Finalizing Princess Proposal

[jaebond]

Okay, so I believe that I have settled on the Louis XIV room seen here and here. I would like to have them place a tiara (which I have neither picked out nor asked if they can do this) on the pillow before we get there and either this necklace or this necklace on a table somehwere.

My thought is that we could get there at 4 (check-in time) and then relax in the room for an hour. At around 5 or so, we could go down to the restaurant they have there and have dinner. During dinner, I would like to have them do the heart petals and two dozen candles in the room (I haven't asked about this, but from reviews I've seen, it sounds like they would have no trouble).

What do you think so far? Now is where I have a few questions. I can't decide whether it would be best to then walk into the candlelit room with her and propose, or try to come up with an excuse for her to meet me up in the room and already be up there ready to propose. Any thoughts? Also, a few technical questions. Do I say her full name (Christina and last name)? If I ask her to be my princess, should I also ask Will you marry me? or just ask about being my princess?

Thank you!

 

[jaebond]

Are there any thoughts as to which of the two necklaces I should go with?

 

[tammy77]

I didn't want to leave you with no response at all, but I'm not sure that I'm feeling the princess thing all that much. The roses and candles sound really nice though and the hotel is beautiful! I think you should try to have her come into the room with everything set up and you already on one knee.

My hangup is that when I think of a princess, I think of a young girl vs. an adult woman and the necklaces you linked seem to suggest the same. I don't know anything at all about your relationship though, so feel free to take all of this with a grain of salt!

Regarding asking her to marry you, it's again your call but I would say "Christina, you are my princess...will you also be my wife?" or something like that if you really want to include the word princess in the proposal.

 

[MaddyRock]

I'm sure this is probably a given, but has your girlfriend expressed that she likes princess themed stuff? I agree with the above poster that the necklace is a little young. The site that you link to is actually little girls sized necklaces, so it may not fit. I'm sure the gorgeous ring you've chosen will be enough bling

I like the idea of you having the room all set up after dinner. Or, right when you check in, maybe have her whisked off for a massage or something while you take the luggage up to the room and set everything up! Then when she comes to the room the gorgeous room, flowers, candles and you on one knee will all be a big surprise. Then you can have your first dinner as an engaged couple.

Good luck! Exciting!

 

[jaebond]

Okay, so no on the necklaces. Is the tiara still okay? Especially because she could wear the tiara for the wedding. Yes, she does like princess things, but only from me. And she tells me all the time that she loves when I call her princess (something that started way back when we were 17).

I had considered the idea of a massage, but she HATES to be touched by other people, so I don't know that that would be an option. I'm wondering about the foot and leg massage. She might be okay with that, I'll have to find a way to ask her.

ETA: Actually, I found a winner. The Learn Facial Massage session. That will be perfect. Is there a consensus on whether to do the dinner thing or the facial thing?

 

[tammy77]

If they have a reflexology massage, that's what I would recommend unless she's the type to get excited about learning how to do a facial. Personally, I think it'd be fun and interesting!

About the princess thing and the tiara...I'd go with something else gift wise, like maybe http://www.thingsremembered.com/product/Princess-Carriage-Water-Globe/157534.uts?keyword=crown or I REALLY like http://www.thingsremembered.com/product/Princess-Silver-Plated-Ornament/158951.uts?keyword=princess (which is ridiculously inexpensive and you could personalize too). You'd have to order TODAY though, so that's a little stressful. It says it comes with a 2010 heart charm, but obviously you'd want to remove/not give her that, lol. There's also http://www.thingsremembered.com/product/Princess-Carriage-Frame/157239.uts?keyword=princess and I actually think that'd be my top pick. You could print out a pic of the two of you, put that in it and personalize the frame as well. Then after the wedding she can put her favorite wedding photo in it and put it on her desk or somewhere else so she'll always be reminded of the special days (proposal AND wedding). Yep, I love that idea a lot.

 

[jaebond]

I do like all of those ideas, but the point of the accessories was the make the room a little more princessy since it's not specifically a princess themed room.

