A Bit O/T - Getting Engaged

Hope you don't mind my story, being the guy and all that. Sorry if it sounds a bit "third person" but it's just copy'pasted from our wedding website.

I'd planned this for a few months, but didn't know quite how to do something special and make it memorable. Anyone who knows me will know that I'm about as far from spontaneous as you can get, and like to plan everything to the minutest detail months in advance to make sure everything goes right first time - an unfortunate trait from my work as it involves a lot of logistical planning.

Carolyn's sister, Bev, got married on 21st August 2010, so in the run up to that, Carolyn was needed for a number of weekends for things like hair trials and makeup. I happened to find myself with a free Saturday morning (I was seeing Carolyn later that day) so I hopped on the "45" bus to Camberwell Green, to F Hinds. After standing outside and looking in the window for a few minutes, slightly boggle-eyed at the amount that some of these bits of jewelery were costing, I finally decided to go in and see if they could help me with something appropriate that wasn't going to require a small mortgage. I already knew the size needed, and that she liked sapphires and diamonds (well what girl doesn't) so after about an hour of looking at rings, I finally found what I thought was hopefully something she'd like. Great! Ok so it'll need to be sized, no problem, handed over the credit card (which was nice because I got Nectar points too!) and was told 3-4 weeks delivery.

Three to four weeks? That'll mean I miss our first anniversary as we'll be away on holiday that week. Help! "Well sometimes they're early" said the shop assistant, which didn't exactly fill me with confidence but, hey, it was that or Argos so I decided to bite my lip and go for it.

Our holiday was rapidly approaching, no news from the jewelers, so I resigned myself to having to come up with a "Plan B" for later in the year. Friday 23rd July came, I packed up my case for our holiday, loaded it into the car and drove to work to go down and get Carolyn in the evening, then down to the caravan. Just before noon, my mobile rang with a number I didn't recognise - my ring was in!

Ok, think... checked at work, it was fine to have a 'half day' at short notice, so that was easy, I could at least get the ring - but how to "do the deed"?

Then it came to me. On our 'first date' we took a river trip on a Thames Clipper, so what about the Chichester Canal? A few phone calls later and my scheme was in place. With a detour via Camberwell, I headed on down to Carolyn and off on our holiday we went.

We had previously agreed to have a trip on the Chichester Canal on the saturday; the sun was out, and we hadn't managed to get there on our trip earlier in the year, so off we went.

We parked up and walked over to where the Chichester Canal 'base' is, and there was one picnic table left unoccupied so I "suggested" to Carolyn that she go and grab the table whilst I go and buy our tickets. What she didn't know is that I'd chartered private use of the boat for a trip, the crew and office staff were all in on it - but she was completely oblivious. I got a couple of ice creams and we sat in the sun waiting for our 12 noon trip.

The captain (or whatever he's on a canal boat) yelled out "tickets for the 12 noon trip" so up we got and walked towards the 12 seater narrowboat Egremont, but nobody else followed us. Carolyn guessed that something might be up, but I played it cool, shrugged and said "well it's lunchtime I guess" and off we went to enjoy our trip, complete with the standard commentary pointing out the various bits of the canal heritage and at around 12.30 we reached the far end of our trip (the current route limit, the bridge over the B2201 at Donnington) and we turned round for our trip back to Chichester.

Looking for a suitable landmark, just a few minutes back from the route end was the remains of the old railway bridge that carried the "Selsey Tramway" over the canal so that seemed as good a place for any. I said, "um, actually there is a reason that we have the boat to ourselves", got down on one knee (or at least as close as you can on a narrowboar) and popped the question. There were a few seconds of stunned silence, then an enthusiastic "YES!" and a hug... phew, I could breathe again!

I gave a 'thumbs up' to the boat crew, who invited us up to the "Bridge" to enjoy the sunshine with them, and we got their congratulations. Apparently we are the first couple that they are aware of that have ever got engaged on the Chichester Canal, so we made a point of writing our entry in the Ship's Log/Guest Book. As you may be aware, Ship Captains are permitted to marry people aboard their vessels but despite their kind offer we suggested it might be better to wait a little while!

We arrived back at the Canal Basin, to be greeted by Val (the volunteer who I'd arranged all this with previously) who normally didn't work weekends but came down especially to see what had happened. It was all still a little bit overwhelming but the main thing was it was a 'yes'!

