Pop culture has recently been inundated with a spate of celebrity engagements. Among those preparing to walk down the aisle are country singer Carrie Underwood and her hockey honey Mike Fisher.
Aren’t they a gorgeous couple? I’ve loved her ever since American Idol–so talented and she seems like a lovely young woman. Also engaged to a hockey honey named Mike is actress Hilary Duff, who recently received a hockey-puck-sized diamond from Edmonton Oiler Mike Comrie. (note to all pro hockey players named Mike–things happen in 3’s, so there’s one more to go!)
Also deciding to officially hitch their wagons is long-time couple and parents of two adorable kidlets, Nicole Richie and Joel Madden.
And although he’s known for making caustic comments as an American Idol judge, Simon Cowell clearly has a softer, romantic side as he just popped the question to Idol make-up artist Mezhgan Hussainy.
Other celeb betrothals include Brothers and Sisters actor Dave Annable and actress Odette Yustman, and singer Alicia Keys to her producer beau Swizz Beatz. All these happy engagements put me in mind of my own and the sweet way my husband Joe proposed to me. We went to dinner at a very nice Chinese restaurant on Long Island. After dinner the waiter brought us some ice cream with fortune cookies. I opened my cookie and the fortune read: “I love you very much” on one side and “will you marry me?” on the other. I looked across the table at Joe–who looked VERY nervous–and whispered, “Honey, I think the waiter REALLY likes me.” All the color left his face, and he said, “The waiter didn’t write that, *I* did!” Poor guy! He looked so undone I felt bad for teasing him. Of course I said yes, and we went home to tell my parents. But they already knew–Joe had spoken to them the day before and asked their permission (good thing they said yes!). We shared a bottle of Dom Perignon–I still have the empty bottle. Here’s our wedding photo–we’ll be married 24 years in June, and he is my hero every day, in every way.
So–what is your favorite engagement story (or your idea of the perfect engagement!) Maybe it’s your own? Or a friend’s or a celeb’s? ‘Cause there’s a lot of it going around lately!
In honor of YOU, dear readers, because we love you and we haven’t given anything away in the longest time, we’re giving away a Kindle Fire (or the gift card equivalent, in the event you have or don’t want a Kindle Fire) to one lucky commenter from now until February 13, when we will choose a winner at random from commenters, to be announced on Valentine’s Day. 
{ 55 comments… read them below or add one }
I loved the fortune cookie story Jacquie.. I don’t think I ever heard that~! Joe is a sweetheart… one of the best. My husband Dick was just very nervous before we went out for dinner…. and I was blown away when he asked. He then brought out the ring I picked out and told him about~ I was shocked… and very happy… I was getting ready to dump him if he didn’t do something soon~!
It will be 16 years in May~!… amazing for ME… 
I’m so happy to see you here! Now my real-life sister is a Whine Sister!! I hope you’ll come back often–we have lots of fun here.
LOL on you being ready to dump Dick if he didn’t do something soon–I was the same way with Joe!! I was wondering what the heck he was waiting for and I getting kinda steamed. How is it that we didn’t know this about each other’s proposals?
xoxox
Hi Kathy!
Welcome to Whining.
Thank you Sherri~! I can be quite the whiner~!
It runs in the family, LOL!
That is so funny~! I think Joe was very creative! Good thing for Dick he made the move.. I had my eye on a dentist with his own limo… imagine what georgous teeth I’d have~!
Gorgeous teeth AND a limo?? Yup–good thing Dick made his move. I’m especially glad he did ’cause you know the dentist wouldn’t be having cake around–all that sugar. Then whose dessert would I accidentally be throwing away?? He’s a very patient brother-in-law!
Hubot had it all planned out. Our favorite restaurant. A chair removed so he could kneel down. But he lost his nerve. We ended up on the UT campus at his suggestion after dinner, just to walk around. We both went to school there. He was going to make another stab at it. Lost his nerve. Finally, a couple of hours later, back at my house, the anxiety just fell out of him and he said, I can’t stand it. Here. And then he told me how how many times he’d tried. Poor guy. That was eight years ago. We’ve been married almost six.
“I can’t stand it–here.” LOL, Julia! With all these really nervous guys, it makes me wonder if they’re more worried that we’re going to say no–or that we’re going to say yes!
Congrats on the 24 years! And I love the photo
Everyone has such great engagement stories. Well, my engagement story is certainly not my favorite but it works! He was almost 19 and I was 20 and we had been together for 3.5 years and I needed to know where my life was going. I am a wee but of a planner like that! So we got into a HUGE argument about the future in front of the bar he worked at and as he is getting out of the car he says “You wanna get married? FINE! We’ll F’ing get married!” and that is how I got engaged!! Isn’t it romantic? Didn’t your heart go pitter-patter? LOL!
1 wedding, 3 states, 2 kids, 2 houses and 9 years of marriage later, it still seems to be working for us!
LOL, Aly! If you think about it, that’s all the whole thing really boils down to–someone asking, “You wanna get married?” and someone else saying, “Sure!”
