GTKY: Proposal Story

olivemomma · April 2019

What’s yours??

olivemomma · April 2019

We were 24 (such babies) and DH proposed while we were on vacation in California. It was the last full day of our trip and the 4th of July. He chose a beautiful setting and I don’t remember much else of what he said but 10+ years and almost 3 kids later here we are... we did watch fireworks afterwards!

aukeev · April 2019

@olivemomma Aww, I love that! I have always thought proposals while traveling together were sweet.

MH proposed on my 21st birthday (children). We dated all through college, and on our third dating anniversary (just a couple of weeks before my birthday), his mom and sister took me to buy a special dress and to get mani pedis. Then he recreated our first date, had my favorite flowers, the whole nine yards. I was SURE that was going to be proposal night, so when we got back to my apartment and I didn't have a ring, I burst into uncontrollable tears... and he laughed. Not in a cruel way, I just don't think he could help it.

Fast forward to my birthday, which was at the end of finals week for us, and we went on a lovely date, then picked up dessert from our favorite place. It was April and the weather was perfect, so we took our dessert to a small park in our college town. We were walking on the trail by the pond and I saw the tiniest black lab puppy on this cute little bed under a tree by himself. We looked around and found no one, so I (obviously) went over to it. His tags had the name of the park we were at as his name, and the other side said, "Will you spend the rest of your life with us, [my name]?" When I turned around, DH was on his knee and had a whole perfect, sappy speech. His mom and sister were hiding out along the tree line across the way and took pictures.

He had purchased the ring nearly a year beforehand and asked for my dad's blessing at the previous Thanksgiving, but didn't want me to be wedding planning during senior finals week.

goldfishcraker · April 2019

@olivemomma yay fireworks! It's like in a Disney movie!!

@oklahomak wow!! That had me tearing up! How beautiful! He put so much effort into it!! 🥰

TLDR: he proposed on a trip, but I almost ruined it by being a hormonal grumpy brat.

Mine...well...I'm surprised I got a proposal. Haha .I had been struggling with mood swings on birth control (we had already agreed I would stop as soon as we got back from our trip. It was BAD).
We went on a cruise (my first and I was super nervous). We were having a great time. But one day things just weren't working out. We tried to go skating on board the ship, but I got super frustrated that none of the equipment fit me properly. It put me in a terrible mood and I was sulky for the rest of the day. A bunch of other little stuff went wrong, but it seemed massive to my hormonal brain.
At his (frequent cruisers) parents suggestion, we had booked a fancy dinner on the ship for that night. I was in such a bad mood I didn't want to go. Eventually he convinced me, but by then it was a rush to get ready. Dinner was clear across the ship, and he wanted to take pics of us dressed fancy on the grand staircase. So before we left, I confirmed he had his camera. We get to the stairs and hes like... Oh crap I forgot it. I'll be right back. I was super annoyed since I had asked before we left the room. He was taking forever, so I ended up heading back to the room to find him. Figuring he had decided to poop or something 😂. Met him half way, and he says "oh they've been to make up our room. You've gotta come see this!" (Every day we came back to a new towel animal, and I always got super excited). I told him we didn't have time and I would see it after dinner. He was insistent. So we went in, and I saw a stuffed kitten sitting on the bed, with a yo-yo around it's neck with a sign saying "will you marry my new daddy?" When I turned around he was down on one knee. He tried to ask but he got so choked up. There were lots of happy tears.
And I was too excited to eat any of my fancy and expensive steak dinner hahaha

(Also, to explain, like.. a year earlier I had sent him a video of someone proposing with a kitten with a ring around it's neck, and I told him I would totally say yes if he did that. But he's allergic to cats. But he managed to hide that thing from me for the whole trip! Despite getting searched at the airport haha. The yo yo is a longer inside joke).

Oh and My parents picked us up at the airport, and I was super surprised to see my siblings and sister in law there too (at 1am!) With welcome home signs. I didn't get that kind of reception after being away for 6 weeks. Let alone 10 days.
I was hiding my ring under my sweater.
As we got closer, they turned the signs around and it said "congratulations *names*"
I turned to my SIL (who had sold my DH the ring) and said "YOU TOLD THEM?!?!?" She got super pale insisted she didn't. Turns out DH had gone to ask my parents blessing just before we left. So they, and my sister, knew it was coming before me. (Which is also funny, since my parents don't believe in giving "permission" so my poor guy had a very stressful convo 😂😂)

sourlemon · April 2019

We went on a vacation to the grand canyon around Christmas and he brought the ring. I knew about the ring because we went shopping for it together about 2 months before and saw the box in the glove compartment of the car on the way to the vacation. 3 separate occasions he thought about it (aka reached into his pocket but chickened out when other people walked up) so it didnt happen on that trip.

