Marriage Proposals

[Jenny AU-92 0]

Just something light for today... as Woods is headed towards the "Big Question" on Christmas, I thought it might be fun to see how you guys (or for us women, our spouses, past or present) asked your significant other to be yours forever. I personally have been proposed to three times, one good, one HORRIBLE and one unbelievably wonderful.

My first one was under the trees in front of Sanford Hall, but it never made it to the altar. Still, pretty special. I can't see The Hall anymore without remembering it.

My second was my ex-hubby. He moved to Dallas ahead of me, and I refused to move out to join him unless we were at least engaged. I had really been nagging for him to make a decision, but then I felt bad about nagging, so when he came home for Memorial Day weekend, I drove to P'cola to spend the weekend at his parent's house with him. We were going out with some friends that night, and on the way into P'cola, I apologize for my nagging and said "I promise I won't mention the word engagement all weekend." He reached in his shirt pocket and handed me a ring, while he was still driving, and said "Will you marry me?" His plan was to take me to Fort Pickens and propose on the beach that night, full moon and all, but instead he took the smart ass way out. I should have seen the writing on the wall right then, but the glare from his family's LARGE heirloom 100+ year old diamond and platinum ring blinded me to it. Hey, young, dumb, stupid and materialistic!!

My third was my beloved corndog. We knew we were going to get married, but I wanted a real proposal I could tell my kids about and not be ashamed (see above paragraph). I laughed once and said "You could propose to me on your back deck and it wouldn't matter to me, as long as it was romantic." So one night, after dinner, we went back to his house to "pick something up" before heading out again. He left me in the house, went outside for a few minutes, then called me outside, saying he had a surprise. I was expecting new patio furniture. Instead, it was magical. He had strung thousands of twinkle lights on every tree, bush and shrub in the yard. Candles were lit, Van Morrison was on the CD player, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries were on ice, and he was on one knee. I have never told anyone what he actually said, but the important part (WOODS, PAY ATTENTION!!) was that he did NOT ask me to marry him, HE ASKED ME TO BE HIS WIFE. And of course I said yes, when I could speak again. And (ANOTHER IMPT POINT), he gave me the ring AFTER I said yes - I personally felt like offering the ring was like a bribe - "Marry me and look what you get!!!" That proposal, and the wonderful man behind it, should explain things to anyone who wonders how I could marry out of my religion.

Next?????

[TitanTiger 20,519]

Mine was preceded by an interesting few days. My wife and I had been dating for 3 years. We had lived in Montgomery for the first 2 and in Nashville for the last one. I had planned on buying a ring and asking her shortly after moving to Nashville, but my first job out of college wasn't exactly allowing me to sock tons of money away, and on top of that, the company was bought out and reorganized and my job eliminated.

So, I tried to get work in my field for a couple of months, then took a job at Circuit City just to pay the bills. I worked there through Christmas and until March of the next year when I got a job working for the company I'm still with almost 8 years later. Anyway, MUCH better pay and benefits and I was able to start saving.

Now, I already had some money but needed just a little more to get a nicer ring. In my desire for it all to be a surprise, I didn't talk much about it and that started wigging her out. For one, I put some car stereo stuff on layaway to take advantage of my employee discount before I left CC. So she's sitting there thinking that I'm blowing money on stereos while she's waiting for a proposal. But I had it covered!

Anyway, within a couple of months at the new job, I go out and purchase a ring. But it needs to be sized and such, so I buy it on Friday and they tell me it will be ready on the following Tuesday. My plan is to ask her over to my place on Thursday for dinner before we were to go out and hear some music with a group of friends. I thought it would be perfect...a romantic dinner, a proposal, then meeting up with all our friends so we can tell all of them at once.

But before all that, she decides to have a talk with me on that Sunday. And she lets me have it. She's tired of waiting. Do I want to marry her? Why am I buying stereos and speakers? Am I afraid to commit? Yadda, yadda, yadda. Still not wanting to spoil things, I tell her that I do want to marry her and I have been seriously thinking about it and so on. I tell her that I want it to be special when it happens and don't want to spoil any surprises and such and tell her to trust me. She says she will but looks skeptical.

So, I set up the Thursday thing, but early in the day on Thursday, she backs out and doesn't want to fool with coming over for dinner that night because where she lived was closer to where the concert was. I tried several reasons, all of which were lame since I hadn't had time to consider that she'd back out, and finally gave in. We planned the dinner for Friday night.

