Male students throughout BYU are always looking for creative ideas to lure girls into dates, dances or in some extreme cases engagement.

A creative proposal struck the BYU campus once again when Mike Roth, 23, proposed amid soap and suds.

"I've been dating Liz for seven months now and knew that she deserved nothing less than a creative proposal," said senior marketing and advertising major Roth, from Coeur d' Alene, Idaho.

While some guys propose the minute they get the ring, Roth was different, waiting for the right time to work his magic.

"I waited two weeks for the perfect moment because I didn't want to do some cheesy idea that had already been done," Roth said. "I just wanted a sincere and sentimental proposal."

Finally after two weeks of anticipation, the special idea and night arrived.

"The night started a little rocky when he picked me up 30 minutes late," said sophomore UVSC student Liz Kontak, now Roth's fiancée.

After Roth arrived at Kontak's doorstep pleading for forgiveness, the two drove off to the local gas station.

"After we got gas, Mike demanded a car wash," Kontak said. "I was hungry and didn't understand why he had to get his car washed right then."

After all, it was 9 p.m.

As they drove into the car wash, Roth set the mood by putting Ben Harper's "Forever" into the CD player.

Roth was nervous, but he knew this was the moment his future grandchildren would hear about someday.

"I then told Liz to close her eyes because I had a surprise for her," Roth said.

As the wash cycle began, Roth pulled out three yellow roses and handed them to Kontak.

"At this point I didn't think anything of it," Kontak said. "He had given me many roses in the past so it wasn't uncommon. Plus we were in a car wash."

Roth explained the meaning of the three yellow roses as he handed them to Kontak.

"These three yellow roses are for the three months that our friendship began," Roth said. "It was then that I noticed what a wonderful person you were."

Next, Roth pulled out two pink roses for the friendship that grew the next two months.

A purple rose followed, representing the first time that Roth said those three special words -- I love you.

Six red roses followed the purple, symbolizing the six months of their dating.

"They were the best six months of my life," Roth said. "I couldn't be happier."

And last but not least, one white rose to signify eternity they would share together.

"I then reached into my pocket to grab the ring box and proposed," Roth said.

Kontak was so surprised, especially since they were amid soap and suds in a car wash.

"This is one of those proposals a girl just can't forget," Kontak said.

Copyright Brigham Young University 13 Feb 2003