Are Proposals Becoming Outrageous?

August 8, 2008 at 8:08 p.m. the man of my dreams dropped down on one knee and asked me to be his wife.

We were overlooking the Sleeping Bear sand dunes.  Prior to the actual proposal we had visited stops 1-7 on the trip in a hurry.  There is a trail with amazing look outs. I wanted to stop and spend a little time looking at each of them, but he had a plan.  He had to be at the prettiest spot (site 8) at 8:08.  I could feel his heart beating as he stood with his arms wrapped around me (it was quite chilly).  There was a storm rolling in in the distance. We walked up the dune a little and stood next to a sign that said "Do Not Stand Here."  When he stepped back he said "I love you."  I thought, oh no he is going to jump.  Instead he popped the question.  There was a group of kids that started cheering, I started crying, and the phone calls to family and friends began.

I tell you this because it was so special.  A moment I will remember for the rest of my life.  It was a proposal that fit our relationship.  Special but not over the top.

A recent trend has been celebrity proposals.  They are taking You Tube by storm.  Taylor Swift had a couple get engaged at her concert a few weeks ago.  Yesterday Justin Timberlake assisted a fan, Josh, in proposing to his girlfriend  fiance Kim.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbjHkCKAvPg 

Is this romantic, or over the top.  Are girls beginning to fantasize about unrealistic proposals?  Not everyone can have a celebrity bring them up on stage for that once in a lifetime moment.

This may have been a representation of their relationship.  I am happy for them, and I don't want it to sound like I am against this type of proposal.  I just hope that people realize that as a society we are starting to set standards that not everyone can meet.  We are raising a group of kids that think gestures have to be so grand they will turn into a viral video.

What is wrong with a proposal that is private.  Something between you and your future life partner?  I am so thankful that my husband made our proposal special and something that I don't need a viral video to remember.