Before proposing, I wanted to speak to her father, but I knew she would hate the idea because she considers the whole "asking permission" thing outdated. So I found out where her father usually went for his evening walk and arranged what looked like a completely accidental meeting.
We ended up sitting on a bench for nearly an hour. I didn't ask permission to marry her. I just told him I loved his daughter and was terrified I might not be good enough for her. He laughed and said, "She'll decide that, not me." My girlfriend still believes we randomly bumped into each other that evening. Her father and I have silently maintained the lie for four years.