There have been so many different, inventive ways that people have proposed to their partner. One Youtube search can show you countless proposals. But it's not just about the act of asking someone to marry them- it's also the events that lead up to that unforgettable moment.
ashleyhellsan asked: Happily married couples of reddit, what was the moment you realized this is the woman/man you were going to marry?
That's so sweet.
"It was when my husband clicked with my family. He wasn't afraid to spend time with them, and would actually suggest it. He greeted my grandfather with "hello there young man!" And then help him out of the car or walk from a restaurant. He never got frustrated with a slow pace or the crazy that is my family.
Plus my family loved him. They would call to talk with him or pull pranks on him. My parents even invited him to a cousins graduation in Wisconsin and paid for his airfare. It was his first flight and my dad and mom pranked him so hard about his "duties" on a flight. He took all of that with grace and smiles. He loved my family back.
It made me aware that this crazy we had going on could work long term."
So wholesome.
Giphy
"We had decided we were going to take a crack at homemade pizza. We found a recipe online. We made a grocery list. We were standing over the case in the deli that had the pepperoni. The recipe didn't list how much pepperoni to get.
I said, "How many packages?"
He said, "Two? One for us to put on the pizza and one for us to eat while we make it?"
It's stupid and silly but that's when I knew both because I realized that he knew that I (and him, but mostly me. I love pepperoni and he apparently knew it.) would graze the pepperoni as we cooked. And the mental image of the two of us together in the kitchen eating pepperoni and making pizza filled me with such warmth."
Amazing.
"I've posted this before but we were about 3 months into dating and I hadn't really told her what my parents did for work. Her parents own a successful business, I immigrated here and my dad was a cashier at a convenient store.
When she asked me, I hesitated to answer, and she immediately picked up on it and said "you should never be ashamed of your parents, they've worked so hard to get you where you are; I'm so proud of them" and honestly, I cried. I realized right then that I was going to marry this girl. No regrets at all. She makes me a better person every day."
Romance takes many forms.
"I was in bed with a bad flu and listening to his radio show when I heard him casually mention his "life partner" for the first time.
Confused, sick me was like "wait... what? Was that a reference to me? Actually, yeah, come to think of it, that does sound about right... I guess I am!"
Over 18 years later I can still remember that moment - me alone in bed with a stuffy nose, and my heart leaping. But hey sometimes romance isn't all that romantic by movie standards."
What an icebreaker.
Giphy
"We'd fallen out of touch, living in different cities, hadn't spoken in over 6 months. Not for any reason other than we just had other things happening.
I was bored at a friend's party and my phone buzzed. She'd sent me a text.
"If I were a bison, that would be neat".
I decided at that point I was going to make things work and move much closer to this bison.
We've been married 6 years."
Museum dates are the BEST.
"I was in love with my best friend for a long time and could tell he had feelings for me too. We had been on one outing that could have been considered a date and we spent long hours with just each other, talking in his car, but I was afraid to admit that the nature of our relationship was a romantic one by explicitly confessing feelings.
Finally, I realized that some things are worth taking a risk for and I asked him out with the oh-so-smooth phrase "Hey, uhh, would you uhh, maybe like to go to a museum sometime? Like, as a date?"
We held hands in the museum, went on a hike to a tower, and spent the end of the date wrapped in each other's arms watching The Fellowship of the Ring. While we were cuddled up, we both had a moment where we saw our reflection in his skylight and thought "yeah, this is the person I'm going to marry." I'm typing this with him cuddled up next to me."
She seems like a really strong person.
"I crashed a motorbike/scooter thing I had rented in Vietnam with her on the back. It messed up her foot for about a week, and was sore for longer.
She took it in stride, didn't get angry or let it ruin the trip at all. I know so many people who would have let that ruin it.
Instead we did some of the truly spectacular ruins in Cambodia with a combination of crutches and piggyback rides.
It really made me realize how special she is and always brings a smile to my face when I think of it."
What a mess.
Giphy
'Our first date went so wrong to what he had planned. I could tell he was trying so, so hard, and everything went bad.
