Engagement Stories

Rachel and Rudy
Rudy and I had been together for five years when he finally proposed. I knew it was coming; he'd been asking all my friends what sort of ring they thought I would like and whether he should go ahead and get it for the proposal or if we should choose it together. He had even told me he had been all set to ask me a few months before until I ruined the surprise by making plans to go out with friends! So even though I knew he was going to ask me I was still completely surprised when he did.
We had visited some old school friends on the second May Bank Holiday weekend in 2003 and we'd had a really great time in Stratford Upon Avon on Saturday - the weather was really nice that weekend and on Sunday I suggested that if it was still fine on the Bank Holiday Monday we should go to Hampton Court Palace as in a conversation about places we wanted to visit Rudy had said he'd always wanted to have a go at the maze.
On Sunday night we ended up going out and I ended up having one or two too many. Consequently I woke up on Monday morning dreadfully hung over - however, it was a beautiful day and I didn't want to let Rudy down - going on day trips once the football season is over as it is one of our traditions - so we went ahead with our plans to go to Hampton Court.
It was a gorgeous day. We started off looking around the State Apartments and then headed outside to find the maze, where we got hopelessly lost. We were walking around and around and around in circles - several times we walked straight past the entrance and the heat and my hangover meant I was really tempted to give up but I didn't say anything as I knew Rudy wanted to complete it. After what seemed like an eternity we finally found the middle where Rudy uttered the now-famous words: "I suppose you're going to want to marry me now then, aren't you?" To which I, absolutely flabbergasted, replied: "Is that you asking me to then?" And he said: "Yes!"
The rest of the day was spent wandering around the grounds holding hands with stupid grins on our faces. We bought a limited edition print of the gardens to commemorate the occasion (which now hangs on the wall of our new home) and ate ice cream by the Thames. Then it was home to make endless phone calls to our friends and family. Nobody was surprised at all as Rudy had been talking about proposing to pretty much everyone we know!
I love the fact that the deed was done in a place that'll always be there. We'll be able to revisit it on anniversaries if we want to and I'd like to take our children there one day. I love the reaction I get when people hear we got engaged at the middle of the maze at Hampton Court - I think it was a really romantic thing to do and it was certainly a day to remember.
We went shopping together to buy the ring and in the end we chose a half carat platinum diamond solitaire. We get married on September 3 2004 - just over 14 months from proposal to marriage - and I can't wait. I'm so lucky to have found a good one.

Brian and I met through an online personals/dating service. We talked online for a week, over the phone and online for another week, and then we had our first date. It only took about two weeks and we knew that we were perfect for each other. After dating for three months Brian came home one day with a package which he sat on the mantel over the fireplace and told me that I could not look in it. Since we had been talking about getting married, I assumed it was an engagement ring. He left it there for two weeks and I did not peek. Finally after two weeks of anticipation, his son convinced him to let me open it. Much to my surprise, it was a gold letter opener that his son had won at an arcade for me. Shortly after, that package disappeared from the fireplace mantel, it was replaced by a small ring box. Again, I assumed it was an engagement ring. I asked how long it was going to be before I could see what was in the box. He finally said it would be July 13th, but gave no reason why the 13th, or what the significance of that date was. Since I thought the ring box was my engagement ring, I went out and bought a wedding band for Brian which I proudly placed beside the ring box on the mantel. In the mean time he had my teenaged daughter in on the plan, and they kept telling secrets and even contacted my boss. I assumed that Brian had arranged for me to get off early, or be off, on Friday, July 13th, so was I ever surprised on Thursday, July 12th when Brian, my daughter, his son, my boss, the Human Resources Director and the people who report to me at my job all showed up in my office. Brian was carrying two dozen roses and his son had a bottle of wine with 'I Love You' balloons tied to it. Brian first handed me a card where he had written how much he loved me and why he wanted to include our family and my friends from work. Then he said the following: "Lisa, like wine takes years to age, we have taken years to find one and other. Like the roses, you are beautiful yet fragile, and need to be taken care of - like I want to spend the rest of my life taking care of you. Like the air in the balloons, when we kiss, I feel like I am walking on air." Then he got down on one knee, opened the ring box, which was not the one from the mantel, to reveal my engagement ring. He then asked if I would do him the honor of being his wife. Of course I said yes. When we got home I gave him the box that I had on the mantle, being all proud of the band that I had purchased. He opened it, smiled and then said "hold that thought" and went and got the box off the mantle...it was a band exactly like the one that I had purchased for Brian. We laughed and I told him "Well, I guess you know you can trust me not to peek!" Our wedding is planned for September 8th and I will never forget my wonderful proposal, it was like something out of a fairy tale!