We had lunch, and headed back to the caravan so we could begin to let people know. Naturally we phoned our parents first - and I think it's the first time I've ever heard my mother lost for words! Once we'd done that, we spent the rest of the day ploughing through our friends list, with calls, texts, emails and Facebook messages.

So that was it. Simple, but effective, and meticulously planned (at least as well as it could be in less than 24 hours) with the desired outcome

Neither of us proposed, it just kind of happened. We had been talking about it for a while and when she had to go home last Xmas for 4 weeks it just defined the thoughts that we had that we never wanted to be apart from each other again and i didnt ever want her out of my life. It was like my right arm was missing when she was away. So as soon as she got back, we went to have our rings made and then told everyone. No big hooj gesture, just between me and my boo!?

i like this story very much ?

We were on holiday and were having a night in the villa. My H2B suggested playing Trivial Pursuit (so rock n roll lol) but anyway, I was winning and when it came to my final question to win the game, he said "Are you ready? This question could change your life.... Will you marry me?". He produced a beautiful ring from his pocket and of course I bawled my eyes out and said yes, which it transpires was the correct answer and I won the game ha ha ha.

I think he did pretty well at delivering a unique proposal and had waited through a whole game of TP - which went on for a few hours!

Ooooo Flow it was horrible when she went back to NZ....i had puffy eyes till mid January!! lol

This is so unromantic but..

We had had lots of chats about whether we wanted to get married etc and he had been dropping massive hints to everyone that he wanted to marry me in the near future. I was getting worried because 1) i don't like big over the top proposals and 2) i don't really like engagement rings.

So I asked him whether he was really sure he wanted to marry me one day and when did he hope this would be? He told me next year or the year after but if I wasn't ok with that we could wait longer. I told him I didn't want a proposal really but if he wanted to do one then that was ok as long as it was very private. in the end we agreed on no formal proposal and no engagement ring (though he kept asking me whether I was sure over weeks because he thought I might change my mind). I'm happy I don't have a ring because OH's mum is giving me one which has been passed down through the women in their family which means a lot more to me than a brand new ring would have. the only downside is that when we announced our engagement I kept having to go through this awkward bit of people asking to see 'the ring' and some people just wouldn't believe that we were really getting married.

?

we were in Cuba on our holiday last year and had gone for an evening sunset walk along the beach on the first full day we were there.....i was moaning about how i was getting sand stuck on my freshly moisturised legs so stormed off to wash ti off in the sea, as i turn around OH has written 'marry Me? ' in the sand and was on one knee with the ring! (the funny thing is, when he first told me he loved he hed written it in sand on a previous holiday!)

It wasnt until we got to dinner with the rest of the party (my sis, her hubby, my brother, his wife and 2 nephews) that he pointed out i hadnt actually said yes ?

Well my h2b isn't traditional and whilst i'm not fully at liberty to say....lets just say some ribbon, and engagement ring and a naked other half

was rather amusing, but also would put my mam in an early grave lol x

Ah what nice stories - even the people that think they have unromantic proposals, it is still lovely to read!

My OH got down on one knee on Christmas Day... we had had a few stressful days of discussions about future kids and houses etc, but Xmas Eve had been great fun, then we had a lovely lay in, got up and opened presents.... I remember I had got him some novelty claw slippers for a joke which he was wearing and the Muppets were on TV! He had given me some amazing gifts, then asked did I want my mine gift. I immediately felt bad and said, 'I thought the shoes were my main gift! Oh no, didn't get you anything else, I'm so sorry!' He laughed and then got down on one knee and produced a box from under the sofa cushion. He said some beautiful words and I was half laughing half crying, but expected him to be joking around! BUt of course I said 'of course' and then we visisted telling all our families when we took their gifts.... It's a shame though as the ring is slightly too big and on Jan 7th I got hit with mega flu and not eaten since then so have lost another ring size! So I haven't really been able to wear his gorgeous ring and it is being altered as we speak!

All lovely stories!

I had a whirlwind romance and we got engaged very quickly after meeting each other in Geneva (where we had both moved independently).

