I produced this animation as a way of proposing to my girlfriend (now wife) Natasha. I assembled a team of 20 animators to assist me, including co-workers, as well as students from my 3D character animation class at the Art Institute of California-San Francisco. We created more than four minutes of animation in just three months.
When it was completed, I surprised Natasha by bringing her to the Parkway Movie Theater in Oakland, where they played the animation on the big screen in front of over 100 of our friends and family. The entire event was filmed for the TLC television show "A Perfect Proposal."
J. P., Oakland, California
Editor's note: Congratulations to Jeff & Natasha—here's the #1 marriage proposal video on YouTube.com.
He bought the ring and kept it in his dresser for six months before asking me! He tricked me into going into the woods with him to look at the deerstand he'd been building for hunting season. He told me climb up into the stand and check it out. So as I got up the ladder, I saw a vase of a dozen red roses and a bottle of champagne. I realized what was happening, so I looked down at him and he was pulling the ring box out of his flannel shirt pocket. He asked me to marry him and I said yes, hugging him and crying at the same time.
He had reserved a very nice suite for that evening with a Jacuzzi in it, so we spent the night there and set our date.
He completely convinced me that it would be another evening in... I drove up to his apartment, planning to eat dinner together, and then I would do homework while he did whatever. He had a beautiful dinner made (steaks, etc.) and candles lit - but, he's a big romantic, so he does this often. He also knew that if he took me out for a big dinner I would be suspicious, because he is paying off student loans and doesn't have a lot of extra cash right now. So, he knew I would not suspect anything at all.
After dinner, he made coffee... as he brought out the mugs and coffee, milk and sugar, he said "I forget how you take your coffee..." (and I thought 'are you nuts? we're both java fiends - how could you forget?') But he continued "... cream... sugar... diamond engagement ring?" And he placed the ring, in it's blue velvet box, down in front of me. I was in complete shock, and all I could do was stare at this beautiful ring. He got down on one knee, and asked me if I would be his wife... and, of course I said yes (in the midst of being totally hysterical, laughing and crying and kissing him all at the same time!)
K. P., Toronto, Canada
He is in the Navy Reserve and asked me to come to the reserve center to help out with a "change of command" rehearsal in the morning. I went and it seemed like I really served no purpose!
After it was over, his chief came over to me and asked if I new a certain young man by the name of Jerry. I said of course. He said, "Well he is kind of a chicken and needs our help."
Then he called him over. Jerry got down on his knee and pulled out a little black box from his uniform pocket. Then the entire unit said out loud, "Will you marry him?!"
It was so cute! Oh, and I said yes of course!! They got it all on video, too.
He proposed on our anniversary, the day before Valentine's Day. He took me out to a beautiful lake within a park. It was very cold outside, but we kept on walking around the lake. I wasn't quite sure why we were there. As we had pulled into the parking lot, he told me, "This isn't the place we're going. We're going someplace else to eat." I thought, OK I guess I'll find out later where we're eating.
We talked and held hands. He seemed a little nervous, but I didn't think much of it. Finally, he turned to me and said, "Mary". I said, "Yes." Then, he said, "Mary," and again I responded affirmatively. As we continued walking he said "Me". It took me a second to realize he did NOT state my name the second time.
I foolishly asked, "Really?" Not quite what I had always imagined responding, but it wasn't quite the way I had imagined the proposal. Obviously, I said yes and he knelt down and put the ring on my finger. We walked a little while longer and then had a nice dinner at a restaurant overlooking the lake.
After dinner, we called our families.
M. L., Orlando, Florida
He set me up, telling me that we have no money, and could never afford to pay for a wedding, buy a house, or afford to have children. Then all of a sudden he was on his knee asking me to marry him. I was so shocked, said I was too confused to make a decision.
He was so upset, he took the ring and put it back in the box. After talking for a long time, and straightening out a few issues, we began to plan our 9/23/00 wedding, which happens to be our mutual birthdays.
He showed up at my office around 5:00, dressed in a Winnie the Pooh costume, complete with big head. He played the Pooh song on a Fisher Price tape recorder, read me a poem he found on the Internet called "Next To Me", took off the head, got down on one knee, presented me with the ring and asked me to be his wife.
N. T., Maywood, New Jersey
He took me to a wonderful dinner on my birthday and told me to pack a bag. After dinner we went to a beautiful bed and breakfast. When we walked in the room there was a dozen roses and champagne chilling. There was a fire place with a beautifully upholstered chair in front of it.
He told me to sit in the chair while he lit the fire. He gave me my birthday card in which he professed his love and wrote of how special this day was to him. After I read the card he asked me if I knew why this day was so special. I said, "Why?" He kneeled down if front of me and proposed. And gave me a beautiful ring that he picked out himself - I nearly passed out.
He planned a weekend snowboarding trip at Mammoth, where we stayed at a cute B & B. On the first night, a snow storm hit, but it was beautiful! He took me for a walk in the knee-high snow, brought a blanket and camera. He had me sit on the blanket for a picture, and then pulled out the ring.
After I said yes, he pulled out two wine glasses and a bottle of our favorite wine. Beautiful!
K. R., San Diego, California
I knew he had the ring and I hinted that I would love to go to Celebration in the Oaks (A Christmas Festival in New Orleans City Park) We drank hot chocolate, strolled around the park looking at the lights, listened to Christmas music. Then he found a beautiful place in the park, underneath a magnificent live oak which had lit up doves hanging from it.
To the sounds of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" Brian hugged me and asked me to be his wife. Giggly, I said yes and we opened the small wrapped box that he pulled from his jacket. We went home and opened a bottle of champagne and celebrated with family and friends.
