What is a creative engagement proposal idea?

July 31, 2006 12:52 PM

What is a creative way for me (male, 22) to propose to my girlfriend (female, 21) in the area of Atlanta, GA or somewhere in NW GA? I do not want to do something that has been overdone (megatron @ ballgame). I want it to be romantic, semi-private (not drawing huge attention if is out in public), and memorable. She loves art and nature (not this damn heat). I am drawing a blank and need help ASAP!
posted by criticman to human relations (34 comments total)

Perhaps somewhere in the Botanical Gardens?
posted by Constant Reader at 12:54 PM on July 31, 2006

Hmmm...well I built a 75 foot wide sign out of rebar that I welded together and covered with 3000+ lights and set it up on a lake. That worked :)
posted by JPigford at 12:55 PM on July 31, 2006

Do you have a GPS? Perhaps if you were to suggest an afternoon of geocaching, and then "accidentally stumble upon" a cache that you had previously planted (and not publicized, of course), and that contained a ring...
posted by dersins at 12:57 PM on July 31, 2006

You should just take her someplace that is special to you both (a favorite place to walk/hike, first date, etc.). Get down on your knee and tell her what she means to you, with specific examples, tell her you want to be with her forever and then ask her. Say her name too, Jane, will you marry me? It will be heartfelt and unforgettable. Sometimes the most simple gestures are the most meaningful.
posted by sulaine at 12:59 PM on July 31, 2006 [1 favorite]

Go camping, get her distracted or out of the way and do the camping site up in candles and romance. When she comes back (or wakes up, whatever) ask her. I'm not from the area, but I imagine there is somewhere you could do this.
posted by travosaurus at 12:59 PM on July 31, 2006

Go to a park where there are those sketch artists drawing/painting portraits. Arrange ahead of time with one of them to draw your portrait, and include at the bottom: "Soandso, will you marry me?".

Then all you have to do is arrive, sit down with your gf, and try to keep calm :)
posted by Kickstart70 at 1:05 PM on July 31, 2006

Plus, then you have this wonderful keepsake of the moment!
posted by Kickstart70 at 1:06 PM on July 31, 2006

You don't kneel down, do you, until *right* before you ask?

(I originally ended that sentence with "before you asl", which is perversely funny, in its own way...)
posted by baylink at 1:13 PM on July 31, 2006

I think kneeling right before you ask, or in the lead in would be appropriate. If I were the one being proposed to, I would want him to kneel early on (or give me some other signal so I definitely would know what was coming). I don't want to be caught off guard.
posted by sulaine at 1:15 PM on July 31, 2006

I made a doctored fortune cookie for a friend.
posted by sourwookie at 1:18 PM on July 31, 2006

Proposing atop Stone Mountain is probably overdone and lame (although you definitely could find privacy/seclusion and/or even have some friends/family hiding up there), but what about Amicalola Falls? Some good friends of mine had their wedding at the top of the falls.
posted by daveleck at 1:26 PM on July 31, 2006

Botched the link - sorry about that. It should be http://ngeorgia.com/parks/amicalola.html
posted by daveleck at 1:27 PM on July 31, 2006

Amicalola Falls is a pretty cool place to go, and about 1/2 way up the falls trail climb is a wooden observation platform with a great view of the falls above (where you could do your kneelin', and she could do her squealin' safely), cool water running in a brook right beside you, and a narrow gorge full of shady trees and wildflowers (although spring is peak season for azaleas most everywhere in Georgia). 'Bout an hour and half up 400, left on 53 through Awesome Bill's Dawsonville, then 183 towards Ellijay, and follow the signs.

Lunch or dinner at the Lodge atop the falls is pretty good, in a state park country food sorta way, and makes a rainy day backup plan.
posted by paulsc at 1:29 PM on July 31, 2006

Maybe you could go to the High Museum or a gallery and have a pre-arranged painting/poster/whatever there that pops the question.

Plenty of nice spots for a hike/camp opportunity abound. But it's buggy/hot season right now, so I don't know about that.

Just don't do it at Mall of Georgia, okay?
posted by scottythebody at 1:37 PM on July 31, 2006

I think there are only a few rules to a "memorable" proposal.

1: Don't do it when he or she is asleep or drunk.
2: Don't do it in a way that comes off as just a joke, or a casual comment.
3: Don't propose to someone who has serious problems with long-term memory.
4: Don't administrate drugs that cause blackouts, or inhibit memory formation while proposing.

Other than that, just about everything will be "memorable." Your future partner will faithfully remember or lovingly embelish every detail of the event just because you proposed a lifelong commitment to him/her. (Unless you break up, in which case everything you do will become a case example of how not to propose.) It's one of those things that you just don't forget.

If you want more than that, take your prospective partner to a place that is special to the both of you: your favorite art museum, or park, the place you first met or a restauraunt. It's YOUR relationship and YOUR lover. A bunch of strangers here can't tell you when, where and how to do it.

If all else fails just carry the ring in your pocket, and look for the perfect ephemeral, spontaneous and beautiful moment. Then you can say, "Oh yeah, I planned that." That's how I did it.
posted by KirkJobSluder at 1:56 PM on July 31, 2006

Because I'm a total nerd, I always thought the coolest proposal would be a scavenger hunt that led me to a couple of "our" places with cute notes or photos, before sending me to the place where my beloved was waiting to propose. Fun if you live in a walkable-sort of neighborhood like I do, not so fun if you frazzle your girlfriend running to and fro for several hours in terrible traffic.

