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Groom's Day: The Proposal

A groom's perspective on weddings.

Let's face it; there is a tremendous amount of pressure on men to develop the perfect proposal. The proposal will always be unique to the character and personalities of the couple; ranging from simplistic and romantic to surprising and dramatic. Either way, the bride-to-be will have to explain “How did he ask” at least 250 times in a lifetime.

 

 

 

A good proposal might include the following elements:

• Surprise
• Romance
• Meaning
• Humor / Inside Joke
• Emotion

Out of all these, a meaningful proposal was most important to me.

The Criteria: I had already been warned, “Whatever you do, do not ask me to marry you in front of a large group.” That eliminated several options on family vacations. If you can pick up on any hints on how your future bride would like to be proposed to, do so. With this token of knowledge in my pocket, I began planning my proposal.

I thought about the character and personality of our relationship and decided that a casual beach proposal would be best in one of San Diego’s most beautiful locations, Flat Rock at Torrey Pines Beach. Working backwards, I booked an amazing suite at one of my favorite resorts, The Lodge at Torrey Pines. We started out with an in-room lunch and a bottle of champagne as we gazed from our balcony across the golf course onto the vast ocean. After a delicious lunch, we packed up and hiked from The Lodge down to Torrey Pines State Beach. It was a beautiful day so there were many hikers out. I started to get nervous about the criteria, “whatever you do, do not ask me to marry you in front of a large group.” So far, the day was a mix of the luxury lifestyle and the great outdoors.

One of the most successful marriages I know is a result of a picnic table proposal in the local park so remember to focus on what is important, the huge step in life you will be taking together.

Nothing will ever go as planned. On our hike, my bride-to-be had to use the bathroom and we were nowhere near relief. My plan to layout a blanket, relax on the beach and propose thoughtfully and calmly was now rushed due to nature’s calling. When we descended down to the end of the winding, scenic trail, the tide was high so we were relegated to a rock near the unstable cliffs. I laid out the towel, reached into my backpack and said awkwardly, “I have something for you.” I think she knew what was coming. After a few words of my adoration and “I love you” I got on one knee and proposed. She said, “YES!”

We celebrated with a bottle of champagne on the beach, raced back up to the mountain admiring the ring in the sunlight all the while. Returning to the warmth of The Lodge on the brisk February day we celebrated more, relaxed by the fireplace, took a bubble bath and then prepared for a romantic celebration dinner at The Grille. Our table was positioned closest to the live Spanish guitarist. It was an amazing day we will never forget.

My approach was more romantic than creative. It was genuine to the character and personality of our relationship. I definitely have respect for guys who pull out all of the stops; planning a creative and surprising proposal. It definitely makes for a great story.

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