New here...

knockonwood5127

Hello! I've been a fan of TK for a long time, just browsing articles and looking at pretty pictures. Only recently discovered the discussion boards and have been lurking a little, so I figured I would give it a shot!

I've been dating my SO for a little over a year (in March), and we've been living together for almost a year (in June). I have known that I want to marry him since the very first date, and we moved in together after only 3 months! We went ring shopping around our anniversary in March, and have discussed getting engaged this summer. We have a beach trip planned in early August, and BF has said he plans to be engaged before then. I am having a hard time not going BSC, but reading these posts has made me feel more "normal"!

I was hoping to hear proposal stories, which I am sure have been shared a million times already! I'm trying to distract myself a little so that I can really enjoy it when the time does come!

jenjen047

hi! welcome! im new too, have been posting for a little over 2 months. i just read your intro...i love Nicholas Sparks too. my favorite book is also one that hasnt been made into a movie....its called The Wedding.

im NEY (also expecting a proposal this summer) so i cant provide a proposal story but i can definitely help keep you distracted (as can the rest of the wonderful ladies on this board!). what are some of your hobbies? favorite tv shows? movies? can you share pics of your pets?

knockonwood5127

Thanks for your reply! I'm a first year high school math teacher, so teaching takes up a lot more of my free time than I care to admit. But, I love it! I also have a horse so I ride when I can, but lately that seems to be every other weekend at most. 

TV shows: I'm guilty of watching PLL and can't wait for the new season to start this summer! BF and I have also caught up on House of Cards, and I binge-watched Friends on Netflix once it came out on Jan. 1st!

Movies: The Proposal (big shocker there!) is one of my favorites - Ryan Reynolds is adorable in that. I also love Pitch Perfect - BF and I have tickets to the sequel this weekend! Remember the Titans is also a classic, I can quote every line.

Below I have pictures of my horse (Woody, today he is 16 and I've had him for a little over 10 years!) and my pug (Ryleigh, she's 5). BF claims the pug is his as well, and we want to get a golden retriever so that Ry can have a sibling!

bethsmiles

Hi! Welcome to the boards! I love your movie picks! I could watch Pitch Perfect every day! And your pug is adorable

I'm not engaged yet either but this board has been so helpful in keeping me from going BSC while waiting. The women here are great!

[Deleted User]

Welcome! I love your animals!! I also love your movie selections! DH and I are planning to go see Pitch Perfect 2 probably in the next week or so and Sandra Bullock is one of my favorite actresses so I approve of The Proposal!

I was kind of in the same situation as you when DH and I were dating. We weren't living together but he told me in November 2012 that he was planning on proposing within the next 6 months which obviously made my mind go wild. These ladies helped calm me down A LOT! We are here for distractions, ranting, AWing, advice, basically anything. These ladies are AWESOME!

DH ended up proposing a few months later in February 2013 so I didn't have to wait the whole 6 months lol. He proposed the day after Valentine's Day. He told me he wanted to go out to dinner and that I needed to be ready by 5:00p.m. He didn't mention where we were going which drove me insane. So once we took off, he tricked me by pulling off on all these different exits until about an hour later we showed up at the Ritz Hotel in downtown. There was a nice restaurant inside. Once we got to the restaurant, he stopped me and told me that he got a suite for us for the evening. He took me up to the suite and it was covered in rose petals and champagne and it was just absolutely beautiful. I was definitely about to loose it lol. He walked me over to our balcony and proposed to me right then. Definitely one of the most magical moments of my life. 

We got married 9 months later in November 2013 and now we are expecting our first baby to arrive in September 2015. 

Swazzle

Welcome to NEY! 

What's the last book you read? 

Favorite place to vacation? 

Alcoholic beverage of choice? 

How do you feel about guac?

We started dating in June 2007 and moved in together in October of that year. Here's my proposal story:

My (now) H suggested we go look at rings together in June 2011 which is when I started posting here (for advice on ring shopping). I tried on a ton of very different rings and narrowed down the styles I liked but left the ultimate decision up to him. He bought my ring in July, though I didn't know that at the time. In early August, my grandpop passed away, we were very close so I was pretty devastated. 

