How Did You Propose?

“Will you marry me?”

These four words have the power to change your life. Naturally, there’s no one way to pop the question. Whether at dinner with friends or on hot air balloons, while wearing ice skates or flip flops, half the fun is in the surprise when being asked what do to with the rest of your life!

So, we asked you, our Black Love community, “How did your partner propose?” and “How did you propose to the love of your life?” Here are just a few of our favorite marriage proposal stories. Try not to tear up. 

He guided me through a building, up a flight of stairs, and into the 5th-grade classroom we met in 10 years prior as new students.

My husband  knew I loved scrambled word puzzles. We were supposed to go to dinner around 7, and he had not come home. I kept calling and calling and no answer. Around 10:30, he calls and says, “Sorry, are you ready to go?” …WHAT!@#$@$…I went. I was hungry and mad at the same time…We ate, came home, [and] he said, “Let’s dance.” …He put on my fave song, and we danced in the dark for a few mins…He then says, “Are you thirsty?” I said no. He went to the fridge and took his shirt off. I looked up, and on the back of his t-shirt were scrambled letters: Will you marry me?…He got on one knee and asked…Apparently, he was out with my daughter making the shirt and setting things up which is why he was late.
@reddx2

He sent me to dinner with my friends, and we sat on the balcony. He showed up and re-enacted the “Come Close” video. [The] DJ played the song, he had the hand-drawn signs, everything was perfect! To top it off, he secretly arranged for our friends and family to be there to celebrate our engagement. I didn’t know they were there until I came down to the courtyard to meet him…they were all on the patio below the whole time. He was amazing then and even more amazing now!  @tapenade_fresh 
@imthemrssanders

@j.wesleyjohnson surprised me while we were at a hot air balloon. On our way up the highway tram in the states, he started talking about how only together could we reach those heights, and he didn’t want to go any higher without making me his wife.

He started talking about how only together could we reach those heights, and he didn’t want to go any higher without making me his wife.

My now husband practiced getting on one knee several times and probably on purpose. So, when he did it for real, I wasn’t paying him any mind. We were sitting on the waterfront in NJ facing NYC as the sun was setting. He was kneeling while I was sitting. When I turned my head, he popped out the ring! When I turned back and saw it…I immediately burst into tears like, for real this time?? I asked him several times if he was serious…then, of course, I said yes.
@shelovesbutterflies

It was Christmas Eve 1987; he took me on a horse & buggy ride in Central Park & had the driver in on it. So when we stopped at a certain point…he gets down on one knee & a photographer, whom he had hired, jumps on & snaps our picture while he’s asking me to marry him! It was lightly snowing & music was playing & he had flowers…just beautiful! We then proceeded to go to a classy, upscale restaurant & had dinner to celebrate! Not bad for a 21 year old, huh?! The rest is history…presently married 30 years!
@dd_223

My husband, 

Before I know it, we are a few of the last people on the ice.

When my husband and I first started dating, we knew where we would end up. At our one-month celebration dinner with his friends, my then boyfriend was about to pray over dinner, but first, he made a short speech which ended with, “This is going to be my wife!” Cheers erupted, and I blushed, of course, because I did not expect him to say that. The rest was history. We began planning our wedding, and the ring came much later. There was no getting down on one knee. That declaration of love and promise was all I needed. And here we are, 11 “happily married” years later!!
@sharita124

It was February 6, and my husband was leaving for Kuwait (active duty army). He knew he would miss being with me on Valentine’s Day, so he packed valentine candles and had a glass blown rose in a briefcase. He picked me up, and we went to the beach (my favorite scenery).s I looked out into the ocean at those surfing, he asked to tie my shoe. (lol) I had on flip flops. He was down one knee and proposed. The thought itself still makes me smile.
@simpletresses

He proposed to me on 9/8/18 on the 8th floor of a hotel, and he rented 8 rooms with different sayings in each room. The video is actually in my bio. It was the most beautiful proposal ever. He surprised me with members of his family from Colorado and members of my family from LA. Each room was symbolic of a promise he made to me. It was amazing. I’m still on cloud 9.
@francheskaprice

What I thought was just our first international vacation together turned into the sweetest proposal and surprisingly enough caught me totally off guard. The night before, he mentioned wanting to go the specialty restaurant where we could get steak and lobster. Reservations were made, and I thought nothing of it other than we were in for a treat.  The setting was romantic, and dinner was fantastic. We smiled, laughed, and had an amazing conversation. I was on cloud nine, or so I thought.

After dinner ended, he suggested we take a stroll to see what we’d get into next.

Hand in hand, we start down the courtyard and I hear him say how fabulous not only tonight and our trip has been but the last 3 years and how he’d hoped that would continue. I replied “absolutely.” He then said something along the lines of “you promise.” The second it took for me to realize his response was odd, he was on bended knee, and that’s when I was on cloud nine. “…I have found the one whom my soul loves.” Song of Solomon 3:4
@hodgeslynette

My proposal lasted 34 days!! In 2003, for Valentine’s Day, my now husband gave me a pink box called “the gift that keeps giving.” The box contained 34 white envelopes in which I was told I would open one per day and receive further instructions… It was amazing – every day, each envelope was a special gift like gift cards to my fav places, spa days, etc. Eventually I had an entire vacation wardrobe and a plane ticket to Las Vegas. The final envelope I couldn’t open until I was aboard the plane. Before I could open it, the pilot came on the speaker and directed everyone’s attention to our section. I was freaking out (in my mind 9/11 was still fresh) [and] didn’t notice my husband with the ring…
@tamicasworld

My fiancé, @canonshootr718, had me looking up restaurants in Houston because we live in two different cities. We picked one, and I called to make reservations. I picked him up from the airport. We went back home. I didn’t know this beforehand, but we waited on my kids to get home so that he could show them the ring and ask them if he could marry me as I got dressed. We then left for dinner [and] got to this very nice place, Morton’s Steakhouse. I took one look at the menu and wondered why we [were] here, and all he had to say was, “Babe, you deserve this and more.” He told me he had to go to the bathroom and was gone for a while, and I wasn’t sure if he was ok or ran out on me lol. We ate and talked and had drinks. I was full buzzed and ready to go, but the waitress asked if I wanted another drink. I said no, he said yes, and I just looked like why but was like ok. He asked me to turn and face him and asked how did I fell about us and our relationship. We talked, and I looked up and [saw] the waitress come out with a plate and lit candle. So I’m looking around to see whose birthday it was, and as they [were] getting closer, he said, “That leads me to my next question.” [I looked] back at him, and he said, “Will you marry me?” and the plate was hitting the table as he finished his sentence. My mouth dropped open, and the tears flowed because I was so not ready for him to ask me that. And the ring, OMG, I couldn’t stop looking at it. He said, “Well, will you?” and I said yes. October 26th 2019, and I can’t wait.
@scorprioqueen2830