We met in a nightclub - we were out with some friends, and then ended up dancing together. I love to dance, and so does he. We kissed. We swapped numbers. We met up three days later for a date in Cafe Demi Lune and played a game of "getting to know you". Basically, you tell each other three things about yourself - two true, one false - and the other person has to pick out the lie. Great way to find out things about each other! We still play the game.

Anyway, two weeks later, Matt was moving flats and had a two week gap between his two places where he planned to crash with friends. I told him he could stay with me for that period as I had plenty of space, a spare room, etc etc. We got on like a house on fire... Suffice to say, he gave notice on his "new flat" and we properly moved in together. Neither of us had ever lived with a boyfriend/girlfriend (he was 23, I was 26)

Two months after our initial meeting, he murmured one night that I was the woman he was going to marry. I was quite shocked... So soon! I feel very strongly that it's bad luck to discuss getting engaged before one of you pops the question - if you're going to talk about getting engaged, why not just ask the question? (It transpired later he also felt that way).

So, (yes, I'm getting there!!!), I proposed to him! The next night - two months after we ha met - we were walking back from a restaurant, through Voltaire's house in Geneva, and sat on the steps of the building in the lamplight. The air was cold. We chatted and talked. I fell silent (he claims it is the longest silence ever... In truth, I was contemplating "do I propose?").

I was wearing a "coat dress", so I stood up, took off my shoes (it felt proper), and knelt down on the bottom step outside the house (see below) and asked him to marry me... He screamed "YES YES YES YES YES"... Never seen a man so shocked and happy!

We know we are each other's soul mates, and we are so alike on everything - even before we were engaged we had discussed bringing up children, religion, values, families, politics, deeply held beliefs, and we rarely have a cross word between us (unless i do that annoying thing of leaving half a cup of tea around the house, or he, um, I can't think of anything he does to annoy me really).

So it does happen

My OH asked me to marry him in Cornwall last August. We've been there on holiday every year and we have our favourite spots.

We were at a place called Port Isacc (where Doc Martin is filmed) on a gorgeous sunny day and he asked if i wanted to go for a walk up onto the cliff, to which i replied " God no i've got my flip-flops on and its been raining so i'll get manky feet!!" So we went home where i then got really drunk and was moaning about how we'd been together for so long and he hadn't proposed (7 years we'd been together)

The next day we went for a drive and as we had booked a kayak trip in a local bay called Port Quinn, So we decided to stop and have a wander up the cliff to watch some kayaks out at sea. There were a few people around so we headed near to the top of the cliff and were watching people jumping in and out of the water and a little man out fishing on his kayak.

As the sun was getting lower and everyone around us had disappeared i asked my OH where the fisherman was, to which he pointed at him, so i then asked i wonder what he's caught,

and to my amazement he said "this" and produced a gorgeous engagement ring!! I couldn't believe it!! He then told me that if i'd of walked up the cliff yesterday then i cold of had it sooner!!!

We went out for a meal with OHs mum, Grandma and his mums OH and my mum and stepdad it was to celebrate his grandmas birthday i was about 20weeks pregnant at the time and my oh stood up so i thought he was goin to wish his grandma a happy birthday or something anyway he came up to me got down on 1 knee and proposed.

We had talked for a while about getting married, we even looked at and booked a venue!! We knew we'd have to wait a few weeks (at least payday) to afford a ring and make it official.

we were going out for a meal one night and as I ran downstairs trying to find my shoes, I suddenly remembered where they were upstairs so did an about turn when I heard him say "will you just bloody come downstairs please" and he was in the hall on one knee with a ring! lol

His proposal speech started off with "I know we don't always get on" ? - thankfully it ended with "I want to spend the rest of my life with you"!!

I love telling my story, it was so romantic (location was completly unplanned though!)

We had just been away with my parents to cornwall for the weekend, he was pushing to go for a walk when we got home (home being where we grew up home) before heading back to our actual home! (turns out he had asked my parents permission whilst on holiday!!)

So i reluctantly agreed, we had already walked a fair bit that day and insisted we went to dartmoor.

He was very quiet in the car bless him, i just thought he was being weird as per usual.

