Need some creative input! :)

[biggy135]

I am planning on proposing to my GF (of 3 years and 5 months) and I need some creative ideas...

I have a few different options but the problem is she KNOWS it is coming so I need to be tricky.

Option 1:

I can secure a cabin on the waterfront of a Island. I don''t know what i would do but i was thinking along the lines of taking her to a dinner on the Island first and then when she thinks we are going back to the ferry we take a deter to this house which i have prep''ed with rose pedals and what not beforehand. Then we will park and get out but she will know something is DEFINITELY going on haha.

Or I could come up with a story that my family rented a cabin and after dinner we are stopping by to hang out with them. But when she enters once again she will know something is going on.

Option 2:

I do something along the lines with the cabin again but tell her that my family rented it out. We will go up there and get there before my family comes although I''ll claim the house is locked so we have the pass the time. I know a place where we can hike and get a great view although it would be kind of dirty sooo I don''t know if thats a great idea. I then would either take her back to the house and propose to her.

OR somehow take her to dinner and say my family has been delayed. After dinner I would then take her to the house we haven''t been able to get in and surprise her with the proposal.

Option 3:

Somehow convince her that my mom bought her some spa package at this lodge near a great waterfall. I would have a special table reserved for a dinner but would either propose to her at that table or at a viewing spot outside near the waterfall.

I honestly have no idea which I should do so if anyone has any great creative ideas to through into one of those options then let me know. The island is whidbey island in washington and the lodge is Salish lodge at the Snoqualmie Falls. This would be occuring in just over a week so I need to plan fast!

 

[biggy135]

Sorry to further complicate the situation but the salish lodge would be less creative because I don''t have the money to buy a room, pay about 200 for the meal (plus extra 100 for the special table), and include some type of spa treatment. If i went to the salish lodge I would want more to do then just a meal and propose so this idea seems to allow less creative options and less surprise factor considering I would have no good excuse for why we are going out there to eat only.

 

[biggy135]

I realize no one has replied yet but I am just updating my thoughts haha

I was wondering what people thought about rose petals being too much at the waterfront cabin? Should I just get a nice large placement of flowers and have that arranged on the table with a bottle of wine or campagne? Maybe also have fresh fruit? If anyone has any suggestions for what I should have ready at the cabin IF i do that please let me know. We are both really into eating natural organic foods so keep that in mind. Thanks!

I don''t want her to know the minute we go in so rose petals through the house might give that away. Ahh.. planning is so difficult and expensive!

 

[katamari]

Hi Biggy! I think it is so cute that you are so excited for the proposal

I was at San Juan Island in October, and it was breathtaking. If Whidbey is just as pretty, I would be leaning towards there. The falls sound nice, too, but if it is cheaper, I think the island would be great. And, isn't it still whale season? Ever since Mallrats, I always thought that a great proposal would be when a sea creature pops out of the water. lol

Personally, I would much more enjoy a mini vacation and staying at the lodge than a $300 dinner, particularly if I liked eating local and organic. Any way you could get a picnic style meal that you prepared or picked up at a local co-op? That way you could enjoy dinner and the natural beauty of the area without having to pay for the dinner at the lodge. And, it can be more intimate. I would personally rather a proposal that is just me and SO than one that is me, SO, a wait staff, and 50 other customers.

I also think a nice bouquet would be just as fine as rose petals.

Is all the trickery just to throw her off? Do you think if you just said you wanted the two of you to have a nice weekend together she would know?

Sounds like all good ideas. Any of them would work. Keep us posted!

 

[biggy135]

The San Juans are extremely pretty as is some spots on whidbey island. The trickery is to throw her off because she knows the proposal is coming soon. I couldn''t make it into a weekend because both of our families are religious and sleeping over would not go over well.

I am thinking the rose petals may be too much and that I might just look for a nice placement of flowers. Maybe pick up some materials to make a bon fire on the beach (smores maybe?). Also maybe some melted choc. and strawberries. I could really go spend crazy if i am not careful of my budget. My money has already been spent on that ring I bought (thanks to PS ).

I welcome any and all ideas!

 

[katamari]

Are you both generally into nature? You could just do a hike/picnic either at the falls or the island. The natural beauty of WA would be a shame to pass up on. Diamonds look fantastic in sunlight, so an afternoon/sunset proposal and a bonfire would be great, too! You could always use the cabin or the restaurant, then, as a back-up in case of rain.

Proposals don''t have to be expensive. They just have to be thoughtful, and it sounds like you are right on track here.

 

[jcarlylew]

hey biggie -
Why not go blueberry picking in bellevue (Mercer Slough)? then you can "magically" pick out a ring instead! It incorperates nature and fresh food, and its fun to pick your own blueberries.

if you do go with picking fruit or hiking, i highly suggest BUG SPRAY right now. this weekend i was eaten alive :S

 

[biggy135]

That is actually a unique idea...

what is funny about that is the cabin on whidbey island actually has an orchard and blackberries so maybe I could pick the special blackberry? Also, i could put it inside a sea shell and magically find this special shell. That would be quite the surprise although I want it to be abit more intimate when I do ask her. That is why I thought asking her on the deck of the cabin at/or near sunset would be perfect.

So many options! haha

 

[biggy135]

I will have the ring thursday but still have yet to talk with her father... ahhh talk about ackward...

