A Romantic Proposal.
By Jabo
@jaboUK (64354)
United Kingdom
November 4, 2015 10:52am CST
My grandfather was a soldier, and his dress uniform was bright scarlet, as opposed to the drab khaki of his everyday uniform.
When he decided to propose to my grandmother he donned his dress uniform, twisted some flowers into his horse's mane, and rode up to the house where my grandmother was working.
She was a servant in a large house, so of course he had to go to the tradesmen's entrance. He thought she'd be impressed by having a red-clad soldier on a beautiful horse ride up to ask her to marry him.
Wrong - she was embarrassed by his ostentation and sent him away, telling him to come back later when he was more soberly dressed, and without the horse.
Grandad was rather crestfallen, but did as she said, and Granny accepted his much more mundane proposal.
My own proposal was my husband saying ''What about it?'' Not much romance there! What about you - did you get/give the full romantic treatment?
59 people like this
59 responses
@LadyDuck (471573)
• Switzerland
4 Nov 15
Oh my goodness, I do not remember how my husband asked me to merry him! We both lived in Milan (Italy) at that time. I think to remember we had a meeting here in Switzerland and it ended late in the evening, we were tired, but he had to bring me back to my home, if I remember well he said "we should get married, so the next time we can sleep here". Not very romantic, but practical.
16 people like this
@LeaPea2417 (37357)
• Toccoa, Georgia
4 Nov 15
My husband to be was romantic. He took me out to eat then we went to our local park and stood looking over a bridge at a water fall, and that is where he asked me to marry him and presented me with an engagement ring.
10 people like this
@41CombedaleRoad (5952)
• Greece
4 Nov 15
He had given the matter a great deal of thought including the kind of ring you would like.
4 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
4 Nov 15
@Leapea2417 Oh, that sounds lovely. He must have pretty sure that you'd say yes if he'd already bought the ring
4 people like this
@Juliaacv (51081)
• Canada
4 Nov 15
My husband is very very old fashioned and romantic. He asked my Dad if he could marry me, and my Dad called me into the living room for a conversation between the 3 of us. That was on a Monday, and on Friday night he took me out for a fancy supper, and then we went back to his mother's house, and he asked me to sit in a chair and close my eyes. When I opened them, he was on 1 knee with a bouquet of roses and a ring in the other hand. He slipped the ring on my finger and asked me if I'd marry him. It was very elaborate, and I appreciated it. That is just his way. We went to the bowling alley to see some friends, and 1 of them knew what he was doing that night, and as we entered the bar area of the alley, he stood up and raised his glass and toasted us as we walked thru the door. It was a fun night.
7 people like this
@Juliaacv (51081)
• Canada
4 Nov 15
@jaboUK But sometimes he is so sweet and sincere that it gives me the giggles. I'm lucky that I'm married to my best friend, and there are times that frighten myself thinking what if he goes before me. I try not to think of that because I have no control over it and I don't want to worry my life away.
4 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
4 Nov 15
No romance here, that's for sure. I met him in college and married him around 5 years later. I had just visited him in Minnesota where he worked (I was in New York) and I got a phone call and he was moving to Kansas in a month and he wanted to get married before we went to Kansas because his parents and mine lived nearby. So he asked will you marry me and I said .....of course. We planned a church wedding and reception at my parents home Got married and left for Kansas...it was a whirl wind that blew up together.
8 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
4 Nov 15
@PainsOnSlate It just goes to show that a romantic proposal isn't necessary for a happy marriage. Glad it worked out so well for you, as it has for me.
4 people like this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
4 Nov 15
hi@41combedale no romance in mine either myhubby to be turned to me" well we o ught to get marrked Pattytricia"? that was his nickname for me. and I said yes of course 33 years so we must have done something right im widowed now for a long time.