 

[tammy77]

How about setting the picture frame up on the nightstand or something like that, with the rose petals all around it? I'm out of ideas, hehe. Good luck!

 

[jaebond]

Maddy, do you have any other thoughts?

 

[MaddyRock]

I think the room is very princess-like. Here's the thing with women and jewelry. If we recieve something, we feel obligated to wear it so we don't make men feel bad. The tiara is a good idea, but something as special as a wedding accessory is something she will probably want to pick out herself. You could get an inexpensive one just for fun. That's why I'm leaning towards the picture frame too.

It sounds like the princess thing is a special inside joke for just the two of you. It may not be something she would share with everyone in her life. You could do something more discreet, like a locket with a picture of the two of you with crown and tiara photoshopped on.

Another thing you could do to make it less girly and more mature is research real royalty. For example, research how Kate Middleton and William got engaged and mirror that. Or get a dress similar to Kate's engagement dress for her to wear. To me that is so much more sophisticated than the Disney princess stuff. But then again, you know your bride to be the best, and I don't want to discourage you!

 

[jaebond]

I think the room is very princess-like. Here's the thing with women and jewelry. If we recieve something, we feel obligated to wear it so we don't make men feel bad. The tiara is a good idea, but something as special as a wedding accessory is something she will probably want to pick out herself. You could get an inexpensive one just for fun. That's why I'm leaning towards the picture frame too.

It sounds like the princess thing is a special inside joke for just the two of you. It may not be something she would share with everyone in her life. You could do something more discreet, like a locket with a picture of the two of you with crown and tiara photoshopped on.

Another thing you could do to make it less girly and more mature is research real royalty. For example, research how Kate Middleton and William got engaged and mirror that. Or get a dress similar to Kate's engagement dress for her to wear. To me that is so much more sophisticated than the Disney princess stuff. But then again, you know your bride to be the best, and I don't want to discourage you!

Thanks Maddy, that helps a lot. The princess thing isn't just a joke, it's something more than that, but I understand trying to make it more mature. I love the idea of trying to tie everything into real royalty. What does everyone think about this for the tiara?

I'll look into some of the other stuff with the royal wedding to see what else I can come up with.

 

[ABKIS]

Hi there!

I love the idea proposed earlier about how to incorporate the princess theme into the actual proposal - "Christina, you are my princess...will you also be my wife?". I actually said awww out loud when I read it, it's so sweet and heartfelt and it incorporates both the princess theme and the fact that you want her to be your wife.

I love the room, it's very romantic. I also liked the idea someone said earlier about proposing before dinner so you can have your first dinner as an engaged couple. I'd go with having the luggage taken as soon as you arrive and having a couples massage or facial set up. If she's weird about people touching her, maybe the link you posted earlier would be your best bet. You would really know better than us.

After your done, find a way to leave a little sooner than her and have her meet you at the room. Maybe set up a mani/pedi if at all possible, so you're able to excuse yourself without looking obvious. And this way, her hands are picture ready for when you post hand shots!!

As for the gifts you'd like to give her, I really like the last tiara you posted, it's really elegant and she can wear it for the wedding if she wants. I love the picture frame and the personalized heart that you can have engraved with someone meaningful to the two of you and she can keep hanging somewhere (that's what I'd do, I understand her affinity towards princesses ). I'm in agreement with the previous posters that the original necklaces you posted are a little on the girly side and as a woman, we always feel obligated to wear a piece of jewelery given to us by our SO's and I'm not sure that either one of those would translate well for real world fashion (my opinion only, I don't know her personal style so this is a more personal choice as you'd know better than we would).

All in all, I'm loving the original idea and the ideas provided by the others before me. Congrats on the pending engagement! Wishing you all the best and make sure you come back with hand shots!!!

 

[MaddyRock]

That is a fabulous tiara. This will be a wonderful proposal!

