My SO flat out said that if I ever proposed, she didn't want a ring or jewellery of any kind. I wracked my brains for some time trying to come up with an alternative gesture and landed on this.

For context - since childhood, she has always had a very personal connection to pandas. After doing some digging, I found out that every year since the '80s, the bank of China has released a limited annual run of silver panda coins, with a unique design for each year. I managed to track down the coin from the year we first met (2009), which just so happens to feature a cute panda couple as part of the design.

The plan is to propose this weekend. We are taking a trip with our 11 month old to a beautiful, quaint seaside town she used to visit as a child, and I'm going to pop the question and present her with the coin when we're walking along the coast at some point.

Wish me luck!

Edit: Wow I just woke up and this blew up way more than I thought it would! I'm hoping to propose tomorrow and will definitely update this post when I can.

Edit 2: To anyone concerned about her sincerity about the jewellery thing, let me clarify - she said that she does want a simple wedding band, but is looking forward to us picking it out together. Other than that, she was really emphatic about not wanting an engagement ring or any jewellery at all. The entire time I've known her, she has never worn so much as an earring!

Update: Today's the day! It's currently 7am here and I'm hoping to propose on our afternoon walk. Will update in the evening.

Update #2: SHE SAID YES! It was a truly perfect day :) We started things off with a boat trip around some small islands off the North-East coast of England. For this part of the country, the weather was utterly perfect - cold and crisp, but completely clear and sunny, with unbelievably calm and glassy waters. We spent the morning spotting seals lounging on the rocks before returning to shore and having a lunchtime stroll on the beach. We sat down for a picnic at the base of some dunes and, just as my partner was telling me what a lovely day it had been, I gave her the coin and asked her to marry me. She shed a few tears and told me she thought it was beautiful (and that she was very relieved I had listened to her and not gotten her some jewellery!). I could not be happier with how things have gone and am so excited to finally start planning our wedding in earnest!

Thank you so much to everyone for all the kind and supportive comments, I told my fiance about this thread and she was stunned to hear how much attention it has gotten. She's really looking forward to reading through all of your replies. This will be my final update, thanks again and much love to you all x

I’m expecting a summer proposal. While my BF napped I went into his night stand just to get some tums and he jumped up out of bed, threw his pillow at me, and shut the drawer, but I already caught a glimpse. The next morning I took it out and shook it. It felt empty or else I wouldn’t have opened it… probably! Anyways we had a good laugh. Snooping days are behind me and he promised better hiding spots.

After 7 years, he finally asked the question.

Cheers to everyone who got engaged this Summer/Winter!

I'm a marine biologist and my love proposed on a backstage tour of the Georgia aquarium. It literally could not have been more perfect!

Long time lurker, finally a poster! He rented out the museum where we had our first date and had them set up an exhibit where he asked me to marry him🥹🥹🥹

I was a lurker for a while, and thought about posting as soon as it happened (9th of March) but I saw everyone else's rings were so big... However, I love my ring. So this is it.

My fiancé and I chose it together and I like that the diamond isn't very tall, because I would be livid if I hit it against something or lost the rock. I specifically looked for a flatter fit, and it's small but so shiny ✨️😍

I said of course in negative 5 degree weather and I wouldn’t have it any other way. He got down on one knee in Iceland 🇮🇸.

He proposed a few weeks ago after skydiving with my favorite sapphire we mined! It's a bicolored unheated/unfaceted sapphire from the Rock Creek Mine. The last picture is the stone in the gravel bag, it was laying right on top!

Managed to get the surprise proposal done while visiting her home country Ghana

Film photography is a huge hobby of mine. He tricked me in thinking we were on a group trip and my best friend was able to capture the moment.

I wasn’t going to post my face for the first time on Reddit, but our photos are just so beautiful. My Fiancé planned the whole thing out with my friend who is a photographer. I had reached out to her previously asking for a price to get a couples shoot done (it was a great price for her work), and right now it just wasn’t on the top of our list financially.

Then, a few weeks ago she reached out to me asking me to model so she could practice in the winter time. I agreed! I then asked if I should bring my boyfriend. She said yes. I had a small feeling that this might be a proposal but I was still so shocked when it was actually happening!!

