Is proposing in a public place better than at home?

[jlim]

I''ve heard 2 ways about this. Is a public place like in a restaurant or a picnic by the lake better OR in a intimate place like your home better?

Some says it is better to do it at home coz'' there''s no one else around but the 2 of you. No boisterous sound around. In the home, the usual rose petal, music playing, candles lit etc.

In the restaurant, chances are if it is a fancy restaurant, it''ll always be there. So, you can go there every year to celebrate. On subsequent years, it is not going to be a problem, but when proposing, comes the one knee down and having all the strangers around you looking at you or minding their own business yapping away, laughing talking etc.

Only drawback I see in the house is, I bought the house before I got to know my gf. And both of us plan to buy a new house a few years down the road to that it will be our house.

Any thoughts? I toyed with the idea of making a VCD with still images and captions over the 2 years. I''ve showed it to her but it wasn''t perfect. I could make the last image this time w/ just the word "Will you marry me?" and I''ll make an excuse going to the bathroom 10secs. before the end of the movie.

Good thing about this is we will always have the VCD movie. Bad thing is when we sell the house, part of the memory is gone.

 

[niki]

I think the VCD sounds like a very romantic idea! As far as a proposal at home or in public, I would prefer somewhere outside the house, somewhere different than what you're used to everyday. You can propose outside, yet have it be very intimate as well. Such as going for a hike and stopping someplace where there are not a lot of people. A picnic by a lake sounds great too! Just try to find a spot away from the crowds. It really depends on your girl, though. Hopefully you have an idea of what she would think is romantic.

 

[Lanee]

Interesting post. My BF proposed in our new house that we bought together. I liked the idea of proposing at home because I thought we would always have the house, it's where we would grow old . . . will come back to edit.

Okay, I'm back . . .in this house but now we are already talking about selling the house down the road and my first comment was "but you proposed to me here" and now I'm sad because I would love to keep this house forever but our families are moving out to the suburbs so we will probably move out to the suburbs if I ever quit my job (I work for a local gov. agency and have to live within the city limits) because you get more for your money out there.

 

[jlim]

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On 5/8/2003 11:22:31 AM Lanee wrote:

Interesting post. My BF proposed in our new house that we bought together. I liked the idea of proposing at home because I thought we would always have the house, it's where we would grow old . . . will come back to edit.
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Lanee - That's true but not too many people buy their dream house the first time around, let alone the next couple of houses. But doing it in a house allows me to do the candles, roses (though I seem to think it has become so predictable) etc. But I would like a place where 10, 20 or 30years down the road, I'm able to come back to and celebrate the moment all over again.

But with my idea of the VCD (since it is digital, it'll always be there), I kinda have to do it in a house w/ tv and DVD player. But I like to do it at a place that have a higher chances of being there in the future. But then, most people usually pick restaurants. With that I loose the intimacy factor unless I book the whole restaurant

So, I'm still not sure how I'm gonna do it. Going somewhere on a trip, cruise is kinda out of the question coz' we have a lot of things happening now that we do not have any time to take off. So, it has to be local.

I think maybe outdoors in a park. I'll have to forgo my VCD idea, unless I get a portable DVD player. Hmm.. that's a thought. But a portable DVD player from Costco and return it later. She'll probably be mad coz' she'll think I spent unnecessary money buying the portable DVD player but will be so surprised when the movie actually plays.

Hmmm.. I kinda liking this idea. In the park, by the lake, a little picnic, custom label wine bottle, custom made VCD showing photos over the years. Now, how do I hide the roses?

 

[Lanee]

Please read my first post, I came back to finish it. And now I have more to add.

Having said all of that, I still love that we were at home because it let us be however we wanted to be afterwards. We didn't have to worry about dealing with onlookers or wait-staff. Truth be told, we were still and quiet and I was on the verge of tears but the silence was so perfect. There were no candles or flowers even (it was a spontaneous proposal sans ring) but the moment between the two of us was . . .I can't even find words.

But that is how we are, go with what you think suits you and your girlfriend.

 

[niki]

>Hmmm.. I kinda liking this idea. In the park, by the lake, a little picnic, custom label wine bottle, custom made VCD showing photos over the years. Now, how do I hide the roses?<

That sounds like a great idea to me! Just a thought... I was visiting southern utah (the arches area) last summer and on a hike to delicate arch someone had dropped rose petals all the way up. You could do something like that and just say to her "I wonder what this is for" Pretend that it was already there from someone else.

 

[Lanee]

Niiiiiiiiiiiiice Niki! I like!

 

[phantom]

Sounds nice, but I think your kinda taking away the element of surprise with all this stuff your doing to prepare. I think she'll kind of see it coming. How often do you take her out to the park with a bottle of wine and a picnic and a VCD player? I think I want to surprise my girlfriend more. Make it so that she has no idea it's coming.

 

[jlim]

Well, over the past few months, I've been bugging her to drink the wine that I've been buying but she's reluctant coz' she doesn't like alcohol. She has been wanting us to buy a picnic basket coz' the last time we went for a picnic, we kinda brought everything in plastic bags and ice-box. Summer is pretty nice in Michigan and we have lots of metro and state parks with beautiful lakes. So, if we go for a picnic it might not be so obvious.

The portable DVD player (to play the VCD) might be a stretch. She has seen a sample VCD I created with photos and music playing last year when I thought of using this idea. I'm running out of time as it is. No ring yet

Blank wine label is on the way (but haven't decided what wine to buy coz' I want one that we'll both drink or maybe just a bottle of Dom Perignon. Costco sells it for $80 (93 Brut, or $190 Rose 1990 - not that I know the difference) and I've always heard about it in movies and novel.

The thing with the portable DVD player might actually work to my advantage coz' she'll probably give me a hard time for spending money on *toys* again. But I could make an excuse saying I want to watch a movie while out on a picnic

Hopefully she doesn't throw a fit and throw the player into the lake! Haha

 

[MrsLincoln]

You could do it somewhere else besides at home or in a restaurant. It nice to do it in public b/c every girl loves it when her man does something romantic in public or infront of a big group of people b/c she loves the attention. But make sure that your loving proposal isnt interuppted by noise or other conversation. She wants the whole world to know that you have chosen her. But I guess you'd have to talk it over iwth her. She might be too shy for it or just be the type of girl who lieks to keep things to herself and not let the whole world know. But there are deffinently different places to propose than a restaurant or home. Search the net or ask some others, you'll get tons of ideas.