Got home and I was eating a brownie on the couch while watching Wipe Out. He proposed then. I yelled at him for doing it then because my mouth was full of brownie and I was in pajamas lol. I asked him he if has discussed it with my 4 "dads" (my step dad, my bio dad, my uncle, and my work dad) and he had not. So I said no. The next day he was gone all day (this was Dec 30th) so I assumed he was talking to the dads.

Right after midnight on new years he dragged me out of the party and proposed. He said "I've spoken to your dads, so NOW will you say yes?" and ta-da.

lovelikestardust · April 2019

I love all your stories!

I was 23 (so young!) and we were still living in California at the time. One weekend we packed a picnic lunch and drove up to this little winery in the Sierra foothills that we love. Did a tasting in their tasting room, bought a couple bottles, and set out out lunch on a tree next to a pond on their grounds. We had lunch, and he pulled out the ring and proposed, and I almost spilled wine all over myself because even though we had discussed marriage (we'd been together since the end of our sophomore year in college), I did NOT see that coming. I wish we had photos, because it was so picturesque; the weather and setting were gorgeous, and we literally had one of those wicker picnic baskets and a red and white checked cloth to sit on.

Maybe my favourite part of the whole thing is that there was a random Irish setter dog that came and hung out with us the whole time. Pretty sure he belonged to one of the winery's family members, but he was happy just chilling on our picnic blanket in the shade while we had lunch and DH proposed. 😂

wanderlustsoul · April 2019

My H and I were long distance at the time as he was spending the year in South Africa to do his MBA and I was in Canada. We had planned a trip to Spain so we could meet in the middle. We decided to do a picnic in Retiro Park in Madrid. Prior, he was being all fussy about which blanket to bring and I was like “bring any of them! Who cares?” But he knew he was proposing and video taped it so it would be in the video. 😂😂

We went to all these places to get food and stuff for our picnic. When we finally got to the park, it was so busy and it was hard to find a spot. I suggested leaving but he was like no! We finally found the perfect spot under a tree with not too many people around. He was setting the camera up to take a selfie or so I thought. It was actually a video and he proposed. I was so shocked! I had no idea that he was going to propose then as I thought he would when he returned to Canada in December. It was perfect. The day was so sunny and warm. It was also at the beginning of our trip so we got to enjoy the rest of the trip celebrating with sangria!

Madrid was already one of my favourite places but will now forever be our place.

And the ring was amazing haha! He had it custom designed and it was everything I wanted.

purplg8r · April 2019

H and I were going to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to see the Spectacle of Dancing Lights like we do every year. When we were there he kept bending down to tie his shoe and I was getting annoyed. Then when we were at the lights, We got in line to take a picture with the PhotoPass people like we always do. So then when was our turn, he said “hold on I need to tie my shoe” and I said, “are you kidding me?? again?” And then I looked and he was down on one knee with the ring. It was so pretty with all the Christmas lights and we got it on picture on our camera. We’re both Disney freaks so I was so glad that he did it at Disney!

agpandme · April 2019

Our proposal story is pretty lame but I love the way we met. I was invited to this super random redneck party in a very rural area in the woods. This was BLM land, bonfire, guns, dirt bikes, lifted trucks, lots of alcohol. I remember seeing him across the fire and it was like an instant attraction. We talked and then did a lot more than talking LOL. I woke up in the back of his truck. He drove me the 1.5 hours back to town to my truck. I gave him my number but he thought it was fake (it looks fake), my phone was dead so I couldn't prove it. We talked every day since then and I invited him out that following wednesday to the drag races at the local track. He asked me to be his girlfriend (seriously that cheesy) and I said yes. I had been dating a deputy so I dumped him LOL. We said I love you 2 weeks later and have been obsessed with each other since then. Its honestly the most amazing relationship. We hardly ever fight because he absorbs my energy, and I just don't even try. We have never broken up. Its been 10 years and I wouldn't trade him for anything. We never wanted kids but now we are having one and it has brought us so much closer together (if that was at all possible). Hes going to be an amazing dad and I can't wait to see it.

