NYC Marriage Proposal!!
 

Hey all!,

I'm new to Fodor's boards but have been a closet reader for a while. I need everyone's help with my plan to propose to my girlfriend of 6 years in July in NYC. She is spending a few months up there this summer while I am working away at home. On July 6, I am flying up there to surprise her. She doesn't think I'm coming until the evening of the 7th.

Anyway, my plan was to surprise her by showing up at her apartment in a limo. We'd then to go Top of the Rock to watch the sunset and where I'll probably pop the question. Then, we'd go off to Tavern on the Green for a late dinner and some dancing and then maybe a nightcap at the new rooftop bar, 230 Fifth. I've never been to any of these places but have read good things about all of them.

The only problem is that she went to Top of the Rock yesterday. I didn't think she knew about it but some friends ended up taking her. I've already booked the tickets for that but I guess I can change if anyone has any great ideas.

Let me know what you think! Thanks!!

check out the thread NYC to get engaged. There are some great suggestions on there!

How wonderful...Those are all great places.
But as soon as you show up with the limo she will know something's up. If you really want it to be a surprise....
How about getting her friends to get her over to the Today Show at Rockefeller Center. You might be able to set it up where you propose outside when they do the weather report or one of their outdoor features.... You will need a big sign, and can just show up and pop the question!!!

Do you like art or museums? Many people get engaged at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for example at the rooftop sculpture garden, which has a bar, or in the room with the Temple of Dendur.

Do you like nature? Central Park has many, many beautiful spots for an engagement, from the Bow Bridge to the rental boats below it.

If you like the idea of Top of the Rock, the bar Rise at the Battery Park Ritz Carlton might be an option. The views of the harbor are fantastic.

Or how about a dinner cruise in the harbor?

Good luck!

I wonder if you could get the people at shea or yankee stadium to post on the message board ____, will you marry me? you could walk up and surprise her, say, if her friends could get her to the game somehow...tha't assuming the yankees or mets are in town on the 6th.

Unless your girlfriend is a die-hard sports fan or absolutely loves the Today show, I would err on the side of private and intimate. I know very women who would be pleased with those proposal ideas. Just my 2 cents. Maybe you can get a really nice hotel room and surprise her with champagne and roses? I would also look at Danube or Daniel for dinner. The food is much better than Tavern on the Green.
Another thing to consider when picking an engagement site is to find something permanent and enduring. You can go back and visit the spot every time you come back to NYC. Museums, places in Central Park, etc. would all fit this criteria.

sigh...i am envious of your gf, when/how did you guys meet? (sorry to be off topic).

There are many choices in NY, but I too would recommend something on the intimate/quiet side. A restaurant proposal is nice (Tavern on the Green is good for non-NY'ers) and I also like the idea of Central Park. There are canoes you can take at the park, I have a friend who was proposed to there.

Sorry, I meant to say very FEW women who would be pleased with those ideas. They even had an episode of Friends about a sports even proposal gone awry:-)

Thanks for the help so far! Believe it or not, this is a hometown/high school romance that blossomed even through a couple of years apart. Now I'm getting through law school and I know that she's the love of my life!

I think we'd both prefer the proposal was "semi-private," and not something at a ball game or on the Today's show.

Also, the weekend I'm going is also her birthday so I'm going to tell her I came a night early to take her out for her that occasion.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks again!

My husband and I are also high-school sweethearts!
FYI-
There was recently some bad reviews posted here about tavern on the green. Some people might be able to give you a better recommendation for dinner.

Are you staying over night?

Not to throw cold water on your ideas - but if you show up a day early with all these romantic plans how do you know she won't be in her sloppiest clothes doing laundry?

Are you prepared to wait for a couple of hours for her to shower, wash and style her hair, do make-up and pick out that special outfit for all this - hopefully not at the cleaners.

(If my beau had done this to me I would have been half pleased, half really pissed, and wondering what had happened to his brain?)

You either need to make sure her friends have her ready for a day like this - or let her in on the plans for day - but not the proposal - in advance.

Also - it sounds like you think there's dancing at Tavern on the Green. I believe they do have music on rare nights - but am not sure about dancing - have never seen it (this is rare in NYC due to obscure Cabaret laws - it's hard for a rest to get OK for dancing - so clubs and restaurants are usually separate).

