This 13 acres is more than just an field in the middle of Ohio. It was the blank canvas for Tim Sullivan’s sweet plan.
“We used to actually mow our corn maze with a zero turn, and I was sitting on the zero turn actually mowing our front yard, and I said, ‘How am I going to do the corn maze this year? What are we going to do?’ I was also thinking about the same time that I really wanted to propose to my girlfriend, as well,” Sullivan says.
From there, Sullivan’s grand idea came to life. Using a prescription planter and an 8R tractor, he decided to create a corn maze to propose to his then girlfriend, Caroline.
“It turned out so good,” Sullivan says. “I was nervous in the beginning of it. I was worried if we had poor emergence, I was going to have to just rip it up and start over again. But the emergence came up perfectly, and the weed control has been good. And so literally everything worked out perfect.”
To bring his plan to life, Sullivan enlisted the help of a local farmer with a plane, because the only way for Caroline to see his masterpiece was from the air.
“I think it was a total surprise,” Sullivan says. “The funny part is, the first time we flew over the maze, she didn’t see it at all. So, the pilot and I looked at each other, and I said ‘We’ve got to go around again’, and we circled around again. She then saw it the second time.”
Sullivan’s proposal story has made national news, capturing the hearts of many. For Sullivan, the coverage has been more than he ever expected.
“I’ve told everybody that the biggest thing I was looking for at the end of the day was a ‘yes,’ and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with Caroline.”
With a wedding date tentatively set for next May, Sullivan says this larger-than-life proposal wouldn’t have been possible without this family and friends.
“I can’t thank everybody enough who helped us between the crop consulting and the different farmers that have been involved. The farmer who let us use his airplane, who let use his tractor to help plant it,” Sullivan says.
From planning to planting, it was a grand plan that Sullivan crafted on his own. And his advice for others? If you’re thinking of proposing, dream big.
“My advice to every guy out there is when you feel that you got the one, shoot for the stars. Make the most intentional proposal that you can possibly make and have a lot of fun with it along the way,” Sullivan says. “I stressed myself out with the planning process, but it’s all paid off at the end of the day. And it’s been honestly one of the coolest experiences I could ever ask for.”