Anyways, we went for our walk and discovered a amazing field of bluebells, was absolutly beautiful. So strolled down to take some pics (he had just got a really good new camera) . I just wondered around then sat in the bluebells as he was taking pics of me. The next thing I knew he came and joined me and started waffling on about how much he loved me - i knew then what was going to happen! haha so he got down on his knee and asked me to marry him. I just lept on him and said yes, tears streaming haha.

was amazing!! i never knew he could be so romantic - men do surprise u sometimes!

heres a pic of the field ?

I have loved reading all of these... the stories are all special.

My OH and I had been together for over 9 years. For the past 4 years or so, I have wondered when/if he would ask, I couldn't ask him, he told me years ago that he thinks the man should propose. Birthdays, Christmases, New Years, holidays, Valentine's Days would come and go and I would have a fleeting thought, "maybe he will ask me today", but the years passed by and nothing!

This year we decided to take some time off work and just chill in our local area (London). For my birthday he had taken me to a meal in a posh restaurant and I had had my usual thought, ("maybe he has booked this restaurant because he will propose") but, apart from eating a nice meal, nothing happened.

The next day, we went up to town to look at an exhibition at Trafalgar Sq then go for lunch and cocktails. Just another day off in London Town. When we got to the exhibition he kept on going on about how it wasn't on Trafalgar Sq, but next to it. I didn't see why it was such a problem??? We have walked through Traf Sq loads of times?!? Anyway, after the exhibition he insisted on crossing over to go Trafalgar Sq. I thought he was mad, we were supposed to go for lunch in the opposite direction. He insisted as he said he wanted to make a day of it. I was like, "Oh alright then", and I stalked off very fast. thinking, "the sooner we get there, the sooner we can go back." I was on Trafalgar Sq, walking very quickly, and I noticed that he wasn't walking with me. I thought, "oh for goodness' sake, where the blinking ek is he?". I turned around, and there he was, a few metres behind me, on one knee with a beautiful vintage ring. I was truly gobsmacked (and relieved that no one on Trafalgar Sq took any notice of us, I would have hated them all to stare), I love how he asked me when I least expected it!

We went for lunch but I couldn't eat anything cos I was too excited.

Oh, and tried to call both sets of parents but neither picked up! Had to call them back a couple of hours later. Typical!

When we get married in September, we will have been a couple for well over 10 years (and yes, I love him more now than ever- true love does last)!

We were supposed to be going to Rhodes on holiday but because i am scared of flying i went and cancelled the holiday much to my OH annoyance!

So we booked 3 days in Bath. We went down to bath on the Tuesday and the weather was just gorgeous. Went to the spa, walked around the town and had really nice day. On the wednesday we had planned to go to Prior Park Landscape gardens. I was quite tired and so said lets not bother but the OH really pleaded with me to go so i got ready. As i'm getting ready my phone rings and its my mum. We have a really bizarre 5 minute conversation where she keeps saying things like "So have you done anything exciting" and "havent you got anything to tell me". I put the phone down and spend the next 10 minutes telling my OH that i think there is something wrong with my mum, i think she is lonely as she didnt have a great deal to say to me just kept asking what i was up to. My OH insists she is fine and we would go and see her when we got home.

Anyway, at prior park the sky was completely blue and we had a pinic by the bridge which was stunning. Afterwards Dan tells me to go and stand next to the bridge for a picture so off i trot. After about 5 mins standing there (getting a bit impatient at the amount of time its taking him to find the camera) he casually walks over and stand next to me. I looked at him and said "well if your not taking a picture i'm going back to sunbath" he replies with "You cant" and why not? "I've got something to do" and he gets down on one knee. At this point it gets a bit blurry, my head went all spinny and my heart was thumping. i remember he said something like "You know its always been you, since we were young there was never anyone that even came close. I love you more than anything in this world and want to spend the rest of my life with you, ill you mary me" I was blarting and managed a yes! After 10 mins of chilling on the grass in shock ( i had no idea) i started ringing family. Firstly i rang my mum and sai " Hi Mum, I've got something to tell you!" Dan had explained that he had rang my dad the night before to ask for his permission! So my mum knew and thought he had proposed the night before. She almost blew the whole thing. Luckily I didnt realise what she was on about.

Here is the pic of the bridge:

and here is us after we got engaged stood next to it ( taken by a passing photography student bless her)

Well, it wasn't a traditional romantic proposal but just so right for us.

