Proposal season is an exciting time of year. If you got proposed over the holidays, CONGRATS! I wanted to say something about proposals before I chat proposal stories: every proposal is a great story. Some proposals include elaborate set-ups, grand schemes, and big planning. Others are more low-key, simple, and sweet. But all proposal stories are great stories. They are all worthy of sharing. Just because your fiancé didn’t propose with a flash mob or skywriting doesn’t mean that your story isn’t romantic. In fact, I like those even better!
My husband had made some proposal plans when we got engaged – we were going to have a picnic in Malibu and he was going to propose then. But we had several days of rain (unusual for LA in May) and our picnic kept getting postponed. My husband was so excited to propose (he said the ring was burning a hole in his pocket – and after getting to tell him that I was pregnant years later and not being able to contain that surprise, I totally understand). So he ended up proposing to me, before we even got out of bed for the day. It was simple. It was sweet. It was ‘us.’ It was perfect really. But for a while I was sort of bummed I didn’t have this grand proposal story. Looking back, that’s so silly – it is a grand proposal story, because it is ours. Now, I still would have loved to have had a photographer secretly documenting my reaction, but that would have been a little weird under the circumstances right? Maybe a little…
So I want you all to know that you really shouldn’t put so much pressure on the proposal – isn’t getting one enough? Every proposal story is a great one, and worth sharing. So share your proposal stories below – I would love to hear them and so would your fellow readers! And yours might just get picked for a new regular ‘proposal story’ feature on Oh Lovely Day!
So, let’s hear it. Share your proposal story in the comments. You can also pin, tweet, facebook, and instagram your proposal photos and tag Oh Lovely Day and use the hashtag #alovelyproposal to share your story and follow along with fellow readers. And go! (and congrats again!)
PS – Read this: What to do first when you get engaged.
{photo credits} 1: Jon-Mark Wiltshire / 2: Tracy Petersen / 3. Michael James Photography / 4. Paparazzi Proposals via How He Asked
My fiance did a really awesome job of surprising me and he recruited the help of our friends to help get it on tape!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkBoPokB3nM&feature=share&list=UU-QtI4b6-i50e0ZBt1qNgIw&index=1
So back in high school my husband Johnsie and I dated off and on. He was a grade below me and I thought he was adorable, but I was always breaking up with him for one reason or another. We were both in show choir (me in the all girls group, and he in the mixed group)…and yes it was pretty much like Glee. 🙂 The start of our on again off again relationship was when he asked me to the Christmas dance. I remember I was getting ready to start rehearsal with the girls and he walked in with a few of his friends. He sort of cornered me and confidently asked if I would go with him. I said yes, and he did one of those (now old school) “yes!” yells with the fisted hand gesture and slapped his friends five. I laughed and thought it was so cute that it was such a big deal to him. A few break ups later we eventually went our separate ways still remaining friends. I graduated…eventually he did as well…he went to college…I stayed home and worked. We would meet up for lunch whenever we could when he was home for Christmas or summer. Then there was a longer season that passed. I met a guy that I fell for fast and was pregnant in a minute. At the time I found out I was pregnant, the guy had moved to Montana to work for the summer and I was living with 3 roommates. We had agreed to move in together and try to make things work when his season of work in Montana was over. In the meantime, I had a place to stay and was surrounded by people who cared about me…and one day, while making lunch for me and my belly, there was a knock at my door. It was Johnsie. My heart dropped when I saw him. Apparently he heard I was pregnant and said he had to see for himself. We had a nice talk and we both assured each other we were happy. He told me he was thinking of moving to Vegas with his sister and I encouraged him to do what he wanted, although in my heart I hoped he wouldn’t. But he did.
Fast forward 4 years later he came “home”…I was going through a divorce…he was in a nightmare relationship, and inevitably we got through the messes we were in and followed our hearts right back to each other. We were together for a couple of years, and he started acting really weird. I almost thought he was going to break up with me. Little did I know he was planning to propose and was just trying to make extra sure I wouldn’t suspect anything. I didn’t.
