http://www.diamondreview.com/articles/index.html Sun, 19 May 2013 11:23:27 +0000 43200 Manage articles http://www.diamondreview.com/articles/index.html/_/proposals/a-hunting-we-will-go-r14 Submitted by: Rob Cloutier

Over 15 years ago I sent my Sweetie on a treasure hunt to find her engagement ring. She's from Pennsylvania and I brought her to my home in Connecticut for the weekend.

I snuck out at first light the next morning as she slept. I placed hidden messages at places she visited for the first time when she met my parents about a month earlier. Each message was about a mile or two away from each other so she had to use my car during the hunt.

The first message was hidden in a magazine she had to purchase at a grocery store my brother worked at. The second was at a sandwich shop within her favorite sandwich I preordered for her. The third was on a milk carton she had to buy at a dairy store my sister use to work at. The forth was under a bridge we use to swim at and the last place ended up next door to my house at a grave yard we use to walk around holding hands.

When I finished setting up the treasure hunt, I woke my Sweetie and told her that she was to use my car and go on a treasure hunt with real treasure at the end of the hunt. She was really excited and had no idea about the ring. It took her less than one hour to complete the game and end up in the grave yard where she found a large one foot square box. I hid in the woods and took pictures as she unwrapped four boxes neatly wrapped inside one another.

Each box had a small love note which read something like; "getting closer, isn't this fun", "today is the first day of the rest of your life", "I bet you're wondering what's in here" etc.. She finally got to the last two inch square box and she thought it was a pair of earrings until she read the note that said "I love you, will you marry me?" She began to cry and quickly opened the box to find the diamond engagement ring.

I then left my hiding place and walked over to her asking if she was okay. She said yes. I asked her what the answer was and again she said yes. It was the happiest day of my life and I love more today then I did that day over 15 years ago.

Adapted from material provided by The RoMANtic's Guide]]> Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:20:51 +0000 5fd0b37cd7dbbb00f97ba6ce92bf5add http://www.diamondreview.com/articles/index.html/_/proposals/the-abcs-of-proposing-r13 Submitted by: Michael Scott

For my proposal, I made 12 note cards called "The ABC's of Love". Each card was inscribed with a phrase about my love for my soon-to-be wife, each of the 12 phrases beginning with a successive letter of the alphabet (eg, "I Accept you as you are", "I Believe you are valuable"). Each card also had a single, cryptic letter -- the letters were a scrambled "will u marry me".

Then I bought a dozen red roses, and paired each card with a rose, and left them at key spots where Julie would find them. The first i snuck into her car the night before, so she would find it as she left for work. The second was where she worked, and so on.

Several of the card/rose combos were left with clerks at certain mall stores. That evening, I took her to each store, bought her a little gift, and then the clerk would pull out the surprise. This continued on to dinner, where another surprise was waiting at our table when we arrived. Still another card arrived with the check.

By the time we finished dessert, she had 11 cards. I had saved the final card ("I Join as one") for our stroll to a quaint gazebo in the park. I pulled out the final card, and the engagement ring, got down on one knee, and asked this beautiful woman to marry me.

Adapted from material provided by The RoMANtic's Guide]]> Sun, 30 Oct 2011 00:18:53 +0000 73278a4a86960eeb576a8fd4c9ec6997 http://www.diamondreview.com/articles/index.html/_/proposals/on-top-of-the-world-r10 Submitted by: Steve Moseley

When my wife, Lisa, and I were considering getting married, she didn't think I was telling enough people. She was confident in her love for me, and didn't think I had the same confidence.

She said, "I just want to shout to the world how much I love you."

So, my creative juices began to flow.

Outside St. Louis are the famous Indian Burial Grounds, Cahokia Mounds. The tallest of the mounds is called Monks Mound. So I got Lisa to climb to the top with me. The site was very romantic, with the St. Louis Gateway Arch in the background.

When we got to the top, I gave her a card. It referred her to our future together and requested her to look in her purse. In her purse she found her engagement ring, which I had planted in their earlier. She started jumping up and down saying "Yes!"

Then came the best part!

I told her to turn around and look at the camera. My brother had secretly followed us up the hill to get the whole event preserved on video! She was very shocked and very pleased!

When we returned to her house, we opened the door and "Surprise!" Family and friends were there to greet us with a surprise engagement party for us. She couldn't believe I had arranged the whole thing. To top it all off, the day I chose was the anniversary of our first kiss!

Adapted from material provided by The RoMANtic's Guide]]> Sat, 29 Oct 2011 20:04:51 +0000 5f93f983524def3dca464469d2cf9f3e