I live in Montreal, Canada, and Tom lives in Delaware. We traveled back and forth by air (1h 30min) or by car (8hrs) to see each other, practically every weekend. We took turns. A couple times we would meet half way in Albany, NY to spend the weekend together.
Friday, March 5th, 1999 we met up in Albany. Saturday, we went shopping, went to a movie, did all the usual stuff. Before the movie started, we had 1/2 hour to kill, so we walked in a jewelry store. I thought, this was the perfect time to let him know my taste in jewelry and discreetly gave him my finger size.
Anyway, we went to an amazing restaurant after the movie, had lobster, filet mignon and, of course a bottle of wine... We thoroughly enjoyed our night, and headed back to the hotel we were staying at. Tom had brought a bottle of the same wine we had during our first date together. We cracked it open, and he gave me the ticket stub of the Titanic movie we had gone to, 1 1/2 yr ago. I was impressed that he had kept it for so long.
He then handed me this tiny box with a bow on top. My first thought was...is this it? Is he going to propose?...and then I thought, relax Yesim, he has given you many boxes like this before containing beautiful, necklaces, and bracelets...it must be the same thing, because we just went to the jeweler and he JUST got my finger size. So, finally, I convinced myself that this was not THE DAY. I opened the box, and there it was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen! With the movie stub in one hand and the ring in the other, Tom PROPOSED!
He later told me that, he had bought the ring the day before...before coming to Albany, NY. He entered a jeweler in Delaware and the Titanic theme song started to play...so he knew it was the time and the place to buy the ring from. To finish, our little visit to the jeweler before the movie started was just a way to put doubts in my mind...He had the ring in his pocket the whole time!!!
Y. H., Ocean City, Maryland
I purchased a single stem red rose and I placed her engagement ring in the center of the rose. When she came over on that sunny March afternoon, I told her to have a seat and to wait for me. I then when to the kitchen and got the rose.
I went to her and knelt down and told her to smell the rose. She bent down, and let out a scream. I then asked her to marry me, and she said yes. The rest as they say is history.
J. C., Eatontown, New Jersey
I was ill with the flu and we were up in my bedroom watching TV, and he told me to go downstairs and help my mom with groceries (she had just come home), even though I felt so sick...I was a bit angry at that, but when I came upstairs and sat on the bed, I sat on something hard — a ring box. I asked what it was, he said "open it!" with a big grin on his face-so I did, and there sat my ring. He then asked me to marry him!!
A. A., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
My birthday is April 27. It was on a Thursday in 1995. DH held a birthday party for me on Sat. April 29, inviting all my family and his immediate family. After I had opened all my gifts, he said there was one more gift. He kneeled in front of me and offered me a small package. I opened it to find my engagement ring. He said, "I'll make this short and sweet. Will you spend the rest of your life with me?", right there in front of all our family members.
My dad was warned just before the gifts were opened, so he had the video camera rolling. We can relive the moment forever, because of this. He waited to ask for my hand until the very last moment and my parents (well....my dad, at least!) were caught off guard. My dad had tears in his eyes and his hands were shaking as he tried to focus the camera on my hand and the ring. It was a very sweet proposal, and the family seemed to like being part of it.
T. P., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
We were on a vacation in Egypt. Since the time I was little I wanted to go there. It was mid-afternoon, well over 100 degrees and we were touring the pyramids. Just being there was amazing, but it was about to get even better. My husband called me over to a secluded area, I was reluctant to go because it was so hot and I was tired and I didn't see the point. He finally said just 'get over here'! When I reached him he dropped to one knee and looked up at me. For some strange reason I thought he had fallen and I tried to help him up (nerves?) He shook me off, and presenting me with a ring asked me to be his wife. I started to cry of course. And I said yes. He had arranged for us to ride camels right after - I felt a million miles off the ground. I found out later that he had been hiding the ring in various places during our trip before he asked me - kind of like a game. One night apparently I slept on it. He also has a photo of me asleep on the plane - on the way there- and he is dangling the ring over my head. We returned to our hotel and called our friends.
S. S., Vancouver, British Columbia
After having talked about marriage for a few months (immediately after we started dating!), he told me he wanted to go look for rings...I was very excited and expected to start "browsing" in the following weeks. That Sunday we had planned on going to Rosarito for a family barbecue (my parents own a vacation home there), since the weather was nice he suggested we make a weekend out of it and stay at Las Rocas Resort.
I was having a great time and didn't expect anything more than that from our little getaway...but to my surprise he had more in store for me, that evening as I stood on the balcony and watched the sunset, he ran to the car (using the excuse that he wanted to get some CDs) and hurried back in to catch the sun go down. I was so lost in the sunset I failed to notice that he was holding a box and there was an amazing ring in it! I nearly fainted! The family was expecting us on Sun for an engagement party, this was the first and probably only time when I had no idea what he was up to. Thank goodness!
M. L., San Diego, California
He took me away from work early on my birthday, and we went to Sunset Cliffs to see the big waves from the storm. Then, he gave me my birthday gift, which was poem he had written for me, and had made all pretty and framed. It was beautiful . . . about how there are a billion stars, but only one shines bright enough for him . . . Then, he said he'd gotten me one other thing, but it was just a little thing, and pulled out my engagement ring! I was shocked speechless, so he said "it goes on this finger," and slid it on my ring finger, then got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him. I started to cry and said "YES!"
E. G., San Diego, California
He called me outside to come see what our dog was doing. When I got outside he was on one knee with our dog. Then he asked if I would like to spend the rest of my life with the two of them. And of course I said yes!
J. F., San Diego, California
