Engagement Ideas

If you needed to "get bugged by both sets of parents" is this really something YOU WANT to do?

My husband propsed in the knot garden at the Arboretum but it was summer...I'd go somewhere that means something to you both or is cool. We still love going back to the knot garden.

DH made me hike for it...literally.

And I echo what someone else said...if you're only doing it because you feel pressured, don't do it. It's not fair to either of you.

Try this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDjwE1yXI0g

Just remember that the fancier/crazier you get, the more things that can go wrong.

I picked up my girlfriend, sat her on the kitchen counter one day (so that we could be eye to eye for this), told her I love her while holding her, and asked her if she would marry me.

It was simply the right time and place, for both of us.

And it has been amazing, ten years and three kids since.

double post sorry

Don't go overboard because it should be something done from the heart, and the best idea has already been said.  Think of everything that she has said that she loves, not just her interests, but something she loves to do with you.  You want it to be a surprise. 

I wrote an extensive romantic poem that summarized my 5 years with my girlfriend and it went right into asking her to marry me, she was sitting their thinking I was just being sweet as always, then a ring with a princess cut diamond on a custom setting popped out.  No offense, but if you can't come up with an idea yourself, you're probably going to lack the ability to keep that "flame" going throughout the years.  Therefore, come up with your own idea so you can feel a great sense of accomplishment and don't stop here, do things for her always, she's very special!

Wait for her to propose to you.

skipg - 2011-12-28 11:45 AM

KSH - 2011-12-28 2:24 PM

blbriley - 2011-12-27 4:50 PM

If you needed to "get bugged by both sets of parents" is this really something YOU WANT to do?

While he might be making a joke... I'm also thinking if he has to come a message board to ask for advice on how to propose... he might not be all that into it.

Or maybe he is really into it and wants to impress her and not make a fool of himself, so he is asking people for advice

I felt I was bringing up a valid point. I wasn't being flippant. 

If this is something you want to do, the post above that talks about the LA Observatory is a good one.  Find a special place that means a lot to both of you.  Then you'll always have that memory when you visit there again. 

I chose a "destination", sunset on a cruise ship.  I wanted it photographed but didn't know anyone on the cruise.  There were some high school aged boys up on the deck, so I asked one of them to take our picture, and whispered in his ear to keep taking pictures.  I thought if I asked a girl, she'd start to cry.  The boy took one picture of us, I pretended that I dropped something, I got on my knee with the ring and proposed.  The kid got about 5 great photos, and had tears streaming down his face.  He told me that it was the "coolest thing he'd ever seen".

Yada, yada, yada, we're divorced.  Good luck to you!  I wish you nothing but happiness!

I applaud you for wanting to make it special.   So many people just morph from GF/BG to being engaged, rather than the ritual of putting yourself out there in a way that declares your intentions, and even risks getting rejected.   Not saying that marriages of people who just decided it while washing the dishes one night not going to work, I just like the romance of the proposal.   Go for it.

After saying all that, Mr. Booty did what was right for our situation - we were living on separate continents, so he sent a very formal email.  I emailed him back to call me, which entailed a taxi ride and waiting for a computer to skype me from.   And I said yes.

I knew a guy who took his girlfriend on a trip to Japan (partially with his family to visit extended family, who are Japanese).   He took her to a garden, and on a bridge over a koy pond, he proposed.    While doing it, he was so nervous, he dropped the ring into the pond and had to fish it out.   She said yes.  

I like the location of being somewhere you can go again.   We married in our neighborhood park and when we visit Denver, we always go to that park together.   When we still lived there, it was the park I ran around for training and walked the dog, so it was part of our every day lives.