Trying to piece everything together

[davidgelb]

Hey all,
OK, so I think I may be set on the ring, but now I am trying to piece together the proposal. I thought I would post my ideas and see if anyone had any suggestions:

My girlfriend is a beach freak...we live in LA and she loves the beach...especially sunset dinners...

Our 2 year dating anniversary is Sunday September 3rd and I would like to give the ring to her then. The problem is that I have to go out of town on Monday the 4th, so I would like to propose early on Sunday so I can spend the whole day with her before I have to leave town.

So, my thinking is that we could do a sunset dinner on the beach (I may have a private beach in Malibu I can use - my brother would help me set up and stand guard until we got there, then he would hide and come out to take a picture after the proposal). At midnight (which would be our 2 year anniversary), I would propose. Mark at engagementringsdirect.com is sending me a lighted box, so if we are at the beach at night, she will be able to see the ring.

What I am not sure of, though, is what to do between the dinner and midnight...OR, we could go to a nice restaurant (forget the dinner on the beach) and then do something else, and then close to midnight, go for a walk on that beach. I even thought I could bury the ring in the sand (and have my brother watch the area VERY carefully!!!) in a little treasure box and put something on the sand that would catch her attention. I could say "What is this?" and go down on a knee to dig it up and, sure enough, it is a ring, and I am already down on my knee!!! Right before I find the "treasure box", I could look at my watch and tell her it''s midnight and officially our 2nd anniversary...give her a kiss, then stumble on the treasure box!

With all that info, does anyone have any good suggestions? Any fun things to do, or suggested restaurants in Malibu that might be a nice way to celebrate our anniversary? I will just tell her that we will celebrate our anniversary on Saturday since I have to leave Monday morning.

Thanks for any help! I am getting closer to the day!!!!!!

-David

 

[jcrow]

if it were me, i''d prefer dinner on the beach with a proposal rather than in a restaurant. especially if you two both love the beach!
oh, and i''d probably nix the hiding it in sand.

 

[ladykemma]

are you talikng about that beach with a long flight of wooden stairs to get down there?

 

[davidgelb]

Ladykemma, I am not sure what beach it is...my brother has a friend who has a house up there.

Jcrow, yeah, I am leaning towards the dinner on the beach...the only concern is that I want to propose at midnight. I am not sure what to do from dinnertime (sunset would be around 6:17pm that night) until midnight. That''s why I was thinking about dinner somewhere nice, then another activity, and then the midnight walk on the beach. If I keep her active, she will be OK, but if we were just sitting on the beach, she will get tired and want to go, not to mention cold!

So, that''s where I stand...it''s always in the logistics! I know that I want to include a dinner, a beach and a proposal, just not sure of the specific schedule.

Thanks for the help!

-David

 

[ladykemma]

if it''s the beach in malibu i am thinking of, you have to park in a residential neighborhood, then you go down these wooden steps a looooong way, then you end up on a very private beach. with a jutting piece of rocky land to your right.

If it''s THAT beach, then I am going to try to talk you out of it. it is known for nudists and peeping toms. I would not feel safe there, least of all til midnight, and going up those stairs in the dark.

if it''s not THAT beach, then great!

can you go with the flow and amend the "midnight" plan if she gets squirrely or cold?

Suggestion:
the santa monica pier is well lit, with lots of clubs and restaurants. you could take her to dinner, clubbing and out for a stroll.... don''t get too sandy

newport beach pier too.

I would get creeped out by your brother stalking and snapping a picture. but that''s me.

 

[davidgelb]

Thanks, Ladykemma....I don''t think it''s that beach...the one I was told about is behind this house...we would park at the house and the beach is directly behind. I''ll try to get more info...

I like that plan...I just don''t know if we could sit there for over almost 6 hours! I figure if dinner is at sunset, which is at 6:17pm, and I really want to propose at midnight, I am just not sure how that would pan out...I am somewhat a romantic, and I love the idea of the sunset dinner...just not sure if it would be practical to do that and then wait that long until midnight...that''s why I was thinking about doing the beach at midnight...the other option, though, would be to do the sunset beach dinner, then leave there after sitting a while...maybe go get a nice dessert somewhere, then do something else that would be a good place for a proposal..!

Other question...would you suggest doing it somewhere where we could take a picture after the proposal, or have someone take a proposal? Do you think that a picture of that is something worth having? My girlfriend and my brother get along extremely well...if he was there, I don''t think she would mind. It was just an idea.

Thanks! I look forward to hearing about any other suggestions!

I love this forum!!!

-David

 

[RoseAngel04]

Yay David your getting engaged soon!! Congrats.

If she loves the beach I would stay with the whole proposing at midnight at the beach. Maybe you could have dinner at a nice restaurant or make her dinner at home (I love it when my man cooks for me!

) and then when it''s like 11:40ish go down to the beach walk around etc..and then pop the question. I would also nix the whole treasure box in the sand deal. It''s cute and all but I''d get to nervous that something bad would happen to the new rock!