Since it is her birthday, she won't be suspicious about the limo.....
Whatever you do, it will be great. I think I'd opt for a limo to the classiest restaurant you can find. You could always have the ring under a silver domed tray with the entree...don't wait for dessert...you'll be nervous all through the meal.

i think top of the rock/central park are the best options. Horse and Carriage ride is also a popular NYC propsal option. Trust me, she'll be over the moon with any of those options. When did you buy the ring?

Check out Bateux . I was proposed here. Music/dancing/great food/even better view. So romantic!!!!! All glass dining vessel just like sailing down the seine in Paris

http://www.spiritcitycruises.com/ny/bridge.jsp

I'm going to have her friends tell her they are taking her out somewhere nice and make her get all dressed up and ready and all that.

The ring I had custom made. I was able to pick it up a few days ago and I'm taking her parents out to make sure all this is ok with them tomorrow night.

The Tavern on the Green website says they have live music and dancing every night at 7 in their Garden area. I have read very negative reviews, mainly about the staff, but have also heard good things. Plus, my girlfriend has always wanted to go there.

I'm seriously rethinking my Top of the Rock plan. I found out I can get refunds for my tickets. I'd still like to find somewhere with a great view of the city that was semi-private where we could watch the sunset. I'm just praying for beautiful weather!

Don't overthink/overplan it, you'll look silly if you go overboard with the dramatics. Just be sincere (and don't forget to mention what a fool you were for taking 6 years!).

1)Showing up unannounced at her apt could be a disaster, especially if you plan to go some place fancy. Give her fair notice.

2)Tavern on the Green food is really awful.

3)You don't need to propose some place where she hasn't been, just some place that you think is special. You can use the tickets some other time if you decide not to go there that day.

I would tell her something so she knows she's supposed to be dolled up (nothing worse than having a bad hair day when something important is supposed to happen. #-O For all you know she'll be getting a facial in anticipation of your arrival the following day.)

What about having the limo take you to the River Cafe? Drinks and dinner. A walk back over the bridge and then dancing at 230 Fifth.

Well I've changed my dinner reservation from Tavern on the Green to The River Cafe in Brooklyn. I've heard nothing but good things about it, whereas the reviews of TotG were very up and down. I'm still leaning towards Top of the Rock and 230 Fifth before and after. More help/advice is always welcome!!

I vote you stay overnight in a nice hotel

If you want to further the deception that you're there solely to celebrate her birthday, have a helium "Happy Birthday" balloon or two in the limo when you pick her up.

So do tell...how did it go?

I dont think its until July6th.
also you never answered me about staying overnight

I helped a celebrity plan something like this a few years ago at the Hotel Plaza Athenee in NY.

He booked a suite; sent some beautiful roses. Rose petals were strewn all over the bed. Chamagne was in a bucket next to the bed; also strawberries. It was very lovely & romantic.

All your efforts are really sweet, but this really is only an event that YOU can plan. You have to think about what's special to her, what's special to you, and whether you want it to be a surprise.

Personally, I think you're on the right track avoiding the stadium proposal or Today Show proposal. There are so many stadium big screen proposals now - multiples ones per game - and it only works if SHE's the fan of the team. The Today Show is risky, and very public.

The limo would be a tip-off to me, even if you did claim to be taking me out for my birthday. So if you want a surprise, anything out of the ordinary would probably start to raise her suspicions.

Does she like fancy restaurants (hey, not all of us do!) or does she like museums or parks or doing silly things? It really depends on HER and your relationship with her. For some girls, the whole production of a dinner and limo might make them uncomfortable - I'd be just as happy to be walking through Central Park and have my husband get one one knee.

So, think about what SHE likes. Think about how comfortable she is with public attention (some restaurant proposals can be pretty "public" too). And if you want to go all out, you can always schedule that limo and nice dinner afterward, too!

Definitely splurge on a nice hotel (anywhere other than her summer apartment) for the evening.

ok, i have to ask...which celebrity??

I just want to see this unfold... ((f))

Ok - am I the only one who feels that proposals have gotten out of hand (the way weddings have....)?? I am so chagrined at the various TV shows about elaborate proposals and weddings - making some people feel they have to be better than the last. It's kind of sad, really.

Whatever happened to simple and heartfelt? My husband proposed to me during a meal he had cooked for me at his apartment. It was just the two of us and was very special. We went out the next night to celebrate with friends, but that night was just for us.

I don't think any of the ideas have been too elaborate or out-of-hand so far. All of the places that have been mentioned are pretty popular and well-tread venues for proposals...

lizzie, you're right. None of these ideas are too over the top. I guess I'm thinking about these TV shows I recently saw (especially the weddings where no one was batting an eye spending $60k + for just that one day!).