On a random Tuesday almost a month later, I had just walked in the door from work and H disappeared into the bedroom. He called out that he had something for me so I went in and he was holding flowers. He said that it had been 4 years since he told me he loved me. Which was wrong so I was like dafuq are you talking about weirdo? We went back and forth for a minute and then he said "I also have this for you." He pulled out the ring and got down on his knee and said, "will you?" And I said "WILL I WHAT?!?!!?!" because I'm a major pain in the ass. And then he asked me to marry him and I said yes and we hugged and I couldn't stop smiling and he put the ring on my finger. 

Here's my ring with my wedding band and 1-year anniversary band (we got married in May 2013):

Hummingbird125

@knockonwood5127 - Welcome! Your horse is gorgeous! I'm super jealous. I've ridden horses since I was about 8, did hunter/jumper all through high school and was on an IHSA team in college, but I haven't really during the past two years. I'm hoping to start again later this summer if I have the time and money!

Here's my very abbreviated proposal story

FI and I had been together just short of three years, living together for two, and he had asked me my opinions on rings, so I knew it was coming, but I had no idea when. I had always had my heart set on a Christmas Eve proposal, but I had never told FI this because I didn't want to pressure him. That Christmas Eve, I was kind of bummed out because I had resigned myself to the fact that while I knew he'd be proposing soon, it wasn't happening that day.

We went to the movies (our regular Xmas Eve tradition), and when we got home FI didn't immediately change into sweatpants, which I thought was strange. Finally, I told him I was putting on pajamas anyway and went into the bedroom to get changed. When I came out, all of the lights were off except for the Christmas tree lights, and he was standing in front of it. He gave a whole little beautiful speech and told me why he wanted to marry me and then got down on one knee and pulled out the ring box. It was wonderful. We celebrated by snuggling on the couch and drinking cider + Fireball, and told my family in person the next day and his over the phone. Now we're getting married in two weeks and three days!

speakeasy14

Welcome! Do not feel guilty about PLL, we have very intense discussions each season.  I cannot wait until this next season starts, they have a lot of questions to answer. 

I'm NEY, so no proposal story here.  My boyfriend and I have been together 5 years this Saturday.  We bought a house last August (technically November 2013, but we didn't close till August 2014). It was a foreclosure that needed a complete remodel so we still haven't moved in.  We're in the final stages though, so should be moving in around the end of the month.  

Some questions for you: What part of the world are located? Favorite vacation? Where is your beach trip this summer? Do you prefer to cook, bake, or eat?

KeptInStitches

Welcome! What's your favorite dessert?

Here's my proposal story:

H and I had been together for 5.5 years; he had taken a side job and we had purchased a ring with the money (he gave me a list of 12 settings to pick from, I chose four I would be equally happy with, he made the final choice), so I knew it would be coming very shortly after he got the ring. He's not the kind to sit on it. Anyway, the ring showed up on a Wednesday, but the first time he had a really good opportunity was the following Saturday.

We went out to dinner that day (got all dressed up and everything) and went back to my apartment. He proposed while we were playing co-op levels in Portal 2. He got down on one knee, talked about how much we've been through since we started dating, how we've always worked to make it right with each other when we screw up, and how there's no one he'd rather come home to (by this point I'm crying). He did get the question out, I said yes, then he had to go across the room and get the ring from his backpack. We called some friends and family right away that evening, then told my parents in person the next day. We got married just over two weeks ago!

Peaseblossom55

Hi and welcome!

H & I have been together almost 6 years, next month will be our 1 year wedding anniversary.  I had told H back then I wanted to be completely surprised with the ring and the proposal.  So we didn't do any shopping together.  He proposed after almost 3 1/2 years, while we were on vacation at our timeshare in the Bahamas at the Versaille Gardens, it was perfect.  H had asked someone to take our picture and while that person was taking our picture he proposed.  Luckily the person who took our picture kept snapping pictures and caught my whole reaction in about 20 or so pictures.  H also got my dream ring :-)  Attached below with my wedding band.

