James Allen News Center

One of the most important events in a person`s life is the marriage proposal. Okay, it is more important to her as she is the one receiving the ring! Nevertheless, it takes two to tango (and wed) with the overwhelming majority of proposals coming about when the guy asks the gal for her hand in marriage.

You would think that most guys would plan the marriage proposal event well in advance and practice, practice, practice! Unfortunately, even some of the best laid plans of men have a tendency to not take place as planned.  The following stories underscore that proposing marriage is a risky proposition:

• One plan that went awry involved a couple who were amateur canoeists. The not so young man decided to take his equally not so young woman on a trip down the Nantahala River in North Carolina with the plant to propose marriage at the end of their day-long excursion. Had he done his research before setting out he would have thought of something else as the ongoing drought had turned what was usually a whitewater experience into a trickle, making canoeing impossible.

We later learned that she was just as happy to hear his proposal while munching a burger and fries at the local McDonalds` instead of finding herself in the middle of what could have been a very strenuous river trip.

• Hollywood has had its fair share of romance movies and who can forget the Woody Allen hit, "Everyone Says I Love You?"  In that movie the boyfriend places the engagement ring inside of his girlfriend`s dessert only to find out that she swallowed the ring. Guys, it is not a good thing to propose marriage when emergency medical services must be called!

• Our neighbor`s daughter got engaged last Christmas but it was an event that almost did not happen -- or at least at the appointed hour. It seems that the daughter`s boyfriend had worked it out with his future mother-in-law where the mother and daughter would travel to a downtown five-star restaurant following an afternoon of Christmas shopping. The ruse had the mother dropping the daughter off in front of the restaurant while pretending to park the car, allowing the boyfriend to mysteriously appear in her place.

Not knowing that her mother was actually going to drive home instead, the daughter worried that her mother would have to walk in the dark alone from the parking garage to the restaurant and insisted on going with her. The now flustered mother tried to come up with a variety of excuses why the daughter should leave the car, but it took the intervention of the now on-scene boyfriend to explain what was really going on. Instead of presenting the engagement ring inside of the restaurant the boyfriend had to coax the confused girlfriend out of the car by showing her the engagement ring!

• Sometimes the media will take a very public relationship and will speculate when and how the marriage proposal will be made. Late in 2006, Prince William and Kate Middleton were reported to be planning to announce their engagement that Christmas. When the holiday came and went, the speculation switched to the New Year, followed by spring time, then the summer vacation season, and once again to Christmas. Some royal watchers are saying that the wedding will not take place until July 2009, therefore an announcement will likely be put off yet again. Or, could it be that the young prince is still practicing what to say?

Even if your wedding proposal plans do not unfold as desired, don`t be rattled – with a smile on your face and a ring in your hand, you can bring romance forth no matter what the circumstances are and know that she`ll respond with a hearty affirmation!