He put his arm around me during the movie 5 minutes before it ended. The place he tried to take me to for dinner closed the kitchen before we got there. We went to Burger King instead and I had to pay because they wouldn't take his hundred dollar bill. He was the first guy to buy me flowers, and he had brought them at the start of that date, but I didn't have a vase.
So after Burger King, we went to Wal-Mart to buy a vase and as we are standing on the vase aisle he says, "Pick any vase you want, I don't care the cost." I grabbed one that was only about $20, and when we got to pay, he had left the hundred in the car. So I paid for the vase too. It was just comical by that point.
We have been married over 10 years now and have 3 beautiful children."
Double win.
"We had talked marriage, but I had bad credit and didn't want it to mess up his finances so he couldn't buy a house. One day he called me from work and he had a mortgage broker on the phone with us who explained that our separate finances would stay that way, and in fact my husband's good credit would help mine get better. At the end of the call my husband says, "so now will you marry me?!"
Well be married 20 years come October and our credit scores are both over 800 now."
So thoughtful.
"I met my husband at work when I was a single mum to a young baby. We were friends first for a few months before we really started dating because, you know, you have to be sure when you have a baby...
I was having a really difficult time, suffering a little with PND impacted by the fact my ex-partner was on a pretty severe stalking campaign against me. If it had been the other way around, I'm not sure I could have dealt with the drama so early on in a relationship. But he managed, because he's literally the best man alive. He let me decide the pace we went at, when he met my son, etc.
A few months into dating, things got really bad with the stalking and I was struggling to sleep at night etc etc. One evening he arrived to my flat and let me know that he had just bought a house a few miles away with us in mind. Before we met he'd been saving for his own place in a famous building in our town, but he'd realised that a city centre flat didn't suit the life he wanted to live now he had the two of us.
He was driving to work one day and saw the development selling houses, and he just knew that was "the one" and put in the offer. I thought before that he could be The One, but I knew then and there that this was forever. It was just a logical step in his mind to make us a new home that we felt safe in; he just factored us right into his life plans like it was nothing.
He proposed a few days later, we put my flat up for rent, and all moved in together into the new house. That was five years ago, we got married in 2017, and he's just adopted our son. Count my blessings every single day."
Taking care of each other.
Giphy
"I was really sick, going on day number four of high fevers and a bunch of other fun. She was taking care of me the entire time, running to the store to get whatever was needed and taking care of our dogs so I could rest.
I woke up just craving a sandwich and asked if she could make me one. Without hesitation she made us both sandwiches and brought and came up stairs to the bedroom, put on a movie and laid next to me while we ate a sandwich, then she fell asleep on me. We had already been together a few years, but this was the moment I knew I'd be a damn fool if I didn't marry her.
A few months later I took her to the ocean for the first time (we were living in Wisconsin where she lived all her life), and proposed. That was three years ago and we finally got married this past May at Mount Rainier in Washington. She's actually sick now laying next to me in bed, it's 3:26am and I'm going to run to the store shortly to get more soup and medicine. We've had a lot of great memories, but these moments matter most."
That's a strong bond.
"My sister's funeral.
He was just so amazing during the whole awful process. I knew one day one of us would bury the other.
An awful but amazing realization."
Never be ashamed.
"I've posted this before but we were about 3 months into dating and I hadn't really told her what my parents did for work. Her parents own a successful business, I immigrated here and my dad was a cashier at a convenient store.
When she asked me, I hesitated to answer, and she immediately picked up on it and said "you should never be ashamed of your parents, they've worked so hard to get you where you are; I'm so proud of them" and honestly, I cried. I realized right then that I was going to marry this girl. No regrets at all. She makes me a better person every day."
That saved the trip.
Giphy
"I crashed a motorbike/scooter thing I had rented in Vietnam with her on the back. It messed up her foot for about a week, and was sore for longer.
She took it in stride, didn't get angry or let it ruin the trip at all. I know so many people who would have let that ruin it.
Instead we did some of the truly spectacular ruins in Cambodia with a combination of crutches and piggyback rides.
It really made me realize how special she is and always brings a smile to my face when I think of it."
Aww how thoughtful.