 

jenjen047

@southernpeach89 @swazzle @hummingbird125 those are all amazing proposal stories!!

LizzyTish88

Hi @Knockonwood5127 I am also NEY. BF and I went away at the end of March and while we were away he told me that he was kicking himself for not proposing but that it was coming soon. When we got home from the trip, he had mail from the jewelers so I know he has a ring. It hasn't been the easiest month waiting for him to do it, but these ladies and this board have helped a lot to keep my crazy in check.

Also I love reading all the proposal stories!!! Some of them I forgot so keep them coming ladies!! 

untouchablets

Welcome!! If you could have any animal on earth as a pet what would it be?

I'm NEY but me and BF have been together for almost six years. I have a feeling he's not gonna tell me anything, not gonna ask me about my opinion on a ring, not clue me in at all because he's a pain in the ass and those are all things I've asked of him lol. In all seriousness I know he will wait until he finishes nursing school which is super annoying for me because (1) that is also when we will be moving in together since he doesn't work FT right now, and (2) I told him I wanted to get engaged this fall, but I can't force him so I must be patient lol. The NEY board and the girls here are a great distraction

jenjen047

@peaseblossom55 - i LOVE the idea of having pics of the actual proposal. im not into telling BF what i want/dont want for a proposal (except i said i dont care for sports game proposals) but i do secretly hope there are pics of the proposal. it doesnt have to be anything fancy....even just a camera set on auto timer.

all these stories are so wonderful thanks @knockonwood5127 for asking for proposal stories!

btw @swazzle did you ever find out why H said it was the anniversary of the first day he said he loved you?

Swazzle

@jenjen047 - He wasn't too far off, 2.5 weeks early. I remember this because we went away together for the first time to my aunt's beach house and we came home on 9/11 which was a Tuesday. I used to commute through the World Trade Center so I was glad to be off on the anniversary. Anyway, while we were away, I thought he was going to say it but he didn't. He said it the following Saturday as we were falling asleep and I thought I was dreaming and my response was "what?" LOL 

AuroraRose41

Hi and welcome! I love your animals, and the ladies here are awesome, but as you probably know we are all in different stages of our lives now. We all came here when we were NEY and decided to stay . 

FI and I had been through a lot together, including moving across the country from everything and everyone we knew, surviving long distance for a few months when I was on the West Coast and he was on the East Coast (we didn't know how long it would be until we could see each other again; we got lucky that it only ended up being about 3 months). He moved in with me in the fall of 2013 once he got a job offer here, and we were living together for about 6 months when he started shopping for rings. He got overwhelmed and finally just let me come with him to a jeweler to pick out a setting and diamond, but I was kept in the dark after that. We went back to NY for Thanksgiving, where he asked my parents for their blessing. And then nothing, and I went a little BSC. We went back to NY again for Chirstmas and New Year's, and nothing happened at Christmas. I was starting to get a little depressed that it wouldn't happen soon, and he ended up proposing at a family party with both families and many of our friends present the weekend after Christmas. He took me aside in a private area on the front steps of his parents' house and gave me a cute little speech about how he had been waiting for the right moment and wanted it to be perfect, but then realized that any moment would be the perfect moment and got down on one knee and pulled out the ring. He barely got "Will you marry me?" out before I screamed "yes!" and started jumping up and down and crying all at once. We kissed, he put the ring on my finger, we calmed down a little, and went back into the party to announce it to our families and friends. 

phira

Welcome to the boards!

I'm boring because I don't have a proposal story and I'm, like, constantly MIA here because life's gotten so ridiculous. But these ladies are frickin amazing and I'm so grateful to be in this community because it's the best.

jenna8984

Hi, welcome!!

