ORTING, Wash. — In a proposal perfect for any Coug couple, one Washington State University alumnus popped the question to his girlfriend at an iconic Pullman spot recreated in a friend's living room.
The Coug, a favorite bar of Washington State University students and alumni, has been around since the 1930s. It is a place for graduation pictures, gameday shenanigans or even just a place to hang out with friends after class. From time to time, a couple will get engaged there. Blaine Lafreniere planned to do the same for his girlfriend, Rienne Taylor.
However, COVID-19 got in the way of his plans, so he decided to bring The Coug to her. He set up a makeshift version of the bar in his friend's living room. He then shared the idea on Twitter and his post blew up online. It now has 825 likes and 43 retweets.
The account for the Coug even quoted tweeted the post saying how much they loved the proposal.
It took Blaine two days to set up the bar in his friend's living room. It surprised his now-fiance Rienne.
As soon as she walked in and saw the setup, she knew he was going to propose. From that point forward she just waited for it to happen, she said.
The pair met at WSU and made many memories at the bar. It was a place where the couple spent a lot of their time with their friends, before games and when their parents would come to town.
A lot of people think the same about the bar. The pair say the reaction online has been amazing.
"There's so much support, obviously from friends, but even more so from people in Coug nation," Rienne said. "It's been really awesome."
The Coug will reopen its doors on March 15 in Pullman.