I think this idea appealed to me because I knew mr. junkbox and I would be getting engaged, so the idea of a scavenger hunt added an element of anticipation to something that was otherwise predictable. But if your girlfriend isn't expecting a proposal soon, it might be too baroque.
posted by junkbox at 2:00 PM on July 31, 2006

I like the Amicola Falls idea. I had also thought about doing something at the High. She actually had a piece on display in the Woodruff (building that houses the High) when she was a little younger. Would they be cool with working with me on a setup? I wasn't sure how much they would play along.

I had thought about Red Top Mountain too...anyone have feedback about how that is?

Our first actual date would be Waffle House or IHOP (lame, but we were poor college students). I could propose over pancakes...but I think that may be odd?

We would go for long walks and what not at our college's beautiful campus, especially when we first started dating, so doing something like a mild hike in a beauituful place would be cool.
posted by criticman at 2:09 PM on July 31, 2006

Junkbox, that's exactly what my husband did for me, and it was awesome. The best part was that I have all of the cards he left me at the different places.

Criticman, if the IHOP is where your first date was, then go for it. Mr. Lemoncello had the scavanger hunt end at this ratty dive of a pizza joint where we had our first date.
posted by lemoncello at 2:17 PM on July 31, 2006

I'm not extremely creative, but I can tell you what my Dad did for their 25th anniversary many years ago. He bought a box of Cracker Jacks, very carefully opened it and extracted the free prize packet. He then removed the prize and replaced it with the diamond ring he bought her (they were married during WWII and only had wedding bands). Then he carefully sealed everything back up, and during a picnic with the neighbors distributed the Cracker Jack boxes as dessert, being sure she got the "special" one. I'll never forget her reaction.
posted by davcoo at 2:48 PM on July 31, 2006 [1 favorite]

And you could tip your favorite waitron into bringing the ring box out on a plate with one of those little doilies...
posted by baylink at 2:49 PM on July 31, 2006

If you could get the Waffle House/IHOP staff to hide the ring in her food or something, that'd be cool. Patty Melt plate - scattered, smothered, covered, diamonded...
posted by daveleck at 2:51 PM on July 31, 2006

...swallowed, choked?
OTOH, pancakes while camping might be lovely.
posted by casarkos at 3:02 PM on July 31, 2006

Take her out for brunch somewhere, and then to a nearby art museum. If she's an art lover, chances are you already have a few special museum spots picked out in your mind. If not, there's no harm in arranging a little weekend away to a larger more interesting museum. Research the catalog, pop the question in front of something beautiful.

Do it earlier in the day, so she has a chance to calm down before going to bed.
posted by cior at 3:16 PM on July 31, 2006

Yeah; let's not Put the ring into anything edible...
posted by baylink at 3:17 PM on July 31, 2006

re: getting on one knee, I love the whole bring-out-the-ring, then "accidentally drop it" and then pick it up while on one knee.
posted by unknowncommand at 3:22 PM on July 31, 2006

Whatever you do, don't tell her you asked people on the Internet how to propose.

Seriously, you know the right way to do this, and where would be the best place. Relax and think about what would be the most meaningful and memorable for her and for you. The fact that you mean it is the important thing, not where or how.

Of course, I proposed to my wife in a graveyard, so what do I know?
posted by Kafkaesque at 3:33 PM on July 31, 2006

Clearly, I did not mean in some manner in which it could be consumed. Give me a little more credit than that. Sheesh.
posted by daveleck at 3:34 PM on July 31, 2006

Scavenger Hunt. Make her earn that permanent c**kblock.
posted by datacenter refugee at 4:16 PM on July 31, 2006

Don't charter a plane in Rome, GA (although it worked out okay). If you're going for art and nature, the Botanical Gardens has that sculpture exhibit right now. Chattanooga has an art museum in a mansion on top of a bluff overlooking the TN river.
posted by Frank Grimes at 5:13 PM on July 31, 2006

If you ask the staff at the Waffle House for help they will probably be tickle pink to help. WH managers love it when they get some pictures to send in to the regional WH new letter.
posted by Megafly at 5:33 PM on July 31, 2006

I think they have special "backstage" tours at the new aquarium, but that's maybe not natur-y enough. Different, though.

You could plant colored flowers in her front yard so that the overall shape of the planting spells out "Marry Me".

Those are my ideas. Enjoy.
posted by amtho at 7:47 PM on July 31, 2006

In Lullwater? It's my favorite hideaway in Atlanta, and it's never very crowded. And I'm guessing you might be from Emory anyhow?

Anyways, I think one of the biggest factors in what you choose to do is whether or not she is expecting a proposal.
posted by anjamu at 9:45 PM on July 31, 2006

Heh, I am in Rome, GA and I was embarrassed that we got on the news thanks to the plane crash wedding proposal. No one died though, so I guess it worked out.

I am going to have to veto any food ideas - with my luck, she would eat it or it would get served to someone else and they would eat it.

I am liking the Botanical Gardens, Amicola Falls, Chattanooga, and the High Museum.

We'll see. Thanks for all of the great ideas! Wish me luck!
posted by criticman at 4:41 AM on August 1, 2006

Good luck, criticman!
posted by paulsc at 5:21 AM on August 1, 2006