By Rebecca Erekson
He wrote her full name on a check with his last name added to the end, signed it and left the amount blank. He told her if she would marry him and go by that name, all the money in the account would belong to her.
Another girl went out to dinner with her roommates, ate dinner, ordered dessert, and with the dessert came her boyfriend dressed as a waiter. He dropped down on one knee, proposed and soon the entire restaurant began to cheer.
From helicopter rides, to beautiful beach settings, to quiet evenings in front of a bonfire, girls have been proposed to in creative and surprising ways.
?I had stressed to my boyfriend that I wanted to be proposed to on a beach,? said Jessica McKinnon, 23, a senior from Everett, Wash. ?After Winter semester we went to Washington to visit my family. We toured every beach, and at each one I thought he might pop the question, but he never did. Finally, the last morning there, he woke me up at 5:30, drove me to a beach where we sat on a rock ledge to watch the sunrise and he gave me a watch. Then, when we were about to go, he whipped out a box with a ring and proposed.?
Some guys at BYU have opted for a public setting, such as proposing at a bus station, or at Disneyland or written across the sky. Other guys select a more private setting, such as proposing on a hot air balloon, on a personal helicopter ride or on a private picnic.
Sharee Topham, 21, an accounting student, found herself taken to a special spot she and her boyfriend have had since freshman year.
?He had a blanket with rose petals laid out, and there were candles, Martinellis and a stereo playing our song,? Topham said. ?He told me he loved me and asked me to marry him.?
Many girls like to be surprised when it comes to getting proposed to.
Julia Layman, a senior studying elementary education, was very surprised when her boyfriend proposed to her on her birthday.
?He was working on a huge project and was really tired the week of my birthday,? Layman said. ?He had told me he would just take me out to dinner on my birthday and we would celebrate later. But he surprised me with a cake and a gift at his house. He got down on one knee and proposed. We then went to Applebee?s where all my friends were waiting to celebrate my birthday, and we surprised them with the news of our engagement.?
A lot of girls feel that being creative is great, but definitely not required.
?I personally do not expect a creative proposal,? Sachi Jensen, a senior from Orem said. ?I don?t think girls expect guys to go over the top. Guys probably feel pressured to live up to some of the crazy stories they hear, but a classy, traditional yet sincere proposal is best.?
One suggestion girls gave was to never put the ring in anything that could potentially enter one?s mouth and get lost. Food or ice cubes or anything else is definitely a bad idea. Also, public settings can put a lot of pressure on the girl. Many girls prefer more intimate settings.
?Don?t be creative just to be creative and have a good story,? Jensen said. ?It is best when it has personal meaning for each of you.?