Since we’re preparing to move, I give you many kudos for surviving the 3 states and 2 houses. I am NEVER moving again!
I HATE MOVING! Unfortunately, I refuse to believe that I am destined to live in Georgia for the rest of my life so that means I will have to move at least one more time. But since we follow his career…we go where it takes us and I imagine only one more time is a pipe dream!
Well, I am destined to live in Georgia for the rest of my life because I am NOT moving again. Am NOT selling a house again. I’m going to plop myself down in my new house and not leave.
Of course, if my husband’s career made us move again (which is what got us to Georgia in the first place), I’d go with him. But wow, wouldn’t I be a pain in the you-know-where complaining about it, LOL! Unless he moved us to Maui. Maui I think I could without any complaints.
Oh my goodness you are both so gorgeous in that photo! (Still are by the way). My one true love proposed on the sixteenth hole of the Legends of Golf Tournament in Austin exactly one year after we met and first attended same tournament. I never did find out who won that year. Sort of got sidetracked
We’ve been married just over twenty years now! And I can still remember that day as if it were only yesterday. Viva romance!
Very cool about the golf course! I’m such a terrible golfer that the only thing someone would ever propose to me on a golf course is that I get my ass off there pronto!
Such lovely stories everyone has! I’m so jealous. My ex proposed by writing the word love in the ring he was making for me. I look back at it now and think…God he had bad handwriting – Red Flag # 1.
Just kidding. My friend however has a beautiful romantic engagment story. They are long distance realationship people and had meet in California for a holiday, he went to the beach and found hundreds of seashells and formed a huge heart in the sand, and put candles around it, then he went and picked her up at the hotel and took her to the beach, the sun was setting and he got in his knees inside the heart and proposed. Ahhh…lovely! She still has the shells and candles.
LOL on Red Flag #1. Some of the best advice I ever got was “NEVER ingore the Red Flags.” Beautiful story about the shells on the beach!
My favorite story is my own
My husband, who was a midshipman at the Naval Academy at the time, had gotten tickets to see the Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC on New Year’s Eve. So we dressed up (he was in uniform – YUM!), and had dinner in the rooftop restaurant first, then on to the show – box seats even! After the show, there was waltzing in the Grand Foyer. Right before that, we went walking in the rooftop garden, where he got down on one knee and proposed – sigh. Still gives me warm fuzzies whenever I think of it. We had to wait a year and a half before we could get married, as he had to graduate first – mids can’t be married. In August we will have been married for 27 years.
Handsome guy in uniform…rooftop dining…romantic stroll…waltzing in the Grand Foyer–it doesn’t get much better than that!
Oh man…that’s about as romantic as it gets — I got goosebumps!
Not married. No engagement story. Enjoyed all of your engagement stories though.
My questions is where do they get these freaky names? Mezhgan Hussainy, Odette Yustman, Swizz Beatz – come on guys, I couldn’t make up names like that if I tried.
I’ve been wondering how you pronounce “Mezhgan.” I also wonder if Swizz is a nickname or his real name?
Maybe his mother had a thing about swizzle sticks?
A woman on the radio today called Simon’s fiancee Mez-gan. I don’t know if she knew that’s it, or if she was just taking a stab at it. But I do know the ring is 6 carats and $750,000. I would say wow, but I don’t think that’s even close to two months salary for Simon Cowell.
We have no great engagement story, and I wish I did. DH swears that I proposed to him, I swear the he proposed to me, so I suppose we each have our own memories of how it came about. I should make him re-propose for history’s sake.
Either way, the job got done, Kathleen
But I think it’s really funny that you both think the other one proposed!
Hi Ladies! Jacquie, I love your story and your photo. You and your husband look like babies…where did all the time go?
My husband proposed on Christmas Eve. He gave me this tiny box and I was afraid it was going to be earrings. I was wildly relieved to find a pear shaped diamond instead.
On Valentine’s day we celebrated our 17th anniversary.
Oh, I love Valentine’s Day stories! Funny how so many gals think they’re getting earrings! Maybe that’s subconsciously why I never got my ears pierced?!?!
Happy belated anniversary, Lisa–hope you guys had a great day!
Oh, what a great engagement story!!!! My best story isn’t actually my own, but I helped a friend videotape himself proposing, and then we spliced it into the middle of Casablanca. He and his now-wife were watching the movie, when –bam! — there he is interrupting with a “special announcement”. She loved it!
As for me, my husband proposed in bed, which I guess in apropos for a future Blaze writer, LOL!. We were in LA at the time, and although my proposal lacked fortune cookies or film interruptions, I was working as a production exec and Don was writing screenplays, and our engagement was announced in the Hollywood Reporter and Variety (put in by the producer I was working for at the time, without telling me first). I got a huge kick out of that!
LOVE the Casablanca story! Can you believe I’ve never seen that movie from beginning to end w/out interruption?! I’ve seen the whole thing, but in pieces. Must correct that.