 

[jaebond]

Now we're cooking. I had thought about having us spend like 30 minutes or so in the room after we got there so that she can kind of get the princess feel before doing the facial (I'll definitely see about a mani/pedi, but I don't know if they offer it). I'm assuming that she will be rather caught up in the moment when I am proposing and if that's the first time she sees that room, I'm not sure that she will get the princess feel that I am going for.

For the accessories, I was hoping to get the hotel to put them in the room ahead of time so that it feels like they are part of the room and will make the room feel a little more princess themed, so they won't necessarily be "from me." I don't know that the picture frame or ornament will give a royal feel, but I could be wrong. That said, I feel like it would be nice to have like one more accessory besides the tiara, but if I can't come up with one, then I can go with just the tiara. A few thoughts I had were these earrings or these earrings. I'm leaning towards the first pair. But like you said, I don't want her to feel like she has to wear these, I just thought they might enhance the princess theme if they are sitting on a table somewhere for her when we get there. Just tell me that this is a bad idea and they are gone.

Any thoughts on whether we should go to the room for a little bit before she goes off to the spa? Any thoughts on the earring/anything else I can supply? Any other thoughts?

 

[MaddyRock]

I love the first pair of earrings! I understand what you are saying about not wanting her to be too overwhelmed by everything. I just want the proposal to be a surpise for her (most girls like that - just to clarify my generalization). For an idea, you could have her come up to the room and tell her you have a weekend fit for a princess planned for her. Including the princess room and one special surprise! Ask her if she is ready for the surprise and then present her with the earrings fit for a princess - then she wont suspect the proposal as much. Then send her down for the facial or manicure and set the room up.

When she returns be in the room with candles and rose petals everywhere and say, "(full name), you've spent (x) years being my princess, but now I'm ready for you to be my queen for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?"

 

[jaebond]

Sounds great! Just to make sure, I should have the tiara already in the room when we get there, but give her the earrings to make to proposal more of a surprise?

 

[tammy77]

You could also present the tiara before you leave and let her wear it on your drive. I think that would be fun and a way to kick off the princess theme right away!

 

[jaebond]

The ring came today! I'll post pictures later when I get a second. It is going to be hard to hold onto the ring for a month and a half.

 

[madelise]

have you seen LOGR's tiara/crown rings? I saw them and thought they'd be cute to put on a pendant after wearing it as a ring a few times (I'm also into princess-y stuff, but realize I'm not 10 ) there's 3 currently listed http://stores.ebay.com/Lord-of-Gem-Rings/_i.html?_nkw=crown&submit=Search&_sid=50922125

 

[jaebond]

Here is the glamour shot that they sent me. I couldn't get a good picture of the ring on my phone. The center diamond shines so much that you can hardly tell the diamonds on the side are diamonds!! This did bring me to a new question. The ring came in a big "wooden" oval box. Should I propose with this box or should I get a little black velvet ring box?

 

[jaebond]

have you seen LOGR's tiara/crown rings? I saw them and thought they'd be cute to put on a pendant after wearing it as a ring a few times (I'm also into princess-y stuff, but realize I'm not 10 ) there's 3 currently listed http://stores.ebay.com/Lord-of-Gem-Rings/_i.html?_nkw=crown&submit=Search&_sid=50922125

Those are lovely! I think they might definitely be nice to do at some point, but I'm not sure that I can afford them for the proposal.

 

[jaebond]

Okay, so I am about to order the earrings, but I am not 100% sure where to buy them from. I found them at iJewelry2 (their website looks kind of tacky, but the price is the lowest), Bling Jewelry (they look pretty good and the price is only $20 more than iJewelry2, I'm leaning towards this pair) and Bradford Exchange (obviously the best of the three companies, I'd rather not spend $100 if I can get the same earrings for $60, but as this is for her engagement, I'm perfectly willing to buy these instead). Please let me know!!

 

[tammy77]

If you're looking for princess like earrings, maybe buy her some pretty princess cut earrings unless you know she loves the Kate engagement ring look. They'd be easier to find locally (in case you buy some online and have to return them) and she can wear those forever and match her ring! Do you know her birthstone?

 

[jaebond]

Of course I know her birthstone, it's a ruby.