Friday night comes. I cook a nice meal, romantic candlelight and nice music. Then, I tell her I have something for her and to close her eyes. I go into my closet, rustle some boxes around to make it sound like something else, then come in and kneel. She opens her eyes, I ask her to marry me and show her the ring, she starts crying and says "Yes!", and then realizing all that had happened from the chewing out on Sunday to the postponing of the dinner says while still crying, "You have a stupid girlfriend."

[texaubie 0]

My wife was more surprised when I asked her to move in with me. We were both 30 something so what the heck. Six months later with no planning and no ring, we started talking about marriage. Three months after that we were hitched...

I know - not very romantic. I did stipulate that we had to get married before or after football season - not during. She chose before hence the short engagement.

[MDM4AU 336]

My wife and I met 11 years ago on a blind date. I was a senior in HS - she a freshman in college. We dated for about a month or so and just realized it wasn't working. I lived at home with MOMMY in Montgomery, she lived in B'ham and was in a sorority, etc. We stayed in touch over the years. Move ahead 4 years and I ask her to a concert in B'ham that my best-friend and I are going to. She goes with and we begin dating again.

Almost three years later, I have asked her parents and bought the ring. We plan a trip to New Orleans to visit some friends for the weekend. Her parents pay for the trip knowing what it is for. She simply thinks they are in a charitable mood.

Wednesday night, prior to our Friday departure, she lets me have it on the phone. The whole, "I'm not going to be like my sister and not be married at her age after we have dated for three years, blah, blah, blah... when are you going to be ready, blah, blah, blah... If you aren't ready maybe we should rethink our relationship, blah, blah, blah. .

I keep the ring in my carry on on the plane and the x-ray attendant says loud enough for the entire Birmingham Metro Area to hear, "You'd be surprised what we see in here" voice rising ever so slightly. If looks could kill, she would have been a big greasy spot on the terminal carpet.

Anyway...

We go to dinner that night and the restaurant is not what the bell-boy at our hotel told us it was. I'm thinking slacks and button downs, they were wearing umbros and cut-off blue jeans, halters and tanks. Plan has oficially hit a bump. Food was great but not what I had in mind by any means.

After eating we go back to the hotel and I ask her back to my room while I change my shoes so we can "go walk around." Running out of ideas, I sit her on the bed, kneel down and pull the little black box from my pocket. She screams, covers her face and falls backward on the bed. I then proceed to fumble the box, the ring goes rolling across the floor and I dive for it. By the time she raises up, I have composed myself and am holding the ring. I ask and she says yes, obviously.

I tell her about all the planning and asking of the parents. She calls them and tells her dad that she can't believe they knew, to which he responds, "Why, hell yeah. Why do you think I paid for the trip? So I could pawn you off on somebody!"

We stepped out on the balcony and there was a man singing on the street corner, just like every street corner in N.O. I threw him some money and he sang the Sam Cooke tune, "You Send Me" all the way through while we danced.

[WarTim 3,457]

My lovelly bride and I shall celebrate our 25th Anniversary on Dec. 23rd.

(She is one great lady....GREAT Mother.....G R E A T wife! ! !....As my own Father stated: "You could not have done any better but SHE damn sure could have ! ! !")

We were married at the ripe old age of 18.

I proposed on DEC. 23rd, one year prior to the day.

I took her to a spot in our hometown that is a landmark and that I figured would always be around. Lucky for me, the site remains.

I told her I loved her and that if she would say yes I would do my best to make sure she never had any regreats.

You would have to ask her if that has been the case, but, she hasn't left .....YET ! ! !

Two daughters...One graduates this Friday from AU, the other will be a freshman @ AU next Fall.

It has been a great ride.....

SHE is STILL the BEST ! ! ! !

(Note: BEFORE our first date, I only had one question..."AU or ua?".........

She gave the correct answer, or, My girls would have a different Mother! ! !")

War Eagle.....God Bless.....All the best ! ! ! !

[Ranger12 46]

I prosed to my current wife on the beach at Orange Beach. We had been dating for three years and since I have already been married twice and have two kids, I had her convinced I was not proposing any time soon. Since I was approaching 30 and she was just 23, I kept telling her there was not rush since she was still so young. Well, I popped the question on the beach one night and the first thing out of her mouth was "you a--hole!", then tears. Of course, the reply I got was because of the fact I had her totally fooled and it drives her nuts when I play mindgames like that. After a few minutes of laughing and tears, I had to verify that the answer was a yes, since I had not actually gotten the exact answer that I was looking for.

[DKW 86 7,447]

We had been dating for about 2 + years. I was on very good terms with her daughter, now my daughter, Emilee. Asked Emille if it was ok. She said big yes. Asked her parents, they said yes.