So one day, I pulled up to pick up my son from daycare (which happened to be in our old high school building) and Johnsie was there. I figured he got off work early and wanted to meet me there. He greeted me with a kiss and said his aunt (who knows everyone in our town) told him he needed to help the music teacher with something, but he couldn’t figure it out and thought maybe I could help. Maybe I am naive, but it still seemed totally believable. He said he spoke with the daycare teachers and they would watch my son a little longer for me to go with him for a minute. When we got to the room no one was in there so he said “she’ll probably be back in a minute”…in the meantime, we laughed at how much smaller it seemed and just talked about a few memories we had in that classroom. He pointed out the exact spot he asked me to the dance, and then got quiet. I told him he was making me nervous and he just smiled shakily. And before I knew it, he was on one knee telling me he’s always loved me and asked if I would marry him. And after a shocked pause (which he still says made him really nervous) I of course said yes! …and haven’t broke up with him since. 😉
https://bride.baltimoremagazine.net/2013/05/boh-knows-weddings/
My story is posted there! It is a fab one 🙂
I am a Proposal Planner and while I do plan some over the top proposals, I agree that it is not necessary in order to make it special. Here is one of my favorite proposals
https://blog.theheartbandits.com/winter-wonderland-proposal-san-francisco/
my fiancé and I both blogged about his proposal, from each of our perspectives!
here is his version: https://kurtedouardcarlson.wordpress.com/2013/07/18/clever-women-are-difficult-to-surprise-but-i-managed/
and mine! https://circlecitytwentysix.wordpress.com/2013/08/21/the-biggest-news-from-this-summer/
to me, it was perfect – full of surprise and laughter and hugging and love. I think about that day so often (especially now because we are 4000 miles apart – he’s in Vienna, Austria as a Fulbright Scholar and I’m stuck in Indianapolis waiting for him to return). And every time I think about it, I feel so much joy! I love being engaged 🙂
My handsome & I have a very unusual proposal story, one that consists of two proposals for one huge reason: We were in a committed long distance from day one of our relationship, until about 2 years later when we finally closed it. He asked me the first time while with his family for New Years & then he asked again once we closed the distance, allowing my family to be apart of it. Most people say that it’s weird he asked me twice, but who says what’s normal? Both of our families mean the world to the us; sharing this milestone in Joshua’s and my life together made those moments even more special.
Our first proposal was while I was up in Virginia visiting Joshua and his family for New Years, my goal was to claim that adorable and cliché New Years Ever kiss and start 2016 by his side rather than on Skype like the year before. Our one and a half year anniversary was coming up, but since it was in January, we wouldn’t be together for it.
On December 29, 2015, he decided to take me out to take me out on a nice fancy dinner date in honor of that special day. We went to this cute little Italian restaurant named Savio’s; the food was amazing and the atmosphere was so romantic! After our amazing date, we headed back to his house to watch a few Christmas movies. When we get in the door, Joshua walks off and I head into his bedroom to change, but he then yells out of nowhere, “Hey beautiful, please get something out of my lock box for me?” So I shrugged my shoulders and headed that way. When I unlock and look inside, a little note is sitting on top; I start to read, “I think I wanna marry you.” My heart beat quickened and my eyes started watering; I turn around and Joshua is on one knee with a ring in hand. He goes on to ask me to marry him
Me: “Of Course!”
Joshua: “Yea?! You will marry me?”
Me: “Yes! Of course!”
On July 26, 2016, Joshua re-asked me to marry him. It was a beautiful Tuesday night and he had taken me to the beach, so we could enjoy a nice walk together. We had stopped at one point when I see a heart drawn in the sand with rose petals around it. I commented on how cute that was and started imagining what took place there. We walk over to it to get a closer look and he suddenly stops us dead set in the middle, my heart starts racing again, and he gets down on one knee. He then re-asks me to marry him with thee cutest speech about our long distance journey and how it strengthened us. He talked about all the things he wanted to have with me and how much the time we have spent meant to him. I was in tears just staring at this man I called mine.
Joshua knew my dream proposal included my family and he exactly that but with both of my families, his & mine. Honestly, the best part of the proposals was that he asked me on the beach where my Grandpa’s ashes were spread into the ocean, those years back. My Grandpa has been very important my whole life and having him, watching over us, just made everything perfect . Joshua was able to create two very touching moments, ones I will never forget. I count my blessings everyday that God gave me such a good man that listens to my hopes and dreams… but then also makes sure they are accomplished!