Six Proposal Disasters (and How to Avoid Them)
When you pop the question, you want that perfect unforgettable moment: a romantic proposal story to recount for decades to come. So you plan the right moment, the right place, the right way to get on one knee… but then disaster strikes!
Here are six marriage proposal disasters and how you can avoid them.
On the Water
In this moment captured on video, a man is shown walking over his boat to his fiancé who is standing on another boat. He asks her to marry him, she says “yes" and leans in for a kiss but then it all goes sideways. She accidentally presses the throttle on her boat and it starts to speed off! She’s knocked off her feet and her husband-to-be lands in the water. No one was hurt and lucky for the man, he held onto the ring as he fell.
Planning a water proposal? Make sure you secure the ring.
Reaching New Heights
Hans Ryckmans wanted a memorable rollercoaster proposal to his girlfriend Elke Vanratingen at the place where the couple took their first picture together. Hans planned to pop the question at the most exhilarating moment: the top of the first rollercoaster drop. But this is where things went off the rails. Just as he makes the proposal, the ring slips out of his hand! Lucky for the groom, he planned for this possibility: the lost ring was a replica. The real ring was in his pocket the whole time.
Planning a high-stakes proposal? Use a fake ring or ring pop to avoid your ring taking the plunge instead.
Aerial Proposal Ends Up Deflated
Hot air balloons evoke romance and adventure. That's what James Ng thought when he planned to ask Sonya Bostic for her hand in marriage on a hot air balloon ride. He hid the 1-carat diamond ring in a camera case and waited for the right moment. That moment came and then went as the camera case slipped out of his hand and tumbled down hundreds of feet below.
He improvised on the spot by proposing with a plastic twist tie instead and she said yes. Not one to give up, he and his friends embarked on an extended search of a three square mile area. He found the ring in the woods seven days later.
Dropped rings during hot air balloon proposals happen more often than you think. Use that twist tie or a string to secure the ring and you won't have to use it to propose with!
Give this Proposal Idea a Pass
Reed Harris from New Mexico had the best, worst idea for his surprise marriage proposal: hide the engagement ring in her drink. As the couple shared a meal at a local diner, Reed plunked the engagement ring in the milkshake of bride-to-be Kaitlin Whipple, imagining her delight when the ring was revealed. However Kaitlin took one last quick gulp of the milkshake, swallowing the engagement ring. X-rays taken at the hospital revealed the ring in her stomach. She said yes and two days later when the ring was recovered, the proposal was official.
Don’t hide the ring in food unless you want her first glimpse of the ring to be unforgettable (and not in a good way.)
Strike Out
When Andrew Fox decided to propose to his girlfriend Heather Terwilliger at Yankee’s stadium, he was sure the idea was a home run. Andrew arranged for a Jumbotron wedding proposal for all 35,000 fans in attendance to witness. The play for her hand almost went off without a hitch until he bobbled the ring. "I opened the ring box and got on my knee and as soon as I opened it just fell out,” Andrew remembered. It must have felt like the longest five minutes of their lives as the hunt for the lost engagement ring was broadcast live to the television audience at home. The story ends with a clutch double-play: the ring was found caught in the cuff of Andrew’s pant leg, and she said 'yes.'
If you’re going to play in the majors, make sure you practice!
The Ring of Truth
The most common proposal disaster? The wrong ring. There’s nothing worse than being down on one knee, popping the question and seeing a look of disappointment when you pull out the ring. Maybe you chose a half-carat diamond and your beloved expected two carats. Or maybe you spent every last dime on the ring of her dreams and she wanted you to save for a down payment on a new home instead. You can avoid this proposal disaster by choosing a lab-grown diamond engagement ring from Brilliant Carbon. Create the ring of her dreams with a big beautiful diamond and be fiscally responsible too: our lab grown diamonds are about half the price of mined diamonds. You can have your cake and eat it too. But, please, don't propose with the ring inside that cake, OK?