You are right..it is July. I misread and thought it was June 6th.

I agree that she will be tipped off if he makes it too unique, but I think all the ideas are fun.
My son in law put my daughter's ring in a grab bag game at Christmas (the game where all the gifts are used white elephants, and everyone draws numbers to see who chooses first, and there is swapping and trading involved.) Of course it was set up that she drew the last number so would pick last, and everyone knew not to choose the round cookie tin. She was very surprised, especially since she saw that there was a ring box left under their tree at home which she was SURE was the big proposal....and she was sure her boyfriend couldn't pull anything over on her. Then when she opened it, he got down on his knee and gave a beautiful little speech as about 35 people looked on.

Hey guys,
Thank you for all the responses! I was out of town hiking Mt. LeConte in the Smokies the last few days. It's a yearly tradition with my dad and a few other people. Anyway...

Once she sees me in the limo, it will probably be a tipoff that something is up. Then again, she really may think we are just going out for a nice birthday dinner. I guess what I'm really going for is the shock factor since she thinks I won't be in town that early.

As for the hotel idea, it sounds great but it's not feasible. She's actually in NYC for the summer serving on staff with a mission group and it wouldn't be wise for her to blow off the kids she is basically mentoring and stay with me.

She's is for sure a girl who loves getting dressed up and doing the romantic thing. I am for sure planning on doing Top of the Rock and then The River Cafe but after that, I'm just going to wing it. We'll have the rest of the weekend to stroll through Central Park and all that but I figured the night I pop the question should be fancy.

I will for sure let you all know how it goes when I get back in town July 10. As always, any and all advice is appreciated!!

Can I make a suggestion?

Since you are going to the River Cafe, you can either propose while in the restaurant, or you can propose while walking on the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan. Walking over the bridge will give you amazing views.

Another option in that area is the Promenade, also steps from the restaurant. Cobblestone walkways, benches galore and a view to die for.

Or you can take the ferry back and propose on the ferry!!

You have a lot of different options near the River Cafe. I know she will love it, it's one place I've always wanted to go!!

Next to the River Cafe is a little garden area with a couple of benches, it's removed from the groups of people that roam the promenade, just in case you want some privacy. After you pop the question, you can walk to the promenade and enjoy the view - or vica versa.

Best wishes!

or visa versa, eh!

Ok I'm probably too late for this but here goes, I took my first trip to NYC this pass DEC and I had the time of my life! Of course I got spoiled...I saw my favorite show WICKED...SAw the NUTCRACKER....but the Tavern on the Green was fabulous with a carraige ride after!! So romantic....I think that would be the ideal proposal site!
That is my 2cents!! Congrats!!! I'm sure she will be thrilled with w/e you plan.

So tomorrow night is the big night. I'm so excited, this week has just been dragging by! I'm almost positive she doesn't expect a thing and still thinks I am coming on Friday.

Her friends have told her they are taking her out for her birthday tomorrow night at 8. They even picked out what to wear for her. At 8, I'll be pulling up in a limo from Carmel. I probably be standing outside of it with roses when she comes outside. We'll be going from her apartment to Top of the Rock to watch the sunset. The weather looks like it'll be perfect! From there, we'll hop back in the limo and go to The River Cafe in Brooklyn where I have 9:30 reservations. The staff know it is a "very special" occasion and are trying their best to get us a window table. (On a side note, any ideas how long it'll take to get from Rockefeller Center to the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge at around 9pm?). Finally, we'll cap off the evening with drinks somewhere (probably at 230 Fifth, but other suggestions are welcome! Any romantic places to dance around?). I'm not going to plan out exactly where I'm popping the question but I'm sure it'll either be at Top of the Rock, outside the River Cafe, or during dinner. We'll see how the evening goes.

Thanks again for all your help!!

I vote for Top of the Rock. Good luck and congratulations!

Do post back with the details!!!!

Congratulations!!!

Ask when you are moved to...you'll know when it's the right moment, although I agree Top of the Rock would be pretty memorable if it's not crowded.

How exciting! Yes, please tell us all about it afterward. :)

Just wanted to jump in here and say that I love your plan. Being a girl, I think it would be more fun, if the proposal came when you're on top of the rock or earlier in the evening, she's going to know something is up anyway, you might be a little nervous, and then you guys can spend the rest of the evening talking about the wedding and planning your future...

Good Luck!