It was the first sunny day we had in a while, and absolutely freezing out. It was totally worth the numbness I felt all over my body during the photo shoot. 🤍

I am so happy and grateful for my fiancé and his coordination for this beautiful surprise engagement photo shoot. I received so many beautiful photos to cherish forever. 🤍💍

On Friday, my sweetheart proposed to me in my best friend’s bookstores and I loved every minute of it. He played my grandma’s favorite love song (she passed in 2020; it’s one of my favorite songs as well). He got crafty and his speech was inspired by one of my favorite movies, When Harry Met Sally. I found my ring at a local jewelry shop in Portland, Oregon (Maloy’s! Go check them out) and my best friend’s wife was the photographer. Funnily enough, I went viral on threads for writing him a handy proposal guide because I could tell that he was getting anxious and stressed out about proposing the “right” way and wanted to make him feel at ease. He loved the list, I got a wonderful proposal, and my ring makes me so happy. I’m very lucky ❤️ Also, yes, I matched my dress to his on purpose!

It feels like a dream. It was a truly magical moment between her and I. I planned a romantic picnic in a bubble tent, at the very same spot I first told her I loved her, to the same song that was playing. My friend played the violin for us and while he played our song,I popped the question🥰

Ring was custom made by Loose Grown Diamond. 3.6 ct oval cut lab grown diamond. Process was amazing from start to finish and their customer service is 10/10.

I’m so excited to begin this next chapter with my person!

Cross posted, sorry if you’ve already seen this, but it is a different batch of photos than previously! ☺️

Our photographer gave us 250 edited images back and we have 250 favorites. We wanted photos that would showcase our personalities. Needless to say, this was achieved lol!

I highly recommend anyone and everyone to this photographer. She DOES travel - with no bounds. Her Instagram is @thistle.woodphoto

I love wearing my ring daily, I love that this man is my fiancé, and I love these pictures!

We didn’t have a “normal” proposal by any means and we don’t have a “normal” relationship. Do whatever makes you and your person happy and never look back!

My fiancé and I have been in the process of purchasing a home for the past 2 months and were recently on track to close. Our realtor texted us this Friday asking for us to do a “final walkthrough” as we had some items we wanted touched up before move in (new construction). We walked into the house and I was greeted by the most gorgeous and intimate set up and the proposal of my dreams! Our realtor was totally in on the surprise and I was so caught off guard. Better yet, my best friend drove 4 hours to take photos and brought me an outfit to change into for afterwards to head to an engagement dinner! I still haven’t processed everything! We move in today :) now everytime I sit in front of our fireplace I’ll remember this moment.

I recently got engaged. I’m very happy about it but planning the wedding has me a bit bummed. I don’t have any girlfriends. So that means I won’t have any bridesmaids. I feel a bit like a loser to be honest. I’m that stereotypical girl who’s best friend is their partner with no other friends.

My fiancé has a ton of friends who he wants to be apart of his wedding party. I’m happy for him but I feel embarrassed that he has groomsmen and I don’t even have one bridesmaid. I feel like it’ll be super embarrassing to be standing up there with no one on my side and his will be full.

I also feel like I’m not gonna have a typical wedding experience. I won’t have a bachelorette party, bridal shower or anything like that. Despite being happy about my engagement and future wedding, I’m really dreading the day. I’m quite anxious so I’m feeling really sad about it.

For those wondering why I don’t have friends. I grew up in a really strict religion (Jehovahs witnesses). When I left the religion, everyone shunned me and I was left with no friends. The religion frowns upon making friends outside of the religion so I didn’t have other friends when that happened. Ever since that’s happened, I’ve had a really tough time making friends despite actively trying.

I honestly want to elope and make it really small but my partner wants everyone at his wedding and wants something big. I don’t know what to do. What do I do?

She said yes! Roof top engagement in lower manhattan with Freedom Tower in the backdrop, Bruno Mars “Marry You” playing. Was a perfect moment. Told her we were going to a pop up restaurant.

Okay buckle up because this was truly the most chaotic, perfect, mind-gamey proposal ever and I am STILL shaking.

My bf and I are LDR (both east coast). He got me to come visit under the guise of his brother’s engagement. He even made it a little sore topic by acting salty like his bro was trying to 1-up him. About a month ago I had this sudden epiphany that it was allllll a cover story. I told my mom (who was IN on it) and she GASLIT me (at his direction) saying, “lol no, he’s not that smart or clever to come up with that.” I even told HIM my “genius theory” and he played me so good like, “Omg I would never think of that, wow you’re like an evil mastermind wizard.” 🙃

The day I left my mom said “this is his brothers weekend, don’t make it about you and just be happy for his brother and his gf - you’ll have your moment” all weekend my family was being weird and texting way less soo I had suspicions

Anyway, fast forward to this weekend: he asked me to help distract his brother’s gf for her “proposal.” I love her and we’ve gotten really close, so I happily agreed. My assignment: get her dressed up for “family dinner,” grab cocktails with her, and then lead her to the country club where his brother would supposedly pop the question.

