Does It Matter?

While everyone loves a great proposal story that involves creativity and origionality, the question is: does it really matter?

This should not imply that guys shouldn't do something to sweep a girl off her feet, however the level of "suprise" is the issue. The more I speak to people who have just gotten engaged, the more I hear that the stories of their proposals were not really outlandish. They were meaningful.

Instead of airplanes and horses, some have taken a different approach. They have used their knowlege of the other person to come up with something that is meaningful to them specifically. For example if she loved Mountain Dew he would buy her a Mountain Dew Coin Bank with the rink inside. While there is nothing incredibly romantic about this, it could be perfect for her. She understands that he has really come to know her and her little likes/dislikes and that is all that matters.

Don't get me wrong, a horse or airplane ride will be appreciated as well, but the meaning behind it is really what the proposal is about.

Catch Me if You Can?

This definitely has to be one of the most original proposals I have heard of in a long time:

This story takes place in Yeshiva University where the young man attended. He arranged with a security guard to be able to go to the roof of Belfer Hall as part of his gimmick in the proposal. Oh, did I mention that he conveniently placed bags of sugar in small plastic bags to look like a "drug bust?" Well, he did.

No sooner are they enjoying the wonderful view from the top of Manhattan that no less than three YU security guards come bashing through the door and lead the couple downstairs to a small conference room. Needless to say, the young lady was very bewildered.

In the conference room there was a TV set up and a significantly sized security guard stood up before the seated "suspects" and pushed the play button on the VCR. In a black and white video, the girl watched as she saw the YU Library Cam glancing down at the man she had been dating for a few months seemingly glancing at a textbook. The video then captures the guy looking around, checking if anyone is watching, and smoothly slides the text book under his jacket and walks out.

The next scene is on Amsterdam Ave just outside the Rubin dormitory and the footage views the guy racing past the camera with a security guard in hot pursuit, baton an' all.

As she sits there shocked at the prospect that the man she had been dating is somewhat of a thief, not to mention wanted by YU Security she begins to panic. Another security gaurd enters the room and tells her to move over one seat so that the Chief of Police can ask her some questions. She rushes to comply when she notices that the seat has a small box placed on the center, with a ring. Speechless, we can only imagine what she was thinking...

NOTE: Two days later, all of the YU Security was called to the head office where each was asked if they knew anything about a suspicious powder people were claiming to be falling from the Belfer Hall area. Seems that not everyone was "in the know"...

Ice- Literally

This is a new version of an old tactic:

The guy freezes the ring in his ice tray. Later at dinner he arranged that the waiter pours the cube into her water. Nature take its toll...

Zirconia Zuprise!

I have always thought that "shopping" for an engagement ring a month before the guy will pop the question defeats the purpose of surprise, of taking her breath away. It is for this reason that I feel there must be a way to accomplish both taking her breath away, and getting her the ring she wants.

Fellas, listen up. Here's my idea. As some of you may know, there is something called cubic zirconia. This is a simulated diamond design primarily consisting of fancy glass, although a little bit tougher.

Now, a two carat diamond can range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to an easy few thousand, even in the upper thousands. (see the Rapaport Price Sheet for exact details)

However, a two carat zirconia stone costs at most $28.00. To set the zirconia stone on an engagement band will cost at most $100.

Unless someone has a loop to look closely at the stone, people won't be able to distinguish the difference. This way, when the time is right, you can pop the question and really take her breath away. Later on, you can go and get her the real design she is looking for and hold onto the fake one for your son, and his after him.

Let's bring back the good old days...