We had been together just shy of 3 years when he proposed. It was the night before our trip to Japan & China so we were packing in our bedroom and pacing back and forth nervous about the flight and the trip since it's so far from home and such a different culture. I said I hope we're not forgetting anything, and he said "we can't forget this!" and busted out the ring and asked. Didn't even get down on a knee haha. We decided to keep it our little secret for the trip so we didn't tell anyone and flew out in the morning. We took a ton of picture on the Great Wall and used that as our engagement pics/ announcement when we got home. A lot of people thought he did it on the wall- he had wanted to but he freaked out about airport security opening it in front of me. I couldn't care less that it was in our room- it was awesome! We've been married about 8 months.

eilis1228

Welcome! NEY was a lifesaver when I was BSC. Here's my novel:

FI and I got engaged last summer. As I mentioned above, I was suuuuuper BSC. I was driving both of nuts. We'd been together for about 3.5 years at that point and had lived together for 2 years. We knew early on we wanted to get married but would have to pay for a wedding ourselves, so we sat down one day and made a timeline that would have us getting married in October 2015. FI said he wanted to pay off his student loans prior to buying a ring, and in May of last year he was debt free. We'd been talking about rings for months, and I knew my mom had given him the ring my dad gave to her. I knew the time for an proposal was approaching, and I had a difficult time keeping my patient pants on.

My birthday is at the end of June, but every year for the past few years I've been away at a work conference that weekend. FI made a big deal out of throwing an all-day birthday celebration for me and another of our friend's the week before my actual birthday. We started the day with brunch, went to a local brewery, played video games at our apartment, went to a cool restaurant for dinner, and ended the night at Top Golf. People came and went throughout the day, but at dinner we had about 20 friends with us. Right before they served dinner, FI let me open my presents-- he had 5 gifts wrapped in bright pink paper, and he told me there was a theme to it all. 

The first gift was a sixpence that had been turned into a necklace, the second gift was a handkerchief with my name and birthday embroidered in blue, the third gift was a t-shirt of his that I stole and sleep in a lot, and the fourth was my mom's engagement ring. By this point everyone was standing around us with their phones out, and I was so hyper aware of everyone looking at me that it took me a while to process what was happening. I apparently tried to set the ring back down and move on to the next gift. FI picked it up and laughed, and it dawned on me then what was happening. I remember telling him, "If this is a joke, I will kill you!" I'm very sweet like that. Anywho, he got down on one knee and proposed, and I said, "Of course!" and we both teared up. Then I asked (with shaking hands due to the adrenaline) what could possibly be in the 5th box. I opened it and found a beautiful moissanite stone that we would use to create a new ring together. The theme of the gifts was something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence for my shoe. 

Here are pics of the rings:

Sorry if they're huge!

knockonwood5127

I love all of the proposal stories!! Thanks for sharing! Let's see if I can get this tagging thing to work...

@Swazzle

What's the last book you read? I'm currently reading a book called 

Favorite place to vacation? I love to vacation anywhere with a beach! Although I really want to go to Europe - I've never been!

Alcoholic beverage of choice? I'm definitely a big wine drinker! For liquor, anything sweet or fruity, or sometimes gin and tonic (random)

How do you feel about guac? I LOVE guac - one of my friends makes awesome guac and brings it when we have people over.

@speakeasy14

What part of the world are located? I live in northern Virginia, near DC!

Favorite vacation? above

Where is your beach trip this summer? We're going to Myrtle Beach!

Do you prefer to cook, bake, or eat? Tough question, I enjoy all three but definitely eat!

@KeptinStitches

What's your favorite dessert? Definitely cheesecake, although I tend to like salty foods more than sweet!

@untouchablets

If you could have any animal on earth as a pet what would it be? Realistically, a golden retriever. But in a fantasy world, I think those teacup pigs are adorable!

knockonwood5127

BF mentioned that he has plans for us the day after my last day of school (I'm a high school teacher) in 5 weeks to go out for dinner in DC to celebrate. So naturally, I have decided that this is when he's going to propose! How do I keep from going crazy for the next 5 weeks??

bethsmiles

knockonwood5127 said:

BF mentioned that he has plans for us the day after my last day of school (I'm a high school teacher) in 5 weeks to go out for dinner in DC to celebrate. So naturally, I have decided that this is when he's going to propose! How do I keep from going crazy for the next 5 weeks??