"He had been working all day, and was on his way home for some much deserved sleep. But then I drunkenly texted him asking him to pick me up McDonald's. He not only turned around and bought my food, but he texted and asked if the friends I was with wanted anything while he was there.
Unsurprisingly they all did want something. Because you cannot ask a drunk, basic, b*tch if she wants fries and not expect her to say anything other than of course she wants fries. He then drove it to the bar we were at and made sure they all had Ubers or DD's before taking me home.
I told him I loved him on the way home and never looked back."
For many childhood memories are overrun by living nightmares.
Yes, children are resilient, but that doesn't mean that the things we see as babes don't follow us forever.
The horrors of the world are no stranger to the young.
Redditor -2sweetcaramel- wanted to see who was willing to share about the worst things we've seen as kids, so they asked:
"What’s the creepiest thing you saw as a kid?"
Serious Danger
"Me and my best friend would explore the drainage tunnels under the Vegas area where we grew up. These were miles long and it was always really cool down there so it was a good way to escape the heat of our scorching hot summers. We went into this one that goes under the Fiesta casino and found a camp with a bunch of homeless people."
"Mind you we are like 11 years old lol. And we just kept going like it was nothing. It wasn’t scary then but when I look back at it we could have been in some serious danger. Our parents had no idea we did this or where we were and we had no cellphones. We could have been kidnapped and never have been found."
oofboof2020
Waiting for Food
"I was at a portillos once when I was 12 and I was waiting with my little brother at a booth while my parents got our food. This guy was standing with his tray kind of watching me then after a couple of minutes he started to walk over really fast not breaking eye contact with me."
"He was 2 feet from the table and my dad came out of nowhere and scared the s**t out of him. He looked so surprised and just said he wanted to see if I’d get scared or not. He left his tray full of food near the door and left. My folks reported him but we never went to that location again since we found a better one closer to home."
nowhereboy1964
Captain Hobo to the Rescue
"When I was a pretty young teen, my friends and I were horsing around in San Francisco and started hanging out to smoke with some homeless guys. Another homeless dude came up and began aggressively trying to shake us down for anything (money, smokes, a ride, drugs- all of it) and wouldn’t take no for an answer."
"We got in over our heads and could tell this guy was now riling the other 2 guys up and they were acting like they wanted to jump us. Some grandfather-looking old homeless man appeared out of nowhere and yelled at us to get the f**k out of here- nice kids like us don’t belong down here at this hour!!"
"Captain Hobo saved our lives that night. My parents sincerely thought we were at a mall all day lol."
FartAttack911
Survival
tsunami GIF
Giphy
"I was 7 and survived the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. Witnessed the wave rise way above the already massive palm trees (approx. 40ft?) and my family and I watched/heard the wave crash into the ground from a rooftop."
faithfulpoo
These Tsunami stories are just tragic.
On the Sand
Scared The Launch GIF by CTV
Giphy
"We were a group of kids who went to swim in a local lake. And there was a dead body on the beach with their hands raised and their legs bent unnaturally that local police just took out of the same lake. I've never put my foot in these waters again."
oyloff
Be Clever
"I was walking to school and I was about 5 or 6 years old and some guy pulled up beside me in his car and asked if I would get in. He also offered me sweets to do so. I said no. The creepy bit was when he calmly said ‘clever boy’ to me, then drove off. I’ve never even told my parents or anyone else about this as it would most likely freak them out."
OstneyPiz
Bad Jokes
"Dad's side of the family pranked me by burying a fake body on our back property and had me dig it up to find valuables. Was only allowed to use a lantern for light. They stuffed old clothes with chicken bones. Sheetrock mud where the head was... Random fake jewelry as the treasures... I was like maybe 10 or 11.. I remember digging up the boot first and started gagging because it became real at that point."
Alegan239
YOU
Who Are You Reaction GIF by MOODMAN
Giphy
"Woke up to find my little brother staring at me in the dark, asking, Are you really you?"
PrettyLola2004
Siblings can really be a bunch of creepers.
No one should talk to others in the dark though.
Not all pet owners have the same relationship with their pets.