I think I am leaning towards the cabin on whidbey island.. Although I don''t know whether I should take her to dinner before or after i propose. I feel like a dinner after I propose might be more fun!

I will tell her that my parents rented a cabin up there but aren''t going to be there till later so we can go hang around the Island or something. We will go on a hike or something like that. Then either I call my parents who tell me they''ve been delayed and we have to eat dinner (my reservations). After we eat is when I take her to the cabin and open up the door. She will walk inside and be like wow this is so pretty but then will notice a pretty placement of fresh flowers and then when she turns to me I''ll be on one knee...

OR I could not say my parents are delayed and say they gave me a key. I wouldn''t have flowers waiting (or I could) and then either propose to her when she sees the flowers but if I don''t use flowers then I could magically find the ring in a seashell while taking a stroll on the beach. Then I let her know we have reservations for dinner and then continue the celebration back at the cabin with some drinks.

Any votes?

I really wanted to have pretty flowers waiting near the deck so I''m undecided on how I want to do this. If i went with the option of parents not being delayed but instead have a key to the cabin. We go in and just get situated. We then enjoy the beach and sometime then I propose to her. She might be more surprised for that situation rather then telling her my parents have been delayed and then taking her to a nice dinner considering she knows we only do nice dinners on occasions.

HELP HELP HELP

 

[cdndman]

If your not going to be able to stay over at the cabin then really I see no need in wasting money renting one...

if you tell her that you want to take her out for a nice dinner then maybe she'll be onto your plan.. however chances are she will assume you would be proposing at dinner... which would not be your plan anyways...

I say you should go out for a day trip to the island.. maybe do a hike... have a nice dinner but make it a bit later... then tell her that you wanted to check out some cabin that your parents want to rent... you don't actually have to goto the cabin but park somewhere and tell her that you have to walk to it... walk along the beach it should be getting a bit later.. so the sun might be getting low but then you can find your magical sea shell... and she'll just be thinking your dragging her off to see some cabin for you parents...

Or you could go with one of your cabin plans...

oh and just a thought but to make the day seem as unromantic/unsuspecting as possible... you could tell her that the goal of the entire trip is to see this cabin.... and that your parents were willing to shell out for a nice dinner for you two so you could go check it out...

 

[biggy135]

Not a bad idea...

Although I want a nice intimate place to relax after I do propose.. which is why i really want that cabin. We won't be staying the night but the kind lady wouldn't charge me to rent the place. (500 a night) She would only charge me the cleaning fee... alittle over 100. The dinner would be about 60-70 because the place is very reasonably priced although the food is highly recommended...

So in my mind I am almost justifying paying the cleaning fee because I am getting so much more than I am paying for. It would just add some frosting onto the cake.

NEW OPTION (haha): We go over to whidbey Island to kind of just hang out. I tell her I researched a good restuarant and made reservations. SHE WILL be thinking that I am going to propose then. Before the restuarant could always be a hike or whatever. After, we go to the beach where the cabin is at and I tell her there is this cabin that my parents were thinking about buying haha. We then take a jaunt on the beach... either A i could find that shell and then propose to her before we walk up to the cabin OR we could walk up to the cabin and then as she is like wow this place is really nice. I then say hold on and disappear. Run to the front entrance, go in, and then show up in the living room while she is trying to understand HOW i got in. It is THEN that she notices the flowers and it is THEN when i get on one knee to propose...

Or I could just drop the story about my parents buying it and take a walk on that beach. We then will sight the nice cabin and I'll make it a point to say wow look at this place. I will then disappear and get into the cabin and surprise her. The problem with this idea is that we are going up to whidbey island during the middle of the week rather than this labor day weekend so I kind of need a excuse to go to whidbey island during the middle of the week. AKA my story about my parents renting it out would give me a excuse to actually go there wednesday.

Or my reason for going to the beach after dinner would be because my parents are at a certain cabin there and we would be trying to find them.

does anyone like these new options?

 

[blackpolkadot]

Honestly, I think you are kind of over-thinking things. It might sound like a great plan, she''ll see the flowers, she''ll come inside, etc, but it reality it might not happen that way. Chances are you''ll be nervous, so things might not go as planned.

I think you could use the story about going to look at a cabin for your parents and them treating you to dinner for it. Then just find a random cabin and talk about it or whatnot and then decide to kill some time on the beach before going to eat. You could propose then, and use the dinner as a celebration. If you propose on the beach, you don''t have to find a shell (although that would be amazing), but if there are no shells there, just stop along the way and propose. Chances are it will catch her completely off guard. You could always have a blanket or something to relax on the beach after the proposal (or even for the proposal!)

Just my $.02

 

[cdndman]

I have to agree with blackpolkadot... there is a term that we use at work a lot of the time its KISS... Keep It Simple Stupid.... no offense is made by this comment... it''s just sometimes easier to not over-think stuff and make it perfectly planned...

I like the suggestion of doing it before dinner.. then she won''t know what''s coming...

My final suggestion is... goto whidbey island with the intention of proposing... and find the perfect moment and just do it... I had planned out two scenarios for my proposal to my fiance... I had them planned right down to every detail.. and when it came to the day to do it... something came out of left field at me.. a perfect opportunity that I couldn''t have even planned...

Trust me you''ll be nervous enough carrying around the ring to worry about having flowers at a location etc...

 

[cdndman]

any update on how it went?