Marriage on your mind? To start the party, we've gathered a plethora of proposal ideas you can customize to floor your intended. Remember that your sweetie will be telling the story of how you proposed to friends and strangers for the rest of her -- or his! -- life....
GO PUBLIC
* For some, a public display of affection is the ultimate intimate gesture. Most movie theaters will let you buy a slide that plays onscreen before the feature. You can design your own and watch as the entire theater strains to see the lucky proposee's astonished expression.
* Convince the local theater to spell out your proposal on their marquee. Phrase it like a film title: "The Love of a Lifetime, starring (insert names here)."
* Take the stage! Get in touch with the stage manager of an appropriately themed production and propose after the cast's curtain call (the stage manager will prep everyone and get you in position). Some people have proposed after I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, a musical revue about relationships running in several cities.
* Have your proposal painted on a billboard en route to his or her office. Park beneath it or await their arrival at work, armed with champagne ready for toasting.
* Take out a full-page ad in a newspaper you know your honey reads daily. Be nearby while they read, lest you miss the look on his or her face!
* Gather all your friends for a big softball game. Give the outfielders signs that spell your intended's name and, "Will you marry me?" When he or she comes up to bat, signal them to display the signs. Tell your soon-be-fiance that if he or she hits one out of the park, a different kind of diamond awaits him or her!
* Make a list of ten reasons you'd like to marry your beloved. Read them to him or her in front of a crowd, have a singing telegram deliver them, or send them written on note cards one by one over the course of a day (or ten!), with the last card arriving via personal messenger (you!).
* We had to add this one: Create a Web page declaring your love and intentions. Leave your sweetie a clue with the Web address written on it -- don't say a word. After the proposal has been officially accepted (which of course it will be!), he or she can proudly send the page to friends and family.
PERFECTLY PRIVATE (PLEASE!)
* Draw a bath for the two of you and place a floating candle or rubber ducky in the middle with a ring tied around its neck. Make a path of roses leading to the tub. (And make sure the drain is well-plugged!)
* Speaking of paths, turn off all the lights in your apartment and make a trail of candles that leads to a circle of votives positioned around a ring.
* Give your girlfriend a foot massage and place the ring on her little toe.
* Send your sweetie on a treasure hunt. Start with a clue at home. Then send him or her on a tour of your favorite spots -- all over town, or just around the house. When he or she gets to the last hint, the treasure should be you offering up a ring or other sentimental token. They won't need another clue to figure out what you mean.
* Sometimes the key isn't how you pop the question, but where. Find a special place, maybe the bar where you first kissed or the Chevy backseat where you first uh -- well, you know. A place that means something to both of you. Once you're in position, just kneel and ask. Your honey will always remember that you remembered.
* Tie a red velvet ribbon from one spot in your home to another. Attach little notes recalling perfect moments in your relationship along the way. You wait at the last stop, ring in hand.
* You don't need to propose with a diamond ring. Buy any jewelry piece or a watch and inscribe it with, "Marry me."
SURPRISE!
* Want to really surprise your sweetheart? Cut out the bottom of a big box, wrap it with pretty paper and ribbon, and attach a card that says, "What's inside the box is a gift to last a lifetime." "Deliver" yourself to his or her office or front door.
* A surprise trip is sure to set the mood. Blindfolds and intricate secret plans (you'll have to pack his or her bags) are a must to increase the thrill factor. Once you've reached your destination, pop the question.
* Is sweetie a deep sleeper? Slip the ring on his or her finger while they're dozing and wake them with champagne and strawberries. The gesture will just seem romantic -- until they discover a new piece of jewelry adorns them!
THE WAY TO A LOVED ONE'S HEART (THROUGH THE STOMACH!)
* Food is a tempting addition to any successful proposal! Spell out, "Will you marry me?" in M&Ms, jellybeans, or Hershey's Kisses on the kitchen table, bed, or coffee table. Send him or her in to read it; when they say yes, you can toast your future with a mutual sugar rush!
* Freeze the ring in a homemade Popsicle, and give your sweet two treats in one!
* Surprise your honey with an intricate gift basket. Pile in yummy delicacies -- the best chocolate, caviar, coffee -- but don't limit yourself to food. You could also include silk slippers, a book or CD. Hide the ring among all these wonderful presents (in its box, so it doesn't get lost in the goodies).
* If you're dining in a fancy restaurant, ask the wait staff to write, "Will you marry me?" in chocolate sauce around the rim of his or her dessert plate.
* Serve a dinner of aphrodisiacs at home and place the ring inside an oyster shell.