Convince yourself that it is absolutely not happening on that day. Seriously. If he doesn't propose it could ruin what is otherwise a wonderful day. It's really not fair to you or your BF to put that kind of pressure and expectations on any plans while you are waiting to get engaged.

jenjen047

As always, I agree with @bethsmiles. You never know what he is thinking....he could just be wanting to celebrate. There is at least one girl on this board that saw a receipt from a jewelry store and were sure it meant BF had a ring and it was actually something else.

Swazzle

@Swazzle

What's the last book you read? I'm currently reading a book called 

Favorite place to vacation? I love to vacation anywhere with a beach! Although I really want to go to Europe - I've never been!

Alcoholic beverage of choice? I'm definitely a big wine drinker! For liquor, anything sweet or fruity, or sometimes gin and tonic (random)

How do you feel about guac? I LOVE guac - one of my friends makes awesome guac and brings it when we have people over.

Congrats! You've passed! I make amazing guac too  

You didn't answer the book question! 

ETA: Ditto @bethsmiles and @jenjen047 - Really really REALLY try not to decide that it's going to happen that night. If you've built it up in your head and then he doesn't propose, you'll likely be disappointed. Instead go and enjoy a kick ass meal with your awesome BF! 

LizzyTish88

knockonwood5127 said:

BF mentioned that he has plans for us the day after my last day of school (I'm a high school teacher) in 5 weeks to go out for dinner in DC to celebrate. So naturally, I have decided that this is when he's going to propose! How do I keep from going crazy for the next 5 weeks?

I think I'm SITB but anyways.. I agree with @bethsmiles. You have to convince yourself it's not going to happen because quiet frankly, it might not. I ruined a few weekends with BF for this same reason.

As for keeping busy might I suggest the things I've been doing:

-Watch a favorite series on Netflix. I just started season 10 of Friends last night.

-Adult coloring books. Seriously these things are so relaxing and they force you to focus on something.

-Read or re-read a book series! I just started to re-read the Harry Potter series and I'm on book 2.

-Focus on your time together. You have someone who loves you and wants to spend the rest of His life with you, so cherish that. I know these words are much easier typed then done, but this has been my main focus. I wouldn't change what I have for the world so I don't want something stupid to ruin it.

-And lastly, hang out with us! We're fun! Although if you are going to linger off and check out wedding things then I suggest you don't do that. I had wondered and found a great venue that was within budget and it make me go crazy, so I took some time away and now I'm back and only sticking to the boards!

Dignity100

Who is your Favorite PLL character?

My proposal story is kind of boring:
About a year before we got engaged H and I were talking and it basically came out that he had no idea how much e-rings cost and how much he needed to save, so we went to a jewelers.  Unfortunately I fell in love with a designer e-ring that I felt was way too much.  So we started looking at other options.  H wanted me to be involved in the WHOLE process because he didn't feel comfortable researching the 4-C's or values or anything fun like that and he wanted to make sure I loved the ring because I was stuck with it

I looked and looked and looked for another ring that I loved just as much as the one I originally picked out.  What I didn't know was H did not have the sticker shock I did with the ring I loved and he started saving.

After about a year - H had it with me driving myself crazy.  He basically said 'let's go look at that ring you like again' - we went to one place that was WAY overpriced and I got deflated again, but then decided 'let's just start fresh, this other place sells the designer, let's see how badly priced they are.  She was completely in H's budget with EVERYTHING!  When the ring came in, H took me to pick it up with him, after we 'approved' it - H handed it to me and said 'there ya go!' and that was it.

jenjen047

@dignity100 - my parents proposal story is a little similar and theyre married 33 years! basically my mom assumed he was proposing for xmas....when that didnt happen she confronted him and he said well i was GOING to do it for valentines day but now youve ruined that....so i guess we'll just go get you  a ring. so they went to the jeweler, bought a ring, and she put it on.

