Proposing in Colonial Williamsburg

Weabit

Hi everyone, hopefully you can help me out!

My girlfriend lives in Williamsburg (I'll be moving down there next year) and I'm trying to plan a proposal that will have meaning to her and really sweep her off her feet (she's a hopeless romantic and I love making her smile). I'm trying to plan a CW proposal on DoG street, and I have some ideas, but I don't know how to go about planning them or if they're even feasible!
She loves horses, history, and the Old West, and I've been learning to ride for her, which she told me she found really attractive. I've heard of people renting horses and riding up as "knights in shining armor" to propose. Ideally I would rent a horse, dress as an Old West cowboy and ride it down DoG street to her (having someone convince her to be there at a certain time), where I'd dismount, fall on one knee, and propose. I'd love to pull this one off, she'd be so surprised and I'm 95% sure it would make her day.

Problems

• I don't know how to get ahold of a horse I could use, or who to talk to about riding down the street. I'd be happy to do it at night when there's less people and not so many carriages out. I know the historic actors ride horses on DoG, but I don't know if I could temporarily rent one of the CW horses (I wouldn't be going very far, I'd be happy to ride from one handler to another waiting at the end point).
•  I'll need to learn how to canter. I've ridden more hours than a beginner, have trotted (which I *hate*), and dealt with some stubborn/skittish horses successfully, but am by no means an expert. If I can take a lesson or two I should be fine.

Thoughts? Is this a viable option, and if so, how should I go about starting this? I really want to make this a special moment for her, I'm just not sure how to start, and I don't know too many people in Williamsburg yet to ask.

mkrupar

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_virginia_proposing-colonial-williamsburg?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:236Discussion:17f9c9c2-0c6c-479f-bd8b-22b5ddc49c3bPost:d1bb69dc-9ab2-4677-a39c-ac970c0f0648">Proposing in Colonial Williamsburg</a>:
[QUOTE]Hi everyone, hopefully you can help me out! My girlfriend lives in Williamsburg (I'll be moving down there next year) and I'm trying to plan a proposal that will have meaning to her and really sweep her off her feet (she's a hopeless romantic and I love making her smile). I'm trying to plan a CW proposal on DoG street, and I have some ideas, but I don't know how to go about planning them or if they're even feasible! She loves horses, history, and the Old West, and I've been learning to ride for her, which she told me she found really attractive. I've heard of people renting horses and riding up as "knights in shining armor" to propose. Ideally I would rent a horse, dress as an Old West cowboy and ride it down DoG street to her (having someone convince her to be there at a certain time), where I'd dismount, fall on one knee, and propose. I'd love to pull this one off, she'd be so surprised and I'm 95% sure it would make her day. Problems I don't know how to get ahold of a horse I could use, or who to talk to about riding down the street. I'd be happy to do it at night when there's less people and not so many carriages out. I know the historic actors ride horses on DoG, but I don't know if I could temporarily rent one of the CW horses (I wouldn't be going very far, I'd be happy to ride from one handler to another waiting at the end point).  I'll need to learn how to canter. I've ridden more hours than a beginner, have trotted (which I *hate*), and dealt with some stubborn/skittish horses successfully, but am by no means an expert. If I can take a lesson or two I should be fine. <strong>Thoughts? Is this a viable option, and if so, how should I go about starting this? I really want to make this a special moment for her, I'm just not sure how to start, and I don't know too many people in Williamsburg yet to ask.
</strong>Posted by Weabit[/QUOTE]

I can tell you for a fact that this plan will not work at Colonial Williamsburg. They are very restrictive on what can and cannot happen in the historic area. They will not rent you a horse. It's hard enough to get a private carriage ride. If you really want to make it special for her and Colonial Williamsburg is where you want to propose I would plan a weekend there and either propose to here in the gardens of the Governor's Palace after taking a tour or go to the Greenhow Ticket Office to see about getting on one of the carriage rides. They run regularly, but are on a first come first serve basis.

If she really loves horses why not find a place to do a trail ride with the two of you and stop somewhere along the way and propose. There's usually a guide with you so you'll have someone to take pictures. Or even see if there's an option to stop and have a picnic lunch and do it then.

There are a ton of options out there. Not every girl likes the grand gesture proposal so if you plan something like that I would be 100% sure that a) she'll say yes and b)she's the type of girl that won't be mortified being put on public display.

