Photo: Eye Wander Photo
First comes love, then comes marriage. But before the joy of wedding planning begins comes the biggest, happiest question of all: Will you marry me? Thanks to HowHeAsked, we found some real, romantic, and ridiculously creative proposal stories that will get you inspired, tearing up, or both!
The phrase "bad pickup line" might sound redundant to a lot of people, but not Patrick—he owes his happy engagement to fiancée Melinda to a cheesy ice-breaker.
See more: Design Your Dream Engagement Ring
The couple met at work after Patrick was transferred from Chicago to Nyack, New York. Patrick tried initiated conversations with his pretty coworker, but she wouldn't give him the time of day. Eager to get some alone time with her outside of the work environment, he finally went into the bank where they both worked on a Saturday.
His (cheesy) opening line when he walked in? "How do you like my hair? I asked to have it cut like Beckham." But Melinda laughed, and Patrick invited her to a party he was having that night. To his surprise, she showed up and they finally got to know each other.
"The next day we went on a walk around a nearby lake," Patrick says. "It was a 3-mile walk around the lake but we kept walking, and 9 miles later I knew she was the one."
See more: Over-the-Top Places to Get Engaged
A year later, Melinda and Patrick moved to Dallas, and he decided to act on his initial hunch. Much to his good fortune, the pieces fell together neatly. A friend who was expanding his jewelry business to Texas found the perfect diamond for Patrick to use for his big moment. Meanwhile, the couple had an upcoming trip to New Orleans that Patrick decided would be the perfect place to propose, with its history and charming streets. And, finally, his friend's wife, who was from the area, helped him settle on a location that offered a perfect vantage point for a photographer to capture the whole thing.
"We planned a brunch near Jackson Square and had Aaron [their photographer] waiting," Patrick says. "Both our birthdays were coming up the next weekend and Mel thought I may propose on the day between them. So this weekend was perfect, as she was caught off guard."
As they walked through the park after brunch, Patrick I saw an "X" on the ground that Aaron had marked for him. He dropped to his knees and popped the question. "It all went as planned," Patrick recalls, "and Aaron captured our excitement."
Our Takeaways
1. The perfect fit: Was it fate—or just good luck? Everything, from the engagement ring to the vacation to the perfect spot, fell neatly into place for Patrick's proposal.
2. Thrown off the scent: Most couples discuss getting engaged before getting engaged, so many women think they know when their man will pop the question. That makes it extra fun when the guy still makes it a surprise—the way Patrick did.
3. Setting the scene: Patrick's photographer helped him by designating the perfect proposal spot in Jackson Square, and it shows. Look at that gorgeous photo!
Click here to read more about Melinda and Patrick's engagement and don't forget to follow @HowHeAsked on Twitter!