9 Women Who Popped The Question Explain What It’s Like To Propose (And Why They Did It)
1. GENDER EQUALITY BEGINS AT HOME
“I proposed to my husband almost exactly four years ago! I believe that if women want equality, we need to subscribe to it in our relationships—gender equality begins at home. And, since we had already discussed the date of our potential wedding, I figured we should seal the deal since we’d only have 10 months to plan as it was! I didn’t get down on a knee, just simply brought it up in conversation and told him that we should go buy rings and get engaged so we could get this party started. He agreed, and off we went! I wish women would stop waiting around like it’s 1866 and take control in every aspect of their lives.”
2. I EVEN GOT DOWN ON ONE KNEE
“I just knew the moment I met him that I wanted to be with him….I used to wear a simple silver band as a thumb ring. Three weeks after we met I took a notion and proposed to Lee with that ring—I even got down on one knee. It was a spur of the moment thing but we were both so happy about it. Lee went to tell his mum—who I hadn’t even met at that point—and he was so happy he was in tears. Our friends were always so happy for us so no one ever minded that I proposed to Lee. My parents, however, were a little concerned that things were moving so fast. They did understand, though, as they became engaged only three months after they met and are still together 31 years later.”
3. Didn’t go down on one knee, but just said something sappy
“I proposed to my guy about 4 weeks ago. Bought a ring, went on a hike down by some waterfalls in Ottawa. Didn’t go down on one knee, but just said something sappy. He said yes. We met online almost 5 years ago and we’ve been living together for 4 1/2 years. He almost ruined the proposal, too. We had a small disagreement. He didn’t wanna go on the hike *argh* Just go…after about 15 minutes, he finally relented.”
4. IT WAS THE MOST BADASS THING I’VE EVER DONE!
“I proposed and it was the most badass thing I’ve ever done! A few years into my relationship with my then-boyfriend, I started to think I wanted him to be my husband. We were talking about the future and it felt to me that we were in this life thing together for forever.…And honestly I started to resent that I “had” to wait to do something that I just really wanted to do….Then, early last year I had a seizure and ended up in the hospital. This led to brain surgery, which, nothing like an imposing life-threatening ordeal to put things in perspective. Life is just too damn short, you know? After I was home from the hospital post-seizure with my surgery scheduled, we woke up on his birthday on February 23rd. I…asked him simply and nervously if he would be my husband and do this hanging out thing forever, while presenting him with his engagement wing. Thankfully he said YES and we got married six months later.”
5. One of our friends was hiding nearby and got pictures of the whole thing
“I took my fiancé to his favorite place in town, the local gardens at sunset, overlooking the city. I gave him a View-Master I had made up with pictures of us. The last slide said “(Fiancé’s full name), will you marry me?”. He looked up from the View-Master and said “Of course I’ll marry you!” I then took out a Companion Cube (Portal reference) ring box and gave him a ring. The best part? One of our friends was hiding nearby and got pictures of the whole thing. :3”
6. I proposed outside while we were looking at the stars
“My guy and I have been together since just after high school, and had talked about marriage in the past. We decided we’d make it official when we felt ready. I felt ready. So ordered a cute wooden ring online and suggested that in lieu of Christmas presents take a trip up to the mountains for snowmobiling, ice-skating, and a romantic getaway (I hate skiing). Our first night there I suggested we ice skate in the pond behind the hotel and proposed outside while we were looking at the stars….I was surprised by how nervous and emotional I got, so my pitch wasn’t exactly eloquent or anything, but I told him that I’m happy with him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him, and would he marry me. He said of course and we kissed. After cuddles and kisses we went back to the hotel room to call our families.”
7. I made a dress with “Will you marry me” written on the front
“I proposed to my husband. It was great! We were planning on going to a Halloween party. For my costume, I made a dress with “Will you marry me” written on the front. I made a T-shirt for him that said “yes.” I bought his favorite flowers and put on “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” (I later walked down the aisle to the instrumental of this song) and put on my dress and called him into the room. I proposed, and offered him the yes shirt. He accepted, put on the shirt, and we went to the Halloween party in our costume —Newly Engaged Couple.
8. Actually he jumped up and was like “HELL YES”
“I proposed to my husband publicly-ish. It was amazing—but I was SO full of nerves! Him and I had made little jokes here and there about marriage and babies but we hadn’t had “the talk.” One weekend, a group of us went camping for his birthday. I had planned to present him with this really cool old knife I bought him and had engraved. But the entire drive up there I had this sense that I wanted to see him with it—forever. Like I knew I wanted to marry him. So on the last night, before the last campfire of the trip, I asked him to meet me by the fire pit (naturally a group gathered, wasn’t really part of my plan but what I do ask them to leave?) We sat down on a log and I started to tell him about how I wanted him to be the guy who took me camping. For always. I gave him the knife and I asked him if he would marry me and he said yes! Well actually he jumped up and was like “HELL YES.” And of course everyone heard so they broke out the booze and we had a great time celebrating my very random proposal. Knife was in his pocket at the wedding 🙂
9. “Will you spend the rest of your life with me?”
“My dude is a huge fan of Disneyland and California Adventure, so the obvious choice would be to pop the question there. But instead, I decided we were going to spend the weekend in Temecula wine country, where they conveniently offer hot air balloon rides.…So I make the reservation, tell them it’s an unusual proposal, book a room at a local winery and tell him we’re going to celebrate our 5-year anniversary a little early. He asks no questions.…So we get up at the crack of dawn on Sunday and head to the wine fields, where our balloon is being blown up. In a stroke of luck, my dude has brought along his new video camera and is too engrossed in playing with it to really pay attention to my subtle plan making with the balloon operators. We shared the ride with 2 or 3 other couples, and they were also in on the plan.…Everyone else is trying like hell to give us space and privacy, and my dude is still filming. So I get down on one knee, pull out the watchcase, open it, and get his attention. And I very hurriedly ask “Will you spend the rest of your life with me?” It took him one second (still filming, now filming his own proposal) to realize what was happening and give me an enthused though surprised yes. He even got a little teary :)”