Wong, Global News Mike Dagenais proposed to girlfriend Laurie Moring using a billboard with a photo of her face. Julia Wong, Global News Mike Dagenais proposed to girlfriend Laurie Moring using a billboard with a photo of her face.

“He had suggested that he might embarrass me a little bit but I was not expecting anything remotely like this,” Moring said. “This is such a shock.”

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Dagenais’ patience and planning paid off. The couple sealed the deal with a kiss and the ring they had picked out months ago.

LISTEN BELOW: Mike Dagenais speaks with the 630 CHED Afternoon News

Once upon a time…

Dagenais and Moring met about three years ago. Dagenais was tasked with looking into the history of a chest from 1699 that his late grandmother had left him. His search for family history led him to Moring.

“So I walk into Laurie’s office and, no word of a lie, she had this aura… this white aura glow around her, like this aura of goodness,” said Dagenais. Tweet This

The proposal was never meant to fall on Valentine’s Day.

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READ MORE: White Rock man gets a ‘yes’ with unique wedding proposal

Dagenais came up with the billboard idea last summer and had planned for it to go up while the couple were on a two-week vacation in southern B.C.

Unfortunately, a series of events left Dagenais with his hands full and the proposal didn’t happen but the idea never left his mind.

“I thought it would be November. I thought it would be January but it turned out to be this week,” he said.

Mike Dagenais proposed to girlfriend Laurie Moring in Edmonton on Feb. 14, 2019. Supplied to Global News Mike Dagenais proposed to girlfriend Laurie Moring in Edmonton on Feb. 14, 2019. Supplied to Global News Mike Dagenais proposed to girlfriend Laurie Moring in Edmonton on Feb. 14, 2019. Supplied to Global News Mike Dagenais proposed to girlfriend Laurie Moring in Edmonton on Feb. 14, 2019. Supplied to Global News Mike Dagenais proposed to girlfriend Laurie Moring in Edmonton on Feb. 14, 2019. Supplied to Global News

The sign was supposed to go up across the street from Moring’s workplace in Manning, but Dagenais had miscalculated the dates, which pushed the proposal back a month.

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Instead, it went up on Monday across the city at Kingsway and 119 Street.

“Tuesday, I was going to propose to her,” said Dagenais. Tweet This

“I had already called her boss. I was going to show up at 12 o’clock and take her away early before she starts her other job… and then she came down with a migraine.”

Reaction to all the media interest

Soon after the billboard went up, reporters started calling him. His phone was ringing off the hook with people wondering if it was real or just an elaborate marketing plan with Valentine’s Day around the corner.

Most people would be worried about their significant other finding out through TV coverage, social media or even the radio. But not Dagenais; Moring is an avid podcast listener, doesn’t own a television and is not big on social media.

“Her 15 minutes [of fame] is turning into a week and she doesn’t even know it,” said Dagenais. Tweet This

What the future holds

The couple is already talking about a small wedding with family and close friends on Vancouver Island this summer.

As for right now, they have no intentions of trying to top the proposal.

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“I don’t think we need to top it. All I want is to be with Mike so that makes me happy,” said Moring. Tweet This

“We don’t need to top it. We don’t need to have a competition and make it better,” she said.

“All I got him was a box of chocolates.”