An engagement is a special moment. There’s nothing quite like looking into someone’s eyes, telling you that you love them and asking them to spend the rest of their life with you. It’s an emotional moment that represents so many good things. Keeping your engagement plans a secret works even better as your proposal gains an added element of surprise. The look in a person’s eyes when they realize what is going on is simply magical.
While a real proposal can never be duplicated, television often tries. Sometimes it succeeds. Here are a few of our favorite TV engagements. These emotional moments allow us to see some of our most-loved characters experiencing incredible joy. They also give us a few ideas for what not to do when you're proposing!
Monica Proposes to Chandler on Friends
In this episode, Chandler decides that the best way to ensure that his engagement plan remains a surprise is to pretend that he dislikes marriage and to tell everyone (including his girlfriend Monica) that he never wants to get married. This causes Monica get very upset and leads to her ex-boyfriend Richard getting back in touch!
Chandler is scared that he’s screwed everything up when he arrives at home and is told that Monica has left. However, when he opens the door to his apartment, he finds hundreds of candles and Monica standing in front of him. “You wanted it to be a surprise,” she says, before starting to propose herself. She breaks down in tears as does Chandler and the two propose to one another.
Jim Proposes to Pam on The Office
On the show, Jim has been planning to propose for a while. He even “fake proposes” while the two are walking home from work. He wants to get the moment just right and has stopped himself in the past. However, when Pam goes away to art school in New York, he realizes how much he misses her and decides to do it as soon as he can.
The two meet halfway between the office in Scranton and New York City (despite Pam saying that it's not actually hallway) and at a gas station, in the pouring rain, Jim proposes.
Homer Proposes to Marge on The Simpsons
In a flashback episode, Homer finds out that Marge is pregnant with Bart. The two are married in a quick ceremony at a small chapel across state lines. However, things are difficult for the young couple and even the Marge’s wedding ring is repossessed. Homer is ashamed that he can’t support her and their unborn child and leaves Marge with her family.
She finds him and asks him to come back, but he’s afraid that he can’t support her and give her what she wants. He can’t even get her a decent wedding ring. After she tells him that any ring is fine as long as it’s from him, in classic Homer, he puts an onion ring on her finger and the two embrace. After a few seconds, Marge asks if she can take the ring off as the oil is burning her finger.