It was Saturday and we first went to a Christmas market and then to our favourite pub with all our closest friends. The next day was our 7 year anniversary, so at midnight (I'm not from the UK, no pub closing hours) we drank to "us" and 2 of my friends even got us roses and we shared a long kiss. Then apparently one of my friends asked my H2B when we were going to get enganged and he decided just then and there to propose. He didn't have a ring, so he borrowed a Hello Kitty ring from my friend (I have a bit of a thing for Hello Kitty) and proposed. And of course I said yes!! We spent the rest of the night celebrating and I have to admit I quite annoyed some people at the pub after some time because I kept telling everybody that I just got engaged. ?

I just loved it because we had all the people there we love!

My story is also a bit unromantic!

Been with OH for almost 8 years, never so much hinted at engagement. I'm not really a wedding person, if I'm completely honest, and I think OH always worried that I'd say no if he asked.

Read an article about the lady who designed my ring, thought her jewellery was awesome, hinted at something from her range for my birthday which was about 4 weeks away.

Went on holiday to Faliraki with my best friend, had an awesome time,mum kept phoning me and crying which was a bit weird.

Landed at Manchester airport, came out of arrivals, there was OH on one knee, with ring by lovely jewellery designer I'd seen, saying I could have it as long as it was an engagement ring.I said yes.

Turned out he'd asked my fathers permission while I was on holiday, which is why mum kept crying!

We never made a big fuss of it because my sister in law gave birth the next day!! Loads of people didn't even know we were engaged until we bothered to change our facebook status' (about a month later)!

Its been done a million times but its why we are all here and I love reading these stories!

Il cut it short. MrMini and me were on our first [an only so far] holiday to Lefkada. Our 1 year anniversary was the first day of holiday and I waited for a proposal....but none came Que a mini strop on the second day of the holiday!

After dinner MrMini suggested a moonlight walk on the beach. He is pretty unromantic so I actually thought he wanted a bit of naughtytime and said that I diddnt want to go! He was insistant though and in the end I thought "what the hell, I'm sure I can make it quick!" We sat down under a palm tree with fairy lights and he prodeced a diamond ring from his pocket and the rest is history.

Heart him V much actually

We had been together for 8 and a half years and I was starting to wonder if he was ever going to propose. I had been at a good friend's wedding for the weekend (he couldn't come as he's a police officer and couldn't get the weekend off) and I got back on the Sunday expecting to see him for an hour before he had to go back to work again.

Anyway, I walked in and he'd bought me some flowers (very unlike him) and said they were because he knows how depressed I get after weddings. I might mention here that he's a massive wind up merchant - he was the reason I was depressed after weddings!

He then gave me an envelope and in the envelope was the menu for our favourite restaurant and he'd booked us in for that evening. I still didn't expect anything...

After I got over that, very out of character romantic gesture, he gave me another envelope that contained tickets to Prague leaving the following day. He'd been in touch with my work and arranged time off without me knowing.

Obviously by this point I was thinking he must be planning on proposing in Prague, and he sent me upstairs to pack saying he'd bring me a cup of tea up.

I was halfway up the stairs when he called me back down. When I walked in the sitting room he was down on one knee! He knew I'd be expecting it in Prague so he decided to catch me off guard! He had the sapphire and diamond ring made to match one I had seen a couple of years ago that I loved - he'd kept the picture all that time. And then he opened the fridge and there was champagne on ice!

He's not a particularly romantic person so he blew me away with how much effort and planning he put in! x

Everyone stories are so sweet.

Me and my OH had always said we'd get married and I never thought I'd get a proper proposal. He did it in front if our family on Christmas Day 2007. We got to my mum's house and there was my mum and her husband, his brother, my OH's mum and my 2 brothers. When I got into my Mum's house she gave me an envelope with a clue in it and sent me on a treasure hunt round the house. I thought it was just something to break the ice as my OH's mum and my mums husbands brother didn't know each other so thought my mum was doing it just to get everybody having a bit of a laugh at my expense running around the house and in the garden. What I didn't know was that my OH has arranged it all months before with my mum. The last clue was to look behind the sofa and there was a huge present there and inside was my ring. I was so surprised I burst into tears. It was so sweet and my OH just stood there with a huge grin and forgot to say anything so my Mum had to say 'Dan aren't you going to ask her then' and he said 'oh yeh, will you marry me then?'.