teddygirl9

Yay welcome! Also ney...We've been together for 9 years (since HS), living together for a year. I know it will be within the next year. He originally said he wanted to get married around 2 years after we bought the house, but I reminded him that you have to PLAN the wedding first, so I'd prefer a bit more time. So that means engagement within the next year, wedding sometime after that. I found myself a little (lot?) BSC around my birthday last year. It gets hard! Especially after being together for so long. I'm much better now haha. Still waiting, just thinking about it alot less.

stefuhknee

Hey! I'm NEY but I'm constantly lurking on these boards because the women give such amazing advice and it has totally helped curb some BSC tendencies. I've been with my SO for 8 yrs and we have a 2 year old son together, I was so worried that marriage was totally off of his radar and the ladies here gave me the push I needed to have a serious talk with my SO and make sure that we were on the same page about our future. I'm so happy that we did because it's totally on his radar and he said that it will happen this year so now I've tried to put it out of my mind and just be as patient as possible. I agree with PP's about convincing yourself that it will not happen in DC, I thought my SO was going to propose on our anniversary, we were at a beautiful restaurant that overlooked the Hudson and the NYC skyline and in my mind it was the perfect setting and time. It didn't happen and someone actually proposed at the table next to us. It definitely put a small damper on the evening so try not to think that it's happening so you won't set yourself up for disappointment. 

beanbot2002

knockonwood5127 said:

Thanks for your reply! I'm a first year high school math teacher, so teaching takes up a lot more of my free time than I care to admit. But, I love it! I also have a horse so I ride when I can, but lately that seems to be every other weekend at most. 

TV shows: I'm guilty of watching PLL and can't wait for the new season to start this summer! BF and I have also caught up on House of Cards, and I binge-watched Friends on Netflix once it came out on Jan. 1st!

Movies: The Proposal (big shocker there!) is one of my favorites - Ryan Reynolds is adorable in that. I also love Pitch Perfect - BF and I have tickets to the sequel this weekend! Remember the Titans is also a classic, I can quote every line.

Below I have pictures of my horse (Woody, today he is 16 and I've had him for a little over 10 years!) and my pug (Ryleigh, she's 5). BF claims the pug is his as well, and we want to get a golden retriever so that Ry can have a sibling!

NOT THE EVIL BLACK TACK!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh You need some nice brown leather in your's and Woody's lives

cu97tiger

@knockonwood5127 - I live in Frederick, MD... not too far from NoVa.

My proposal story: DH and I had plans for a staycation (we were living in Scottsdale, AZ at the time) at a local hotel over 4th of July weekend. I was pretty sure the ring was coming at dinner that night, because DH had been acting a little strange, planning a whole bunch of stuff that we would have normally talked out. (I am leaving out the six+ months of BSC I went through to get to that weekend)

We checked into the hotel around 1p. It was a suite, so I told DH I was going to go out on the patio to check it out. He was rooting around in his bag. For a half-second I thought 'what if he's looking for the ring?' but I was so convinced he was doing it at dinner, that I didn't think that for long. 

I walked out to the patio, and DH followed me out there. He said to me 'I don't know where your grandmother's ring is.' (I had given him my grandma's ring to take the diamond out of). I was kind of in shock. The ring obviously means a lot to me, but I knew he'd taken it to the jeweler, so I immediately started wondering if the jeweler had lost it.

I said something like 'WHA?' and sat down in one of the chairs on the patio. DH said 'I don't know where your grandma's ring is.' As I stuttered some more, he said 'But I do know where the diamonds are,' got down on one knee, pulled the ring box out from behind his back and flashed a beautiful wedding set at me. I started crying and he said 'what do you say?' I, like @swazzle, made him actually ask me. Then I said yes and we cried and kissed and kissed some more.

Oh, and the reason he'd made all those dinner plans? He had put together a surprise engagement party for that night. Several friends flew in from out of town and it was beyond anything I could have asked for. I have since switched out my e-ring for a different setting.

Original setting and new setting below (same diamond... the one my grandpa gave my grandma in the 1940s).