CvilleClaire

Another thought...not my cup of tea, but might be fun for a horse person.

http://www.chincoteague.com/activities.html
http://www.chincoteague.com/events.html

Weabit

Thanks for the replies, it makes sense now CW is probably a more restrictive location. I just got overly excited because it was the first idea I came up with that I thought might be special. Everything I find talks about making the proposal special and tailoring it to the couple, and I just don’t know how to do it. We can’t easily go to where we first met or our favorite places or anything sentimental like that, and I don’t have the money for a vacation proposal. I can’t use my parents as an example because they had one of the least romantic proposals (oh my father…sweet but blunt wouldn’t do it for her). I’m so excited to give her the ring, but I don’t have any plans on presenting it.

mkrupar

TBH my H proposed in our apartment just the two of us. What made it special was he was asking me to spend the rest of my life with him. That's what makes it important. If you have a favorite hangout or restaurant I'm sure they would help you out with something special. Plant it in a dessert, bring it out with some champagne. Or a nice home cooked meal, walk on the beach. There are a ton of ways to make the moment special without making some grand gesture.

I know there's this push for proposals to be over the top, impressive to other people, etc. But who cares what others think. The moment is about you and her. No one else.

Weabit

It doesn't matter if it's impressive to other people...just her. I'm nothing like what she was expecting out of life and there's some things that will be different for us than if she were with someone else. We've already discussed marriage, so we know that's where we want to be, and I'm not worried about her leaving me, but I would like to give her something to really make her feel that fairy-tales-come-true feeling. If we had a nice place together, I'd probably do something in the home, but we currently live apart, neither of our apartments are very nice, and we both have roommates. She can't wait to leave her apartment.

We're both transplanted from Michigan, so moving to VA has been a big change for us and we're still finding our footing.

Maybe I'm stressing too much, but I only get one chance to do it right. She won't get the strong, smart, tall-dark-and-handsome man she wanted and I am the opposite.

Avion22

It's really sweet that you want to make the proposal special.

First, give yourself some credit.   I would say that most of us, if not all, are marrying people that aren't quite what we had in mind.  Love has a way of surprising us.  THAT is the fairy tale. Tall dark and handsome is over-rated.    She loves YOU, so anything you do will be special.  Trust me on that:-)

Personally, I think a lot of women would find public proposals mortifying.   I like some of the ideas other posters have mentioned -- trail ride on horseback, walk on the beach, picnic, quiet romantic dinner.  You get the idea.  It doesn't need to be someplace that's already special to you.  Whatever you do will BECOME special.  

CvilleClaire

My fiance almost proposed at CityZen in DC.  Then, he almost proposed at Thanksgiving dinner.  Thankfully, he wound up proposing on the beach, with my beloved golden retriever as the only witness.

I would have been mortified if he had made a grand display.  I liked that the proposal was intimate. 

In the end, trust your gut and go with what feels right.

mkrupar

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_virginia_proposing-colonial-williamsburg?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:236Discussion:17f9c9c2-0c6c-479f-bd8b-22b5ddc49c3bPost:629951b2-5b7b-40f6-bc0e-1b764530ab6d">Re: Proposing in Colonial Williamsburg</a>:
[QUOTE]It doesn't matter if it's impressive to other people...just her. I'm nothing like what she was expecting out of life and there's some things that will be different for us than if she were with someone else. We've already discussed marriage, so we know that's where we want to be, and I'm not worried about her leaving me, but I would like to give her something to really make her feel that fairy-tales-come-true feeling. If we had a nice place together, I'd probably do something in the home, but we currently live apart, neither of our apartments are very nice, and we both have roommates. She can't wait to leave her apartment. We're both transplanted from Michigan, so moving to VA has been a big change for us and we're still finding our footing. Maybe I'm stressing too much, but I only get one chance to do it right. She won't get the strong, smart, tall-dark-and-handsome man she wanted and I am the opposite.
Posted by Weabit[/QUOTE]

I would ask her then what her dream day in Williamsburg would involve. Maybe she wants to see the ships at Jamestown. Go to the Yorktown beach or battlefields. Find out what she'd like to do, then figure out a way to work in the proposal. VA beach is only just over an hour away from Williamsburg. A drive down there with a picnic lunch just might be exactly what she'd love.

A proposal in the gardens at the Governor's Palace in Williamsburg sounds pretty romantic. You could follow it up with a nice dinner in Merchant's Square at Blue Tallon, the Trellis, or the Fat Canary. Or take her to one of the taverns.

Weabit

Thanks for all the replies, I'll keep them in mind as I think on it. Your beach proposal sounds lovely, Claire. I love the beach, too bad my girl's not much of a beach person. So far my gut says wait till I find the perfect plan.