While anyone who decides to become a pet owner, or pet parent as some say, love their pets equally, some never ever let them leave their side.
Taking their pet with them to work, running errands, even on vacations.
Many pet parents even allow their pets to share their bed with them when going to sleep.
For others though, this is where a line is finally drawn.
Redditor Piggythelavasurfer was curious to hear whether pet owners allowed their pets to share their bed with them, as well as the reasons why they do/don't, leading them to ask:
"Do you let your pet sleep in your bed? Why/why not?"
The Tiny Issue Of Water...
"Absolutely not."
"I have fish."- Senior-Meal3649
Everyone Gets Lonely Eventually...
"I adopted an eleven year old cat the day before Halloween."
"She has mostly lived in my closet since I got her, and she hasn’t been too interested in coming out."
"Last night, she came out of my closet and jumped up on my bed, and crawled under my covers and curled up by my feet to sleep."
"I was so happy!"- YellowBeastJeep
The Comforting Reminder That You're Not Alone...
"I recently lost my Greyhound but I used to let him sleep on my bed with me."
"The company was nice and he was no trouble to have on my bed."- HoodedMenace3
Hungry Cookie GIF by De Graafschap Dierenartsen
Giphy
What Do You Mean Allow?
"I have no choice."
"She is a cat, cats do whatever they want."- Small_cat1412
"He lets me sleep in my bed."- Poorly-Drawn-Beagle
Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
"I carry my old boy upstairs to bed every night."- worst_in_show
Hug GIF by The BarkPost
Giphy
Who Needs An Alarm Clock?
"I let my two cats sleep with me."
"They're so full of love and just want cuddles all the time."
"And so do I."
"We've all developed a lil routine."
"Get to bed, oldest sleeps on my feet to keep them warm, youngest lies in my arm while I lie on my side (she the little spoon), then when I snooze my alarm for work in the morning the youngest paws at my face and meeps loudly to wake me up."- GhostofaFlea_
Whose Bed Is It Anyway?
"Yes."
"They're also kind enough to let me squeeze into whatever space they've left for me."
"Although I do get a few dirty looks off them."- Therealkaylor
"I found this tiny kitten screaming her head off under a car."
"Would not come out."
"Got some food and some water in dishes."
"I stood by the tire so she couldn't see my feet."
"She got curious about the food and water and started gobbling it down."
"I thought she would bolt when I squatted down."
"She was too busy eating."
"I grabbed her by the nape of the neck and all four legs went straight out and she tried to scratch me to death."
"I got her in the door and tossed her toward the couch."
"She ricocheted off the couch as if she was a ping pong off a table and I lost sight of her."
"I put out food and water and a sandbox and did not see that kitten for three days."
"On the third day, I came home and she was on my bed pillow."
"I thought she would bolt when I came near, but she didn't."
"I wanted to sleep so I tried to scoot her little butt off my pillow."
"She would not go."
"I put my head down to sleep and that is the way it was from then on."
"She ran the roost."- Logical_Cherry_7588
sleepy kitten GIF
Giphy
Sleeping Is A Prerequisite...
"No, he's a cat and he cannot keep still during the night."
"He walks across the headboard, opens the closet doors, jumps into the windows and rustles the blinds, etc."
"If he would sleep he could stay, but alas, he's a ramblin' man."- Spong_Durnflungle
Saying No Just Isn't An Option...
"'Let'."
"Lol."
"It's a cat's world and I'm happy to be on her good side."- milaren
Felines Only!
"The cat does, the dog doesn't and the horse certainly does not either."- Xcrowzz
Angry Tom And Jerry GIF by Boomerang Official
Giphy
Is That My Hair On That Pillow?
"My dog is perfect."
"She comes up, cuddles til we start to fall asleep, then gets down to sleep on her bed so she doesn't get too hot."
"Jumps back up in the early morning for wake up cuddles."
"The hair everywhere is the only downside but she is so cozy, what can you do."- HoodieWinchester
It is easy to understand how some people are able to fall asleep more easily knowing their friend and protector is there, in bed, with them.
Though we can't blame others who don't want to run the risk of being scratched or bitten in the middle of the night either...