10 of Our Favorite Proposal Stories From LGBTQ+ Couples

These are the sweetest.

by Rachel Torgerson

If it’s time to start planning the proposal, we suggest you do a little homework to figure out how best to do it. From the dramatic and elaborate plans that end in a big “yes!” to the sweet and shy stories, read these tales from some of our LGBTQ+ real wedding couples to spark a romantic proposal idea of your own.

Morning Routine

“We were in our bathrobes having coffee, and I got down on one knee in the kitchen and asked her to marry me. She said ‘yes!’ It was the simplest proposal I could possibly imagine, but so perfect. Kristie and I were totally giddy. We kissed and hugged and told our dog the good news, set a date, emailed all our family members and started planning right away!” –Hannah

A Tale of Two Trips

“On a trip to Montreal, Tara had us hike up to the top of Mount Royal at sunset. She began to tell me the story of how her grandfather had proposed to her grandmother with a cigar wrapper folded into a ring, and handed me my own paper ring. Six months later, after her suspicions had died down a bit, Tara’s mother took us to Beijing for a week. We walked out onto the roof of a market building and it reminded me so much of the view from Montreal that I had to propose. All we could see was the Temple of Heaven surrounded by trees. It was perfect.” –Courtney

A Walk on the Beach

“We had a party on the beach with our friends, but I got antsy and wanted to take a stroll. We stopped to look at a house on the beach. I was making comments about it and wondering why Andy wasn’t saying anything. As I turned to address him, there he was on one knee with a ring box. When we got back to our friends, Andy had arranged for champagne to be served.” –Jeff

Viral Video

“In college, I was involved in an a cappella group called The Dear Abbeys. Kyle and I attended their 20thanniversary concert and Kyle was called up on stage. As part of his proposal, he managed to work in the song titles of every song I had ever solo’d for the group. I was hysterically crying as I said ‘yes,’ and the entire concert hall was on their feet clapping and cheering. The whole thing was caught on camera and went viral on YouTube!” –Tommy

A Long Time Coming

“We’ve been together for 20 years and we got engaged right after Prop 8 was struck down by the Supreme Court. Rob turned to me and said, ‘So, want to get married now?’ We were thrilled.” –John

A Family Affair

“I’d always dreamed of a proposal in front of tons of people. Jessie, an introvert, got wind of this and promptly shut it down. Fast-forward to six months later, I come home from a visit to the gym only to find the house totally lit up, filled with flowers. She led me into the dining room, where she had literally wallpapered the room with a collage of more than 400 photos of friends, family and the two of us on various adventures. Unbeknownst to me, she had spent the last six months contacting all of our family and friends, from as far away as Australia, to send us pictures of themselves for ‘a special project.’ She said, ‘This collage I’ve made represents our past six years together, the amazing life and community we have built together. I know you wanted me to propose to you in front of everyone we know, but it’s just not who I am. So, I thought this could be a way I could propose to you surrounded by all the people we love.’ Then 15 of our friends came over for dinner to help us celebrate. Best. Proposal. Ever.” –Kate

Dual Proposals

“We were about to watch an episode of 24 (our favorite) when all of a sudden, Lindsay popped onto the TV screen! Several hilarious takes showed her trying to ask me a ‘really important question.’ When the video was over, I turned around and there she was on one knee! One week later, I had a gift for her. There were three pairs of embroidered sweatpants that said ‘I love you,’ ‘You make me so happy,’ and finally, ‘Will you…marry me?’ When she looked up, I was ready with the ring.” –Amber

Anniversary-Turned-Wedding

“We’ve been together over a decade and didn’t ever plan on having a wedding. But, as legislation changed, and we started planning our 10-year anniversary party, we realized a wedding made more sense. It was confusing at first — we weren’t sure what it would mean for us, as we made a commitment long ago — but the desire to celebrate our relationship with our friends and family won out.” –Grace

Special Rings

“What makes our proposal so special to us is that we gave our rings to each other when we became domestic partners in 2006. We decided to exchange the same rings on our wedding day, and had them engraved with our wedding date to symbolize our new beginning and our continued journey.” –Gabriela

Spanish Translation

“Melissa is from Colombia and speaks fluent Spanish. Since we began dating, I’ve been trying to slowly learn the language. At dinner, we always play this game where I say something to her in Spanish to see if she understands, and she repeats it to me in English. At the beginning of our meal on July 28, 2013, I asked her in Spanish if she liked the food. She responded with, ‘Do you like the food?’ This continued sporadically throughout our meal, and I made sure to ask her strange questions to keep her laughing and not suspecting my final question. When the meal was almost over, I asked, ‘Quieres casarte conmingo?’ She laughed and said, ‘Will you marry me?’ I smiled, and repeated myself. She dropped her fork and looked at me. I presented her with the ring and she accepted through tears.” –Kristen