Jenna Bush Hager has always been open about her life, but her latest confession has fans completely stunned — and laughing in disbelief. The Today show host revealed that she accidentally sabotaged her own marriage proposal to husband Henry Hager, and the story is as chaotic as it is heartwarming. During a romantic trip to Maine’s Cadillac Mountain, Jenna admitted she was “cranky, cold, and completely clueless” about what Henry was planning. “He kept asking to stop for a snack,” she said, “and I told him, ‘No, we can’t!’” What happened moments later turned her annoyance into pure shock

Jenna Bush Hager’s love story with her husband, Henry Hager, may sound like a modern-day fairy tale — but it almost didn’t happen. The Today with Hoda & Jenna cohost recently opened up about how she nearly sabotaged her own marriage proposal, and the story has fans both laughing and swooning over how close she came to missing the moment that changed her life forever.

Jenna and Henry first met in 2004 while he was working for her father, then-President George W. Bush, on his re-election campaign. Their relationship blossomed amid the chaos of political life and media attention, but as Jenna revealed, their engagement didn’t go exactly as planned. During a 2024 episode of Today, she recalled the day Henry tried to propose to her on top of Cadillac Mountain in Maine’s Acadia National Park — one of the most picturesque spots in America to pop the question.

But instead of romance, Jenna remembered the early-morning hike as “cold, dark, and miserable.” She admitted she was in a foul mood. “I was so cranky,” she laughed. “He said, ‘Let’s stop for a snack,’ and I told him, ‘No, I’m too cold to stop!’” Little did she know, that “snack break” was actually Henry’s cover for his big moment. “He kept asking, ‘Can we stop for a Luna Bar?’ and I was like, ‘No, we can’t!’” she said on-air.

Despite Jenna’s protests, Henry eventually convinced her to pause — and before she knew it, he was on one knee. “It was an immediate cure for my bad attitude,” she joked, adding that the proposal completely blindsided her. The moment was so unexpected that she barely processed what was happening until she saw the ring. Of course, she said yes — and the couple has now been married since 2008, raising three children together: Mila, Poppy, and Hal.

Ironically, this wasn’t the first time their engagement story went off course. Years earlier, Jenna admitted she’d been the one to jump the gun. During a candid 2020 episode of Today, she revealed that she had drunkenly proposed to Henry after just three months of dating. “I might’ve had a Christmas cocktail,” she confessed. “We were dancing, and I said, ‘This is it, I know it — let’s just get married!’” But Henry, older and more grounded at the time, gently turned her down, saying, “I’m crazy about you, but you’re young.”

Jenna, who was in her early 20s then, now laughs about the misstep, calling it a lesson in patience. “Everything happens when it’s meant to,” she said. “I just didn’t know he already had a plan.”

Reflecting on her journey, Jenna has shared one piece of advice with young people: take your time. “I didn’t date enough,” she admitted. “I found my person early, and I’m so grateful — but I also tell others to enjoy that time, because love has its own timeline.”

From a botched mountain proposal to an impulsive Christmas confession, Jenna Bush Hager’s road to marriage proves that even the most romantic love stories come with a few comedic detours — and sometimes, those missteps make the memory even sweeter.