6 people like this
@kevin1877uk (36988)
•
5 Nov 15
Wonderful story, I've asked two ladies to marry me. One being my ex-wife and the other was my last partner. I asked them both in the same way with a dozen red roses and a card asking them if they would marry me. Both said yes.
4 people like this
@kevin1877uk (36988)
•
5 Nov 15
@jaboUK Yes I'm a very romantic person, love romance.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
5 Nov 15
@kevin1877uk You do sound romantic Kevin - I bet if there had been a white horse available you would have jumped on too!
Sorry that things didn't workout for you though.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
5 Nov 15
No proposal at all, Al asked me if i would like to go to the jewelry store and then took me to the engagement rings. I guess he was pretty sure the answer would be yes!! lol
5 people like this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
5 Nov 15
@jaboUK He is man of few words but has been an excellent husband and father. lol romance is not his forte.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
5 Nov 15
@BelleStarr That was one way of doing it!
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
5 Nov 15
@BelleStarr That sounds similar to the way my husband is.
1 person likes this
@sofssu (23662)
•
5 Nov 15
Nah, mine was in the middle of the road.. just as we were running across a road avoiding traffic.. He just blurted it out and I thought I heard him wrong and didn't respond. It took another five days for my husband to say it again in a cafe. He was way too shy then.
5 people like this
@antonbunot (11093)
• Calgary, Alberta
5 Nov 15
In the Philippines during my time (70's), the trend was TO ELOPE instead of proposing and taking long engagement after. I did not tell my wife - - will you marry me . . . I told her - - let us elope . . what do you think? And she said - yes!
5 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
5 Nov 15
@antonbunot So you eloped and got married far from your home? It worked for you anyway.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (82839)
• United States
4 Nov 15
I think your grandfathers proposal was indeed romantic and I would have swooned if my beloved showed up on a horse. I didn't get a romantic proposal either and it was similar to yours. Actually my granddaughter is looking for romantic proposal stories so I'll have to share your post with her
5 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
5 Nov 15
I have been proposed to more than once, by different men. The second and third were very romantic. I accepted the third.
4 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
5 Nov 15
@jaboUK It is great when a jerk tells you that he is one before you make anything permanent. I wish they would tell people even sooner, so less time would be wasted. 
2 people like this
@allknowing (136771)
• India
5 Nov 15
We were both working around the same area and apparently he had seen me a million times and was hell bent on getting me. Got hold of a common friend,arranged a meeting...............
4 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
5 Nov 15
@allknowing Your husband was determined to get you, and found a way to meet you. Great.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
4 Nov 15
@PainsOnSlate You can't imagine grown men being told who to marry by their grandmother, can you?
2 people like this
@41CombedaleRoad (5952)
• Greece
4 Nov 15
The marriage itself must have been something to remember if it is like the ones in films. I hope romance came along a little later.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23405)
• United Kingdom
4 Nov 15
Arr that would have mortified the poor man going to all that effort. You have got to laugh at their practicalities of those days! I hope you replied what about what?
4 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
4 Nov 15
@garymarsh6 Yes, poor Grandad was very cresffallen, but at least he tried again
Lol - I did have an idea what my husband was talking about. I think my response was ''Oh, ok then''!
Lol - I did have an idea what my husband was talking about. I think my response was ''Oh, ok then''!1 person likes this
@ChaelMlrps (3)
• Manila, Philippines
5 Nov 15
Sadly that your grandmother didn't appreciate your grandfather's amazing proposal? She felt embarrassed instead of being happy. But I understand why, maybe she would like her husband to propose for her as simple. Maybe proposing for her was like a simple paper, you don't need to write, draw, or color the paper to make it beautiful because a simple paper is a beautiful art. A proposal doesn't need those things because a simple proposal is very romantic.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
5 Nov 15
@ChaelMlrps No it's not sad at all - it had a happy ending - he got the girl
2 people like this
@ChaelMlrps (3)
• Manila, Philippines
5 Nov 15
@jaboUK It's an amazing but sad story.
2 people like this