Very cool that your engagement was announced in the Reporter and Variety. Did they put in the part where you were in bed at the time, LOL?
I’ve never seen it all the way through either! I thought I was teh only one! JK has always been cool! Was actually thinking about that very fact earlier today — and see I was right!
Dee, we should set up a movie date to see Casablanca! I’ll bring the popcorn, you bring the nachos, and we’ll watch and grow cellulite together! Anyone else wanna join in?
We should all watch it on the same night and tweet/blog about it. Like Harry and Sally only we won’t, you know, all end up engaged
snort! (The blog just told me I was posting my comments too quickly and had to slow down. Who knew our blog was so demanding!!!!)
Ah, no. They left that part out
Awww, how sweet Jacquie! And a little funny too that you teased Joe
Love the picture!
The dh and I were mere babes when he proposed to me (seriously!). I was still in high school, so there was no bottle of Dom around – LOL! Nope, the ring was on a plate piled high with my favorite chocolate chip cookies. Very sweet indeed. And yes, he talked to my parents before that night and got their permission. August will be our 20th wedding anniversary. Can’t believe the time has flown by so fast!
Any proposal that includes chocolate chip cookies gets a thumbs up from me, Buffie! I can’t believe you’ll be married 20 years–you really WERE a child when you married–you don’t look old enough to have done ANYTHING for 20 years!
August is our anniversary too– although we’re one year ahead of you!
August here, too. August 18, 1990.
My husband proposed to me on his birthday. He was living about an hour away, and I had arranged to spend the day with him. First thing after I arrived he had me sit on the couch. He handed me a bag from a jewelry store and said he wanted to give me my anniversary present (our anniversary was 3 days later). I usually consider myself smart and intuitive, but not that day. I didn’t suspect a thing. I actually pulled the ring box out of the bag and opened it and saw nothing except two indentations. I thought, “He got me earrings! Where are they?”
I look up to ask him, and find him kneeling in front of me with a ring. “Would you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?” I said yes, and we’ve been married for 11.5 years now. I gave him a bit of a hard time about doing it ASAP that day, and he said, “Well we have to stop by work to pick up my check, and they know. So if I didn’t ask now, I knew someone would blow it.” Not terribly romantic. But when I spoke to his mom afterward, she told me that he hadn’t eaten in a week and was calling them every night because he was so nervous. That made up for anything I may have felt was lacking.
Very sneaky (in a genius way!) to propose on HIS b’day! Very sweet story, Sarah. Hope you fed the poor guy afterward, LOL!
That’s so sweet! I love nervous men stories….
I’m sure everyone’s favorite engagement story is their own.
I’m just glad that Carrie Underwood is off the market. I think Mr. Right was lining her up to take my place.
LOL, Sherri!
LOL, you have a point–although Julie Kenner did a great job helping out her friend.
I can’t say if I had champagne at my engagement because I wasn’t legal. I was only 20 and still in college. Mr. Right picked me up for dinner in a limousine and asked me over a dessert of chocolate truffles in our then-favorite restaurant (the Lord Jeffrey in Amherst, MA). We got married the next year, two months after graduation. It will be 20 years this year.
I love the fortune cookie engagement. So cute! Just like you and Joe, Jacquie. Adorable.
Sherri–do you ever go back to Lord Jeffrey? Incredibly, neither Joe nor I can remember the name of the Chinese restaurant! It wasn’t one of our usual places–in fact, that was the only time we ever went there! Guess I should have known something was up
We did go back for many years, and then we moved to Michigan in 2003. We haven’t been back since we moved back in 2005, but we always talk about it. Maybe we should do it for March 16, our engagement anniversary.
Oh, you should–now that you’re finally legal, LOL!
Maybe next time Joe and I are in NY we’ll drive around aimlessly looking for that Chinese restaurant. If we can’t find it, there’s always PF Chang’s, LOL!
Jacquie, what a sweet engagement story! Your poor hubby thinking his cool proposal didn’t work. *g* Your wedding picture is just as adorable as you both are now!
My hubby proposed to me on top of a mountain–with a bottle of Dom!–and why wouldn’t I say yes?? He had asked my parents permission, too. I remember my mom saying at the time that she didn’t think anyone did that anymore.
My sweetie and I will be married 22 years in July!
Congratulations on 22 years, Gannon!
Thanks, Gannon! Very romantic to be proposed to on top of a mountain! Congrats on your 22 years. I’m AMAMZED at how quickly they go by!
You know how they say “write what you know?” I based a scene in one of my books on the way Joe proposed to me. I changed it enough to “protect the innocent,” but when I gave Joe the scene to read, he knew immediately what had inspired it.
Jacquie, he better have known. Can you imagine if he gave you a blank look and said “oh, that’s a cute idea. You’re so creative.” LOL!
OMG, Sherri–can you imagine??!! I’m thinking he would have remembered pretty quick after I clunked him in the head with the book and said, “WRONG answer!” LOL!