Real Weddings: Our engagement story

The story of our engagement is really the story of our not engagement.

For our summer vacation, we took a road trip through the Carolinas, with visits to Asheville, Hilton Head and Charleston, plus a stop in Charlotte on the way home for David's cousin's wedding. David brought the ring along on the trip and basically waited for the perfect moment to arrive. It turned out that moment was much more elusive than he thought (as I found out later).

First, he thought he would propose on our first evening in Hilton Head, when we walked down to the beach. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, a huge thunderstorm was rolling in. We only had time to snap a few pictures and then run for a crowded restaurant for shelter.
The next day, we took a sunset dolphin cruise. Before we boarded the boat, David actually snapped a photo of the spot he planned to take me to afterward to propose. Unfortunately (though not for them!), another couple got engaged very publicly on the dolphin cruise that night. Nothing like stealing your thunder.

So then we were off to Charleston. First up, we took a tour of a plantation with oldest landscaped gardens in the country. If I were to pick a place where I thought David might propose before we left on our trip, this would have been it. It was beautiful and secluded--we never saw another person the whole time we wandered around.
Unfortunately, it was also hot. If you've ever been in South Carolina at the end of July, you understand how hot and humid it can be when you're not right on the coast with an ocean breeze. David kept complaining about the heat, and I couldn't figure out why. I found out later he didn't want to propose when he was all sweaty.

Finally, it's our last night and Charleston and more or less our last night of vacation since our final stop was at a family wedding. We had no plans, so we picked a place for dinner out of the hotel guide. After we ate, we drove down to The Battery--the tip of Charleston Peninsula, where rows of historic houses line the Ashley and Cooper Rivers and lead to a pretty park.

By this point, I pretty much suspected that he was going to propose. Still, we walked around for quite a bit. He just couldn't find the perfect spot. As we walked around the beautiful park, he considered the fact that they used to hang people there and whether it was really a spot for a proposal. We walked into a gazebo, but there was a family sitting there (we're both pretty private people and wouldn't want an audience). We head back along the water toward our car, and a group of older men walks about five feet behind us, enjoying a stroll. We stop to let them pass, but they stop too--I could feel how frustrated David was getting.

At last, we make it almost all the way back to our car. We stop along the Cooper River, across the street from these gorgeous historic homes, finally alone. David starts his proposal. I don't remember what he said--he said later he had a speech planned but forgot it all--but it was beautiful. He got down on one knee and presented a beautiful princess-cut diamond solitaire that he had selected himself. I, of course, said "Yes!"
As it turned out, some people did walk by after he started the proposal, but he was so focused on me, he didn't even notice. It was perfect and beautiful and happened in the city we loved most from our trip--Charleston.

You might be interested in:
Romantics Guide To Popping The Question - 101 Marriage Propsal Stories.
Leading Book On Marriage Proposals. Tips, Ideas And 101 Real Life Stories Of Engagements.
By Michael Webb, Oprah's Romance Expert.

Get help planning your wedding with wedding planners & checklists at the Perfect Memories Wedding Store.

Poll results: Who chose your engagement ring?

The results of our latest poll are in, and it looks like while the majority of your fiances went the traditional route by surprising you with a ring, 40 percent of you played a role in selecting your own engagement ring.

Brides, who chose your engagement ring?

• He did: 60 percent
• I did: 10 percent
• We did, before the proposal: 18 percent
• We did, after the proposal: 12 percent

Thanks for voting and check back soon for a new poll!

New poll: Brides, who chose your engagment ring?

The traditional surprise proposal with a ring chosen by the groom isn't necessary the tradition any more. Some future brides and grooms shop for a ring together before the proposal, and others hold off the ring shopping until the after the "Will you?" and the "Yes!"

Vote on the poll on the left sidebar and tell me, who selected the sparkly engagement ring on your finger?

• He did.
• I did.
• We did, before the proposal.
• We did, after the proposal.
  

Poll results: When did you get engaged?

The results from the latest poll are in:

When did you get engaged?

• On any other day: 47 percent
• On a holiday: 33 percent
• On a special occasion: 19 percent

Thanks for voting, and look for a new poll to be up shortly!

New poll: When did you get engaged?

With Christmas and New Year's Eve behind us and Valentine's Day just a month and a half away, we're certainly in the middle of a very popular season for marriage proposals.

Many guys choose to make the holidays memorable by proposing; others choose a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary. And of course, still others decide to catch their significant others off guard and propose on any other day of the year.

The thing is, any time is a great time to become engaged (well, almost any time...I'm sure there are exceptions!). But I'm curious about the trend...so vote on the poll to the left and let us know when your wedding proposal happened.

Poll results: Did your fiance ask your parents for permission to propose?

Our latest two-week poll has closed, and the results are in: 60 percent of your fiances asked your parents for permission to marry. I'm kind of surprised by the results, because personally, I thought asking the parents had become the exception rather than the rule. But, until the last few days of the poll, almost all of you had selected yes. I guess we've got some traditional guys out there!

Results:

• Yes, he asked: 60 percent
• No, he didn't: 40 percent

Thanks for voting. . .the next poll will be up shortly!

New poll: Did your fiance ask your parents for permission to propose?

Last week, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published a story about the traditions and trends of asking parents for their daughter's hand in marriage. The article features some interesting points-of-view from both sides of the issue.

I'm wondering how many grooms out there are asking the parents for permission before proposing to their girlfriends. Please vote over the next two weeks in our poll in the left column of this blog.