Planned a nice romantic dinner for us at Ruby's, where we had our first date.

The day came and she was just awful. It must have been a really bad day. Anyway, I asked her She said yes. We cried. We made plans. We have a great life and now two great kids.

But on the whole, that day was likely the worst day her and I ever had, prior to me asking her to marry me.

I can laugh now but it was awful. She was just in a really bad mood all day. I guess she just didnt have time to get engaged that day. Had to work me in to her schedule.

[WarEagleFL 0]

This is a very informative thread for me. Woods, I also am going to be "popping the question" very soon. I was actually going to start a thread about marriage proposals until I saw this one by Jenny.

I have never told anyone what he actually said, but the important part (WOODS, PAY ATTENTION!!) was that he did NOT ask me to marry him, HE ASKED ME TO BE HIS WIFE.

Why do you say it is better to ask it this way Jenny?

[Ranger12 46]

This is a very informative thread for me. Woods, I also am going to be "popping the question" very soon. I was actually going to start a thread about marriage proposals until I saw this one by Jenny.

I have never told anyone what he actually said, but the important part (WOODS, PAY ATTENTION!!) was that he did NOT ask me to marry him, HE ASKED ME TO BE HIS WIFE.

Why do you say it is better to ask it this way Jenny?

What about "Will you be my soul mate"? Nah, to cheesy. How about this, "Will you be my lifelong sex slave?".

[War Eagle 96 10]

Roof of the Empire State...she had no idea. Twas great! My sister and her husband were there so we actually have a picture of it. First and last time I was on bended knee. Ha!

[woods1110 0]

This is a very informative thread for me. Woods, I also am going to be "popping the question" very soon. I was actually going to start a thread about marriage proposals until I saw this one by Jenny.

I wish you all the luck...

I plan on proposing on Dec. 23rd, which is less than a week away!!!!

[UNAlionpawsMom 0]

Now my side of the story!

It started out with furniture shopping for his/someday our house. And, might I add, I'm not a big shopper. Then when it came time to get something to eat, we were going to drop Emilee of at my mom's. I just didn't see any reason to not take her with us and I felt like I was imposing. Of course when we got out of the car at the restuarant, I saw him put the box in his pocket. I knew it was coming and was pretty amusing watching his nervousness. He couldn't even eat, but I enjoyed the meal! Oh well, all is well that ends well!

[Jenny AU-92 0]

I have never told anyone what he actually said, but the important part (WOODS, PAY ATTENTION!!) was that he did NOT ask me to marry him, HE ASKED ME TO BE HIS WIFE.

Why do you say it is better to ask it this way Jenny?

I don't know exactly why it struck a chord with me - asking me to be his wife was him telling me he wanted me to be his partner, his soul mate, his lover, his companion, the mother of his children - all of those things. The other question is more like "Will YOU choose ME?" I guess having been married before, and being SOOOOOO gun-shy about doing it again, I wanted to know that HE was asking ME because he loved me and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, letting me know that he thought I was the right woman for him.

So now that I have thought about it, maybe it isn't for everyone - some of your significant others might prefer to feel THEY are the one making the decision about YOU - but either way, they can still say yes or no, so the decision is still theirs... Oh, HECK - I don't know why that made me feel SO special, but it did. Just one woman's experience.

[jared52 4,354]

Ok, I'll play, but promise not to laugh...

It appears I decide to tell my life story so if you are only interested in the proposal part, scroll to the section labeled PROPOSAL.

I graduated from AU in June '99 and promptly MOVE BACK IN WITH MY PARENTS. I was pretty sure I was going to be one of those weirdo guys who lived with his parents til he was 40. Anyway, I was working at Blue Cross Blue Shield in Corporate Support (computer tech) and really involved in my church, but even in a church of 1600, there was just no one for me. Well, one day I come home and log on to the 'net and I get a random IM. I used to get a lot of random IMs and I usually closed them but I decided to talk to this one. This one turned out to be a girl with 2 older sisters that just moved with their parents to B'ham, where I lived. Long story short, this sister passed my SN on to her older sister (the middle one) and we began to talk. We worked about 5 minutes from each other and decided one day to have lunch. I decided to "scope out the situation", so I walked past the store where she worked in the Galleria. I saw 3 girls, and two of them were African-American. While I have no issue with interracial dating, I just never found myself attracted to African-Americans romantically.

So that night and all the next day I was thinking, "What am I going to do if I am not attracted to this girl at all?" Well, I get to the store for lunch and there is only one other person in the store and I ask for my date. She smiles and goes to the back of the store. And then out comes (almost in slow motion, like in the movies) this beautiful girl and my mind immediately thinks, "What am I going to do if this girl is not attracted to me at all?"