He proposed to me on the couch in our living room. Whoopdeedo

mrosek91 · April 2019

We knew we were getting engaged, but we couldn't "make it official" because his parents were in Israel meeting their first grandchild who had just been born. I think it was about 2 weeks, but it felt like forever. They got back just before New Year's. We went out for dinner on New Year's, which was a Thursday, and he asked me if I had plans for the next day, I said no, and he asked me if I wanted to go ring shopping. I was living in Manhattan at the time, and he was visiting for the long weekend. We went to the diamond district on 47th street, and I found a ring I fell in love with. He bought it, and put it in his pocket, and we went out for pizza, and then walked around central park, I kept thinking about the ring, but was sure he was going to wait until Sunday to propose (it's a long story.)
Then Saturday night we wanted to go for a walk, but it was raining so we decided to go hang out in the "lounge" at my old college, it's open to alumni, and it was close by. (I always say that if I'd known he was going to propose, and not wait for Sunday I would have suggested we go anywhere else. It's a cliche for girls from my college to get engaged there.)
One of our running jokes is his "to-do list" and how he decides what priority to give each item. It came up again, and he said "speaking of priorities", then he got down on one knee and pulled out the ring and said "I want to make sure you're at the top."

mia8263 · April 2019

Early in our relationship our thing was going out after midnight to look at the stars. We had a place overlooking nyc that was our favorite. Fast forward life got in the way and we hadn’t gone in a really long time. We had went to make the ring 6months prior to the proposal so after a month or 2 of not being proposed to, I got fed up with waiting and kinda forgot about the whole thing. Well one Sunday in the freezing rain, he took a detour on the way to dinner and brought me out to our spot, I was just happy he remembered where it was, I was so cold I wouldn’t let go of him he had to push me a little, next thing I knew he was down on one knee with beautiful nyc behind us and asked me to marry him. I got maybe 2 pictures in before the wind got so intense we had to run back to the car lol our faces are windburned and my hair is in my face but I love those pictures.

jrm_14 · April 2019

@oklahomak I was SO sure MH would propose on a certain day, too. My sister told him this so he knew when I was grumpy the rest of the night why but didn’t tell me he knew.

@akuzreve @purplg8r I love a good surprise engagement!

MH had been super secretive lately, and I figured it was bc of a ring. Turns out he bought me a Kitchenaid stand mixer! I was so pissed lol. He had kept telling me we should be saving if I wanted to get engaged soon-ish. I baked feelings away with the mixer until we were engaged

The night we became engaged, I figured that was it, but I had also thought that twice already. We went to our favorite sushi place, walked around downtown. & then to get our weekly late night doughnuts. When I made it up to the case, there was an oversized ring shaped doughnut that said, “JRM, will you marry me?” I turned around & he was on one knee. The best part was he hired two photographers to capture the whole thing!

BigBadWolf12 · April 2019

I was 20 (meet at 14, dated at 16, engaged at 20, married at 21) and we knew for a while we were going to get married, so I was expecting it any time. DH would always walk me home from wherever we were (BBQ potluck that night - totally low key) and wave from the sidewalk while I waved from the window before he continued on to his place. This night, instead of being on the side walk waving he was on one knee on the lawn with the ring out. It was totally perfect - a surprise bc I totally wasn't expecting it AFTER he dropped me off from a uni BBQ potluck of all things, but also so "us" in the fact that it was low key, private, and connected in a "tradition" of sorts.

hillaryo14 · April 2019

Our early relationship wasn't typical, so of course, neither was our proposal story.
We met online, and dated for about a month, and he wasn't ready for anything serious yet so he broke up with me. A week later, we started hanging out as friends. He would come over to my apartment almost every day. We started dating other people and would laugh at each other's bad date stories. About 6 months into this, I was long-distance dating a guy I went to high school with but wasn't serious about. DH was over and told me that he would never meet anyone more compatible than me, and that we should get married. So we started dating again, and he was waiting for the right time to ask my dad for my hand. We spent Thanksgiving with my parents in a condo on the beach, and when he finally asked Dad, his response was "What did you think, I'd say no?!"
We waited to get a ring until he saved a little more money, and we went and got my ring. When we got home the day we picked up the ring, he just got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It will be 5 years this October!

peachy0709 · April 2019

I haven't thought about this in so long (because I'M OLD). We got engaged almost 9 years ago (and our engagement date ended up being our wedding date the following year). DH and I had a whirlwind romance - it was absolutely love at first sight, we moved in together at 4 months (which is insane if you think about it!!), and were engaged a little after a year of meeting.

DH did an amazing job of keeping it a surprise even though I knew he was saving for a ring and we had gone ring shopping together. He worked from home at that time, and I was underemployed as a casualty of the economy. So on a random Friday, he asked me if I wanted to go with him to run an errand. I agreed and we started to head to a part of town we normal don't go, but I honestly was too busy asking him questions like, NO JOKE, "what do you think our wedding song will be??" He thought I was on to him, but I actually wasn't. So we pull into the National Arboretum and he goes, "You know, I've never been here - do you want to check it out?"

Y'all. I was still actually not suspicious yet!

But then, when he clearly knew where he was going and took me to this amazing beautiful plot of land, I started crying and he asked me to marry him.

Oh, and to answer the question, our wedding song was "Let's Stay Together" by Al Green.

