Evan had been thinking about proposing to Abba for a few months before he popped the question on September 10, 2017. He has been trying to contact a painter to paint a portrait of Evan proposing to Abba and Abba saying, "Yes!". He was planning to hide it once the painting is finished and taking Abba for a walk and pretending to stumble and finding it along the way. However, the painter didn't reply in a timely manner, so Evan had to think of something else.
So, Evan had to start making plans again and thought about making a bunch of Chinese lanterns and floating them over Canada Bay while he was walking with Abba and then proposing once the lanterns are already floating. That plan didn't pan out either because the people that Evan asked to help out thought that the idea was a fire hazard.
Next, Evan tried to book a getaway for them at The Castle at Robertson, Australia, so that he can propose to Abba but Abba repeatedly told him not to book it because she just started her two new jobs.
Finally, with time running out for their holiday in the Philippines, Evan relented and proposed to Abba in their abode... when Abba least expected it.