* Make your intended breakfast in bed. Propose to him or her while they feel ultra-cozy and pampered
GO PUBLIC
* For some, a public display of affection is the ultimate intimate gesture. Most movie theaters will let you buy a slide that plays onscreen before the feature. You can design your own and watch as the entire theater strains to see the lucky proposee's astonished expression.
* Convince the local theater to spell out your proposal on their marquee. Phrase it like a film title: "The Love of a Lifetime, starring (insert names here)."
* Take the stage! Get in touch with the stage manager of an appropriately themed production and propose after the cast's curtain call (the stage manager will prep everyone and get you in position). Some people have proposed after I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, a musical revue about relationships running in several cities.
* Have your proposal painted on a billboard en route to his or her office. Park beneath it or await their arrival at work, armed with champagne ready for toasting.
* Take out a full-page ad in a newspaper you know your honey reads daily. Be nearby while they read, lest you miss the look on his or her face!
* Gather all your friends for a big softball game. Give the outfielders signs that spell your intended's name and, "Will you marry me?" When he or she comes up to bat, signal them to display the signs. Tell your soon-be-fiance that if he or she hits one out of the park, a different kind of diamond awaits him or her!
* Make a list of ten reasons you'd like to marry your beloved. Read them to him or her in front of a crowd, have a singing telegram deliver them, or send them written on note cards one by one over the course of a day (or ten!), with the last card arriving via personal messenger (you!).
* We had to add this one: Create a Web page declaring your love and intentions. Leave your sweetie a clue with the Web address written on it -- don't say a word. After the proposal has been officially accepted (which of course it will be!), he or she can proudly send the page to friends and family.
PERFECTLY PRIVATE (PLEASE!)
* Draw a bath for the two of you and place a floating candle or rubber ducky in the middle with a ring tied around its neck. Make a path of roses leading to the tub. (And make sure the drain is well-plugged!)
* Speaking of paths, turn off all the lights in your apartment and make a trail of candles that leads to a circle of votives positioned around a ring.
* Give your girlfriend a foot massage and place the ring on her little toe.
* Send your sweetie on a treasure hunt. Start with a clue at home. Then send him or her on a tour of your favorite spots -- all over town, or just around the house. When he or she gets to the last hint, the treasure should be you offering up a ring or other sentimental token. They won't need another clue to figure out what you mean.
* Sometimes the key isn't how you pop the question, but where. Find a special place, maybe the bar where you first kissed or the Chevy backseat where you first uh -- well, you know. A place that means something to both of you. Once you're in position, just kneel and ask. Your honey will always remember that you remembered.
* Tie a red velvet ribbon from one spot in your home to another. Attach little notes recalling perfect moments in your relationship along the way. You wait at the last stop, ring in hand.
* You don't need to propose with a diamond ring. Buy any jewelry piece or a watch and inscribe it with, "Marry me."
SURPRISE!
* Want to really surprise your sweetheart? Cut out the bottom of a big box, wrap it with pretty paper and ribbon, and attach a card that says, "What's inside the box is a gift to last a lifetime." "Deliver" yourself to his or her office or front door.
* A surprise trip is sure to set the mood. Blindfolds and intricate secret plans (you'll have to pack his or her bags) are a must to increase the thrill factor. Once you've reached your destination, pop the question.
* Is sweetie a deep sleeper? Slip the ring on his or her finger while they're dozing and wake them with champagne and strawberries. The gesture will just seem romantic -- until they discover a new piece of jewelry adorns them!
THE WAY TO A LOVED ONE'S HEART (THROUGH THE STOMACH!)
* Food is a tempting addition to any successful proposal! Spell out, "Will you marry me?" in M&Ms, jellybeans, or Hershey's Kisses on the kitchen table, bed, or coffee table. Send him or her in to read it; when they say yes, you can toast your future with a mutual sugar rush!
* Freeze the ring in a homemade Popsicle, and give your sweet two treats in one!
* Surprise your honey with an intricate gift basket. Pile in yummy delicacies -- the best chocolate, caviar, coffee -- but don't limit yourself to food. You could also include silk slippers, a book or CD. Hide the ring among all these wonderful presents (in its box, so it doesn't get lost in the goodies).
* If you're dining in a fancy restaurant, ask the wait staff to write, "Will you marry me?" in chocolate sauce around the rim of his or her dessert plate.
* Serve a dinner of aphrodisiacs at home and place the ring inside an oyster shell.
* Make your intended breakfast in bed. Propose to him or her while they feel ultra-cozy and pampered