MamaK225 · April 2019

@purplg8r - I *knew* it was going to be at Disney!

You guys definitely make ours seems super lame (and it was). DH is still "embarrassed" by how little planning he did, though I love it and it's so "us." We are both the eldest children in our family and the uber-responsible ones: college, MBA, working, home-owners, etc. We knew about 5-6 months in (when I basically moved in with him and started renting out my house) we were going to get married, it was just a matter of when - since we were babies (25), we were in no rush. He knew I just wanted white gold or platinum, solitaire with either round or princess cut, nothing super stylized or fancy. Apparently, he had been doing A LOT of research and taking half-days here and there to go to different diamond places to source this precious stone ... because he had it in his mind I *needed* something massive (my mom has a 2.5k solitaire, but it's not high clarity AND she was in her early 40s when she got it in her 3rd marriage).

Anyway, he had been really moody - probably from the stress and/or lack of sleep? - and I thought we were headed for a Come to Jesus and a Break Up. We went to lunch on a Friday after his birthday (I was either working from home or took a half-day or something) at my favorite restaurant - that he really doesn't like. We had ordered and were waiting for the meals to arrive and he reached into his shorts' pocket and pulled something out and tumbled it across the table. I just looked at it and said "WTF (the actual words) is that?" and he was like "I was getting so stressed because it was supposed to be here Tuesday, but it came in today and I just can't hold onto it anymore - open it up." So I did and he was like "will you marry me?" And I teared up a little and said "yes" and put it on ... and then we ordered a celebratory drink (martini, beer) and ate lunch. Nothing fancy, nothing romantic, and a little swearing ... sounds about like us

jrm_14 · April 2019

@peachy0709 We moves in together very quickly, too. As in....I stayed over a week after we started dating (two weeks after meeting) and never went home. We bought a house together (both names on mortgage) at about 10 months.

suzycupcake · April 2019

We had known each other for 5 years before dating. It wasn't anything like we will be friends first. We just were and best friends. Roommates for awhile and dating other people the entire time. Then we lived in different states but kept in touch. When we were both available, we met in another state to spend some time with each other. We moved in together a few months later. He proposed after a year of bf/gf status. We went to a restaurant near a creek in the canyons that is known for being the most romantic in our city. And you must have reservations. I know he made a considerable effort because he isn't great when it comes to planning/making reservations in general. But that's just him and I'm good at it so it works. Anyway, he reserved a table atop the cobblestone steps that overlooked all of the other tables.

While going back and forth from the buffet to our table, there was a female waitress that was really pissing me off because she kept staring at him, smiling ear to ear, and giving him the eyes. He was doing the same thing back. When we got back to our table, he got an earful. I was sitting there telling him how disrespectful it was, not looking at him at all because that's what I do when angry. In the middle of it, he nervously says, "Okay here we go." I look over and there he is on one knee beside the table. He explained that it was his plan to do it after we ate, but it couldn't wait since he couldn't allow me to think he was flirting with someone else the entire meal--that he had informed the restaurant staff ahead of time. To this day, I still don't know what all he said and neither of us can remember me saying yes due to nerves. The people at every table outside started clapping and cheering for us. In the middle of it all was the waitress that he was "flirting" with.

We were married 6 months after that because I could not think of one reason why not. This year will make 7 years. We have known each other now for 13 years. BFFs for life seriously. There has not been one moment of doubt. He's my person.

MamaK225 · April 2019

@suzycupcake - That sounds pretty similar to what I would think the other possibility of "our" story would be (if he hadn't been such a big bundle of nerves and had done some planning, like your BFF/DH did). I would have been exactly the same way! What a sweet, darling story and a perfect forever-after!

ElcaB · April 2019

@chillycanadian I know so many people who have fought or been annoyed by each other right before the guy proposed. Tensions running high, I guess!

My story: H made me an amazing dinner shortly after we'd bought and moved into our first house. He proposed in the kitchen and I was so happy I lost my appetite (a historic first for me!). I loved the intimacy of it all.

aevan011 · April 2019

DH & I had discussed very early on that we were looking for marriage eventually. We were about to move to TX together after a year and a half of dating but had had zero discussion about timing of marriage or anything related.

We were doing a going-away hiking and camping trip on the Appalachian trail with a bunch of his work guys. I’m not very outdoorsy but was excited to do something new. All the girls invited dropped out. So me and 6 dudes. And some bears.

I was sunburnt, sweaty, and generally gross and he made me hike BACK another half mile to some spot he decided he liked. But he said some nice things and proposed and I spent the next day and a half guarding the unsized ring with my life for fear of losing it.

Oh and we had celebratory shots by the campfire before the other guys came over to congratulate us... they knew his plan and initially were terrified to come near us bc we were quiet and they were afraid I had said no.

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