And yes, I''d love to have the memory of a photo of/after the proposal!

Good luck!

 

[davidgelb]

Thanks RoseAngel!

That was a big help. I think I am leaning in that direction...dinner at a very romantic restaurant (possibly overlooking the water so we can see the sunset), some activity appropriate for the evening after dinner, then a late night walk on the beach, where I will propose. I just have to figure out what we should do between dinner and the beach walk!

Now, another question...what is the best way to take (or have taken) the engagement photo? I would love to have a photo of the moment or right after...my brother would be willing to do it, but I think my girlfriend and I should be totally alone for the actual moment...he could come right after and take pictures. Do you have any other opinions or other good ways to do that? I want to get the photo, but don''t want to take away from the moment.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you,
David

 

[davidgelb]

Hey all,
OK, so I have my ring and I think I have everything planned out. Unless any better ideas pop up, I think this will be the plan:

My girlfriend is a beach person, so the entire evening will be based on the beach. Next Saturday night (the 2nd) is the night that all this will take place, and our 2nd dating anniversary is that Sunday. So, I will pick her up Saturday evening and we are going to drive north to Malibu. I am going to tell her that I am taking her out to celebrate our 2nd anniversary Saturday night, since she has a little thing planned that we are going to do together on that Sunday. We will stop at a beach along the way as we get near sunset. I will pull out a bottle of wine and some glasses and we will have wine as we watch the sun set. After that, we will get back in the car and drive north just a little further to a restaurant she really likes. We will have a nice (romantic) dinner at a table overlooking the water. After dinner, we will drive even further north to another restaurant...it is the restaurant we had our first date and our first anniversary celebration at (actually, same restaurant, but different location). We will have the same dessert we had on our first date and first anniversary and will sit and talk for a while. I am going to give her a book she wanted as an anniversary gift...and maybe that will make her think that all this is really is just a dinner for the anniversary. Finally, after that, we may walk around a little along the water, but then we will get back into the car and drive even further north in Malibu. We will end up at a private beach (an area she loves) where there will be a small fire going and a blanket set out on the sand (with help from my brother). We will go to our little place on the sand and sit down. Maybe a little more wine or something (not too much...we want to remember the evening!!!) Then, at midnight, I will look at my watch and say "oh look...it''s midnight. That means it''s officially our second year anniversary!" That is when I will proceed with my prepared words and then I will give her the ring. I ordered a lighted box so it will be a little easier for her to see the diamond. At that time, I will call my brother who will be nearby who will come and take some engagement photos!

How does that sound? I know it''s a lot of driving, but we are going to all the places she loves. Also, we have to kill time between the stops so that we arrive to the final beach close to midnight. I figure being in the car together is at least better than going to a movie or something. Does anyone have any other ideas? I think she will love the evening...especially the ending!

Thanks everyone. If you have any other ideas, let me know. If not, I will post afterward and let you know how it went, along with some pictures.

Thanks!!!!!

-David

 

[davidgelb]

Hey all,
So, I found some things today that will make the end of the evening a little more romantic. I purchased a little fire pit and tiki torches...My brother and I will set up the fire pit with some crackling logs and put the tiki torches around the area in a small circle with a blanket right in the middle. I know my girlfriend will think something is up when she sees everything already set up, but she has NO idea that I even have a ring yet! We were talking yesterday and she was a little dissapointed since someone we know just got engaged and we "don''t even have a ring yet!" HAHA! This surprise is going to be even better than I expected!! But, I am a romantic, so this sort of thing wouldn''t be "strange behavior" for me, so she would think it is really nice, but not wierd...

Anyway, my brother will be on hand to come over and take pictures after I give her the ring, so I will post pictures when I have them.

-David

 

[JT]

Nice! I know my GF would love this. I love how she said "we don''t even have a ring yet" lol!! It sounds like you''re just where you should be.......3 steps ahead.

Good luck!

 

[davidgelb]

Hey all,
Well, the day is rapidly approaching!!! I am proposing in 51 hours!!!! I think I have all the plans set and she still has NO idea! She knows we are doing something that evening, but since it is our 2nd dating anniversary, she is just thinking along the lines of celebrating that...she is completely unaware that I have a ring or ANYTHING!!!

I am so excited, and just now getting a bit nervous! It should go great, though! Sunset, dinner, dessert and a proposal on a beach! When we get to the beach, the fire and tiki torches will be going....it will be beautiful...as long as it doesn''t rain!!!!

Well, I will update you of any changes and will let you know when it''s done! Thanks for all the help, everyone....you are all so helpful!

Thanks!
-David

 

[DillPickle]

Enjoy the moment David!

 

[Fancy605]

Yay! I hope everything works out well!

 

[davidgelb]

Hey all,
9 1/2 hours to go! Starting to get really excited, but I am playing it totally cool around my girlfriend! She still has no idea! I will post tomorrow and let you know how it went!!

Thanks again everyone for all your help!

-David

 

[doppler]

good luck dude! wish you the best!