ALL DAY I felt like it was secretly my engagement — literally until the moment we walked in.

There was a phone call a few days before where his brother kept asking him to do stuff to help him for “his” proposal & they kept “fighting” The next day I had lunch with my now future MIL and my now fiancé, and she also alluded to my fiancee’s brother as “being sooo stressed” and I thought to myself, there’s just no way she’s in on this lie too - so I thought I was just soooo offf the mark.

We enter the country club, Both brothers were there, and his brother was like, “Hey can I talk to you out back?” to his gf. She looked so confused and unprepared. And I was like… oh god, I am the queen of delulu land.

Then my bf asks how the drinks were. I’m like, “We had ONE drink but we’re not drunk. I’m just shaking.” I also announce, “Hold on, I need to go to the bathroom, I’m about to throw up but I also need to pee.” (Classic me 🙃). He goes, “What??? Ok, give me your purse.” So I hand it over and go to the bathroom. Meanwhile, I’m frantically texting my best friends like: “IM HERE I THINK I WAS WRONG.”

Then he texts me: “Hurry.”

So I come out, he grabs me, and goes, “We’re gonna miss the whole thing.” We walk through a room and get to the other side and I’m just shook and confused - on the other side was a black curtain we had to walk through.. I suddenly see… pink flower petals. (Exactly what I said I wanted 🥹). I just kept saying, “No no no nooo omg.” And he’s like, “YUP!!” I immediately start sobbing

We get to the beautiful flower and candle arrangement, he asked me if it was okay if he reads what he prepared from his phone & I said ofc He starts reading the sweetest words, drops to one knee, pulls out the ring… and all my brain could blurt out was: “Don’t be a shrimp!!” 😭😂 (posture related joke we’ve been making for months)

I (maybe said yes??? I don’t actually know) but then I immediately started crying the happiest tears. And then to top it all off, he had my best friends and family waiting to surprise me afterward.

He completely outsmarted me, pulled off the perfect surprise, and gave me the most magical day. I am over the moon to be marrying the love of my life. 💕

I cannot believe my fiancé pulled off the most incredible proposal. I still can’t believe it. She told me she was planning a date night, which happens often so I didn’t think much of it. It was odd when her and my sister were suddenly so interested in what I was wearing… but I looked passed that. We get to the Chicago River and she tells me she found a great Groupon deal for a semi-private boat tour. For a hot second I considered the fact that it could be a proposal but there were two random strangers on the boat so I convinced myself out of it. Turns out those strangers were the photographer and videographer. It helps that I’m very gullible.

So we are on the boat for awhile and sitting up at the front. We go under a bridge and all of the sudden I hear a bunch of cheering. That’s when I see the signs “will you marry me?” hanging off the bridge. I’m not even kidding you when I thought to myself “that’s so cute, I wish that was for me!” That’s when my partner asked me to stand up and she got on one knee. I was SPEECHLESS. As she’s putting the ring on me she points to the people holding the signs and says “that’s all your friends and family.” She had everyone fly in a couple days before to be a part of this perfect surprise. I’m crying, I’m speechless. Boats are going by honking and cheering, the people all around the bridge and restaurants on the water and clapping and yelling. It was beyond my wildest dreams.

After a fun little photo shoot on the river, we got back to the dock where everyone greeted us. And the surprise wasn’t over… My fiancé then got us to part 2 of the surprise in which she rented out a local Brazilian restaurant for a post engagement celebration. I’m Brazilian and so it meant the world to be able to celebrate with authentic Brazilian food with an amazing family from Brazil (the restaurant is called Sinha, Chicago people should check it out).

My fiancé also designed the most special and thoughtful ring! Not only is it gorgeous but it has a lot of meaning behind it. A bit of a backstory… my little sister passed away a few years ago. It’s incredibly hard to come to terms with the reality that my sister and my fiancé will never have the chance to meet. Interesting, they shared many similar interests and loved many of the same things. One of those many things is their shared love of sunflowers. When she showed me the ring, she told me that the sides were designed to resemble abstract sunflowers, so that “Ashlynne could always be with us.” While nothing can ever make up for her not being here, I am beyond lucky to have something so special to remind me of her every day. (The ring was custom made by Olivia Sugarman in Oceanside, CA IG: Oliviasugarmanjewelry_)

I’m not sure I’ll ever get over this absolutely perfect day. What an absolute dream.

Lola