We have a great lunch and decide to go out again. A month later I ask her parents if I can marry her and they say yes.

______

PROPOSAL SECTION

Knowing that my girlfriend was a huge bear lover, I decided to give her a bear as part of the proposal. I searched online and found the perfect bear. On the front it had wedding bells on it and on the back it said, "Will you marry me?" There was a zipper on the back for the ring. I purchased the ring and got things ready by wrapping the bear in a big blanket. It was a very, very cold night and I had to convince her to go out to a fountain we would sit by and talk many nights. I told her I had a gift for her and that I wanted to work out an issue we had argued about the previous weekend. So out we went in the cold. As we got to the fountain I unfolded the blanket and slipped the bear in my pocket. Then I turned to her and told her I was sorry for the earlier argument and that I never wanted to hurt her. And then I pulled out the bear. Now, she was suspecting a proposal soon and dragging her out in the cold made her think this was the night. But the bear threw her. I handed it to her and then I turned it around and asked the question. She just sat there looking at the bear and shivering. I didn't know if she was shaking her head, "Yes" or just shivering. But the shaking turned to nodding then she just said, "Yes!"

It wasn't all I wanted to be because I wasn't patient in planning it, but it was memorable.

[bammanmr 0]

I had some big thing planned out to do during homecoming at the fraternity house, but the ring burned a hole in my pocket and I just asked her.

Not romantic at all, but the end result was great for me.

[big dude 0]

Great thread. Here's my story....with a little background.

To start off, I met my wife in a bar. Momma told me that would never happen. Crazy, huh? This was not her normal hang out. She was there with some friends from high school who happened to work with me at the time. We had a great conversation that night. I'm extremely shy, so when it came time to ask for the digits, I was nervous as I could possibly be. Anyway, I asked her for her phone number and her response deflated me like a Lindbergh zeppelin. "I'm living with my parents right now, so I'll get your number and give you a call." Kiss of Death, right! That's what I thought. I reluctantly gave her my number, assuming that I would never hear from this girl again. Lo and behold, she called me the next day. We talked for hours, but I just wasn't getting the "relationship" vibe. So we went out a few times and there wasn't much to it.

I saw her and her best friend a few months later at an Alan Jackson concert and asked her out again for the next weekend. I was hammered at the time and forgot the next week. OOOOPSSSSS! Anyway, I see her again at a Hank Williams, Jr. concert with another guy (he was just a friend). She was meeting him there so she asked me if I could take her back to her car after the show. I said sure and met her after the show (the show was outside and I parked close). I said sure because I had just bought a new Dodge truck and wanted to impress her. I finally got her phone number that night and we've been together ever since. Working on 7 years now......

So, the proposal went like this. She has a twin sister who was getting married. Her twin, Amy, had to give the "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?" speech the year before she got married so I kinda thought I was gonna be getting the same speech if I didn't do something. I planned for months and had a friend who owns a wholesale jewelry store have a ring custom made exactly the way she wanted it. We had obviously discussed it before. Women aren't shy about making that kind of information known.

So building up to her sister's marriage, I was feeling the heat. I tried not to bring it up, but "marriage" seemed to be the favorite topic of conversation and I was catching quite a few of those "get off your ass and do something" stares. We were getting ready to go to her sister's rehearsal dinner (we had an apartment together; I know living in sin!!), and I waited until she was in her slip with curlers in her hair (for a memorable effect). I got on one knee and she immediately said yes. It was great! She could now show all her friends and family since they'd be together anyway. Little did she know, they were prepared for it since I had already asked her parents for their daughter hand.

First marriage for both of us, no kids. Been married 3 years now. Just as happy as the day is long.

Good luck to all you guys who are getting ready to pop the question to your significant other!!!!

[sevenDs 0]

Well, I am occasionally reminded that I never oficially proposed. And she never actually said "yes."

First, some background. We were living in Atlanta and like many couples who get serious, we moved in together after a while. On one of our dates we had been to the Cheesecake Factory. We ordered dessert, but were too full to eat it. We took it home to eat later, but we forgot about it before bed. The next morning I was getting coffee and looking for something for breakfast in the fridge. She was sitting in the living room and I ask the question "We're both adults aren't we and can make our own choices right?"

She looked nervous and answered, "yes."

"Well then we're having cheesecake for breakfast." I said as I brought it into the living room with coffee. This started a tradition for us.