Perhaps it would make more sense to go with the pendant instead (I think she would be more likely to wear the pendant afterwards than the ring). What does everyone think?

Also, since it is just the pendent, is this chain meant to have a pendant on it or is it supposed to be worn solo?

 

[tammy77]

I think I'm going to wish you good luck and stop visiting the thread. I feel like I'm offending you somehow because I'm offering different suggestions. The truth is I'm not a fan at all of that style but that doesn't mean that it isn't lovely and perfect for her. It just means I realize now that all of my suggestions are going to be off base.

Anyhow, good luck and I'm sure your proposal will be great! It's wonderful that you're putting a lot of thought and personalized effort into making her day special.

 

[jaebond]

There is also this chain that might be a little simpler and go better with the pendant? Or perhaps Tiffany's isn't the right place to go for a simple chain.

 

[partgypsy]

OK I'll play. the engagement ring is gorgeous. If you know that is her style, then I wouldn't necessarily think the diana style earrings, although evocative of princess, would be her style. I could be wrong.

I do think the tiara is both tasteful and fun (heck it's always fun to wear a tiara!). Heck if you can find a cool scepter (sp) in a similar style you can have them crossed on the bed. http://www.amazon.com/Disguise-Kings-Royal-Scepter/dp/B003U52I4I
(look for quinceanera)
http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Scepter-Princess-Wedding-Quincea%C3%B1era/dp/B0060NAFC4/ref=sr_1_7?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1328903541&sr=1-7
If you can't find that, I do like the idea of an ornament of a carriage or something magical that can be a remembrance of the occasion. But I wouldn't sweat it if you can't find it in time.

I am very picky about my jewelry so if my husband gave me a token during my engagement I would keep it, even if I didn't wear it, but I'd rather have my intended save his money for the "real" stuff you know like princess stud earrings to match the engagement ring on an anniversary, or a nice wedding band.

 

[jaebond]

I agree that the earrings wouldn't be her style. I'm not sure that she wouldn't like the pendant though. Or this might be even a little more her style:

http://www.blingjewelry.com/eternal...p-3108.html?osCsid=etdu48mjtk5hjgcfdn35gm6su1

Although it is a little less evocative of princess. What do you think? Am I still reaching?

As for the scepter, I wasn't sure if that would be too cheesy, but I did find this one that I thought looks good:

http://www.bridesvillage.com/crown-scepter.html

(or they also have this one: http://www.bridesvillage.com/princess-scepter.html

So go for the scepter? Any other thoughts?

 

[jaebond]

Here is another idea that I just came up with. What about starting a charm bracelet? And her first charm could be something like this one

http://www.tiffany.com/shopping/Item.aspx?sku=23457814

This is just a thought. Let me know if I'm way off base here. And don't be afraid to smack me around a little bit and tell me to stop looking for some princessy jewelry and to focus my attention elsewhere.

 

[damons]

Okay, I will say it. Stop focusing so much on the princess theme. You're losing focus on what is really important. I have been following this thread, but not commenting because I didn't want to come across as rude.

I know that everyone has their own style, but personally, I really think you need to stay away from the whole princess thing. I know you mentioned that you call her your princess, and that is really sweet, but that doesn't mean you have to have a princess themed proposal. It is overdone, and personally, I think it's a little creepy. But that's just me.

I love the room that you booked. I think that scheduling a massage would be wonderful. But you have a beautiful engagement ring, so why are you making yourself crazy by picking out other jewelry? Lose the tiara. Lose the charm bracelet.

Take her to this beautiful location. Check into your room. Get dressed for dinner, and tell her that you want to take a little walk and look around before you eat. The grounds look beautiful. While you are out walking and exploring, find a cozy little spot. Tell her how you feel about her. Speak from the heart. Take the ring box out of your pocket and get on your knee and ask her to marry you. I guarantee you that a heart-felt proposal will do more than any princess themed things you buy.

Then, you go out to dinner and celebrate. Order a bottle of champagne. Have a great romantic weekend as an engaged couple. She will love it.