After being together for about a year, and having discussed marriage to the point of even occasionally taking a gander at rings, I decided it was time. So during one of our weekend breakfasts of cheesecake and coffee in the living room, I get down on one knee, pull the ring from between the sofa cushions and ask her if she she'd like to do this the rest of her life. Although I got nervous and it was more garbled than that. And she was excited, but was still trying to understand what I said as I placed the ring on her finger. Between the kissing and cuddling that followed that moment and the time we started calling friends and family, I suppose I never actually got an answer.

I was proud of my plan at the time but considering that I didn't call her father first, I did it first thing in the morning so I still had bed head and I nervously slurred the proposal; I guess you could say it wasn't the best of all time.

Oh well, she said "I do" when it counted.

[DKW 86 7,447]

Original Plan for me was the flyb over plane at JHS. But we could bever back to a day game. Anyway, I am romantic but sometimes the plans fall apart.

[Jenny AU-92 0]

I have been SO IMPRESSED with you guys!!! Not only did most of you put a lot of thought into things, you ALL saw it as an important step not to be taken lightly. My faith in "man"kind is restored, for the most part.

For example, it sounds like the whole "ask the parents" thing is pretty much a standard - I am so glad to see that it is still important to you all in this day and age of "I make my own decisions". Funny, tho, that my corndog didn't do that, but his reason was that he wanted to know my answer first, then he wanted my parent's blessing, but that we were both too old and too life experienced to ask for their "permission" any more. (I also believe it was because I told him that my parents were not supportive AT ALL during my divorce ("Just go back to your husband and stay there!"), and didn't come around until they saw how happy I was afterwards, so he felt they did not deserve to have a role in the outcome of this happy moment.)

We were both too excited that night to even call anyone - I was just basking in it, I guess - but the next day, he called my parents and put them on speaker when I told them - and then he told my father that he loved me and would treat me the way I deserved to be treated - which scored him HUGE points from my dad - my dad even wrote him a thank you note, saying that every man wants to know his daughter will be taken care of, no matter how independent she is.

But you know, sometimes I wonder if there was a double meaning behind the words "and would treat me the way I deserved to be treated"...!! Maybe that is why I am so sweet to him!! Don't want to deserve anything else in return!!

[WarTim 3,457]

This is a very informative thread for me. Woods, I also am going to be "popping the question" very soon. I was actually going to start a thread about marriage proposals until I saw this one by Jenny.

I wish you all the luck...

I plan on proposing on Dec. 23rd, which is less than a week away!!!!

Congrats!

We will share the same Anniversary, Dec. 23rd. (And, just so the ladies will know, It works out great to buy the Anniversary/Christmas present COMBO ! ! ! !)

[Jenny AU-92 0]

It works out great to buy the Anniversary/Christmas present COMBO ! ! ! !)

And I JUST finished saying my faith in "man"kind had been restored... :roll:

TWEET!!!!!!! Fifteen yard penalty, unsportsmanlike conduct, combining more than one special occasion on purpose to reduce gift giving.

Penalty will be reviewed and possibly overturned if proof is offered that gifts given on such double occasion is AWESOME - aka high dollar or EXTREMELY thoughtful.

[Tigermike 3,058]

It works out great to buy the Anniversary/Christmas present COMBO ! ! ! !)

And I JUST finished saying my faith in "man"kind had been restored... :roll:

TWEET!!!!!!! Fifteen yard penalty, unsportsmanlike conduct, combining more than one special occasion on purpose to reduce gift giving.

Penalty will be reviewed and possibly overturned if proof is offered that gifts given on such double occasion is AWESOME - aka high dollar or EXTREMELY thoughtful.

Dude, you were busted so fast!!!!!!!

Learn from your mistakes!!!

[sevenDs 0]

TWEET!!!!!!!  Fifteen yard penalty, unsportsmanlike conduct, combining more than one special occasion on purpose to reduce gift giving.

Penalty will be reviewed and possibly overturned if proof is offered that gifts given on such double occasion is AWESOME - aka high dollar or EXTREMELY thoughtful. 

And this is how I learned to spread the important dates out so you can save up in between. Of course in our household, we have all three of our birthdays and Christmas within six weeks of each other.

I guess that's why there's a Citbank.

[DaddyBoyAU 119]

My proposal was fairly simple - I rented a cabin in JFK State Park in Pine Mountain, Georgia for the Valentine's Day weekend - Valentine's Day was on a Friday that year (1997). I had a warm fire going and I handed her three candy hearts, one at a time (you know the ones, they have sayings on them but they taste terrible). One said "Say Yes", the next said "Love Ya" and the last said "Marry Me". I then got on my knee and presented her the ring.