Every single hopeless romantic out there loves to hear an adorable proposal story. Sure, we might get a bit over-emotional and shed a few embarrassing happy tears, but it’s totally worth it. An inventive proposal, a traditional proposal, a public one, a private one… Whatever the situation, we love to hear the details. It doesn’t matter if we actually know the couple in question or not. The world needs more love in it, and we need to hear about it all!
Of course, some of the most widely-shared proposal stories are those of celebrities. When you’ve hit the big time and have both fame and fortune on your side, you can quite literally afford to go all-out for your special proposal. On the other hand, some celebs decide to keep the moment low-key and just between them and their partner. Whether something quiet or something flashy is more to your tastes, we’ve got an adorable celebrity proposal story guaranteed to make you swoon.
1. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
It was the celebrity proposal to end all proposals that captivated the world back in November. Prince Harry, formerly the closest eligible bachelor to the British throne, became engaged to Suits actress and humanitarian Meghan Markle. While the world went totally Harry-and-Meghan crazy for weeks after the engagement was announced, the proposal itself was a pretty understated affair. The couple revealed in an interview that Harry got down on one knee at his London home while Meghan was busy roasting a chicken. Simple yet effective! We’ll have to see whether roast chicken makes an appearance at their upcoming spring wedding, too. We’d imagine that the ceremony will be a bit more illustrious than the proposal…
2. Ludacris and Eudoxie Agnan
Back in 2014, rapper Ludacris decided to propose to his long-time girlfriend Eudoxie Agnan in a pretty inventive way. He took his now-wife on a private jet while vacationing with friends and projected “Eudoxie will you marry me?” onto the ground below! He spared no expense for his pretty extravagant mile-high proposal, and it paid off. An elated Eudoxie said yes and the rapper’s friends joined the pair on the jet to celebrate. They didn’t have to wait long for the wedding, either! Later the same day, Ludacris surprised Agnan yet again with a ceremony and a wedding dress. The two swiftly tied the knot and are still together three-and-a-bit years on! Luda wasted no time…
3. George and Amal Clooney
While you’d expect a huge A-Lister like George Clooney to go all-out with something as important as a marriage proposal, his actual engagement to his now-wife Amal was actually adorably understated. The couple has always been a pretty private pair, and this proposal was no exception! Apparently, George popped the question in the comfort of his own home after making Amal a wholesome meal of pasta. He asked her to go and retrieve a candle lighter from a particular cupboard, but surprise – there was a ring in there instead! While Amal was reportedly so shocked that it took her twenty minutes to respond to the proposal, she eventually said yes. Cute!
4. John Stamos and Caitlin McHugh
Actor John Stamos basically fulfilled the dreams of a whole generation of women with his proposal to Caitlin McHugh. He pulled out all the stops for a totally adorable Disneyland engagement! While on holiday at the resort, Stamos reportedly played McHugh a home-made video that was a compilation of cute, romantic moments from her favorite Disney movies. At the end of the clip, he got down on one knee and popped the question! She said yes – as you would, really – and the two eventually married early in 2018. McHugh is currently expecting their first child together. The couple has got a proper fairytale ending worthy of a Disney movie itself!
5. Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd
Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Peta Murgatroyd got engaged in exactly the way you’d imagine: on the dancefloor! This Dancing With The Stars power couple shared their happy moment with a full theatre audience and their fellow dancers back in 2015. During a performance of Sway at the Olympia Theater in Miami, Chmerkovskiy got down on one knee and surprised Murgatroyd with a proposal! Their fellow DWTS pros were thrilled, as were the happy couple themselves! They tied the knot in the summer of 2017 a gorgeous ceremony at New York’s Oheka Castle, six months after welcoming their son, Shai. It was the perfect conclusion to the ultimate DWTS love story!
6. Corbin Bleu and Sasha Clements
Corbin Bleu is another celeb who decided to go for a fairytale Disneyland proposal. Back in 2014, he popped the question to his then-girlfriend, fellow actress Sasha Clements, in front of the resort’s iconic Cinderella castle! Talk about a scenic spot! Bleu took the cute factor one step further by hiding the engagement ring inside a glass slipper. He also chose his moment well, proposing just before the resort’s famous fireworks display began! The amount of planning that went into this proposal is insane! It was all worth it, though: Clements said yes and the pair tied the knot two years later.
7. Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi
While it’s difficult to imagine Ellen DeGeneres being anything other than totally hilarious, she apparently pulled out all of the romantic stops when proposing to Portia De Rossi. Appropriately, the Finding Dory actress chose to pop the question when she and her now-wife were watching their new pet goldfish! DeGeneres pulled out a three-carat engagement ring set with pink diamonds and swept De Rossi off her feet. The two were married in their home just a few months later and are still one of the cutest celebrity couples out there. Question is, did that all-important goldfish get a role in the ceremony? Fish are friends and not food, after all!
8. John Legend and Chrissy Teigen
Since John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are basically relationship goals, it’s no surprise that their proposal story is totally adorable. To be fair, it starts out pretty badly. Around Christmas 2011, Teigen was feeling run-down thanks to terrible cramps. She was also upset with Legend’s seemingly measly gifts to her that year: a cookbook and a slow-cooker. The couple got into a huge fight, but Legend smoothed things over by revealing his real gift to Teigen: an engagement ring! Legend popped the question while the couple was on holiday in the Maldives – although his plan was nearly scuppered when airport security came close to opening the surprise ring box in front of Teigen! That would have been awkward, to say the least…
9. Pink and Carey Hart
Famously punk-rock couple Pink and Carey Hart decided to switch things up when it came to their engagement. They broke the tradition of the man asking the woman – Pink wasn’t content to just sit around and wait for Hart to propose! The big moment came when Pink was assisting at one of Hart’s Motorcross races. As Hart passed her on the sidelines, the singer held up a sign that said “will you marry me?” Unfortunately, Hart initially thought she was joking and failed to stop to give an answer. However, after Pink added “serious” to the bottom, he finally got the message. While this couple has had their tumultuous moments over the years, this cute proposal made it all worth it!
10. Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady
Model Gisele Bündchen and her husband Tom Brady make one of the most stunningly beautiful couples in the world. Like, they’re basically perfect. On top of that, their relationship is enviably adorable. It wasn’t always easy: Brady discovered that his ex was pregnant with his child just two months after he got together with Bündchen. However, the pair powered through and eventually got engaged in early 2009. Brady reportedly organized a romantic surprise for his now-wife, proposing to her on a jet filled with white roses and champagne. How classy is that! Brady and Bündchen have now been happily married for about a decade and are still blissfully in love.
11. Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara
After a whirlwind six-month romance, actor Joe Manganiello decided that Sofia Vergara was the one for him. He planned an elaborate proposal on a beach on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, only for the paparazzi to get in the way! The island was so infested with photographers that Manganiello had to propose to Vergara in the pair’s hotel room rather than on the scenic beach. Despite this setback, he still got the answer he was looking for! Manganiello and Vergara got engaged at sunset on Christmas Eve back in 2014. Joe even former learned an impassioned proposal speech in Spanish for the occasion. How romantic!
12. Seal and Heidi Klum
While Seal and Heidi Klum’s marriage has now sadly come to an end, their proposal story is still one of the cutest out there – and one of the most unique! Seal actually proposed to Klum while they were both in an igloo that the singer had specially commissioned for the event. Yep, really. Seal reportedly hired a helicopter to transport Klum to the scenic Canadian Rockies and proposed while surrounded by candles and rose petals. How romantic! However, Klum began to feel a bit worried when the helicopter left and the newly-engaged pair were left stranded in the cold. Still, it didn’t ruin what the model referred to as an “ecstatic” moment. We’re still a bit upset that these two broke up, to be honest. They were so cute together!
13. Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka
Another example of #couplegoals, another totally perfect proposal story. Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka have been killing us with their cuteness for years now, so it’s no surprise that their engagement occurred in the most adorable of circumstances. It was Burtka who proposed to Harris first, and he chose the perfect spot in which to do it. He popped the question on the same street corner where the pair had first met! A year later, Harris then proposed in return on Valentine’s Day, because apparently one engagement just wasn’t enough for these two! Eight years later – in 2014 – the pair finally tied the knot after gay marriage was legalized in the US.
14. Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves
When Matthew McConaughey proposed to his wife Camila Alves back on Christmas Day 2011, it didn’t initially look like she would say yes! After wrapping the ring box thoroughly and placing it in about five other boxes, McConaughey finally got to see Alves open her gift in front of all of his friends and family. While the actor hasn’t disclosed exactly what happened, he has admitted that Alves’s first word was not “yes!” His entire family became convinced that they were about to witness an awkward Christmas Day breakup. However, Alves eventually accepted McConaughey’s proposal. The couple have been married for almost six years now and share three children together.
15. Eva Longoria and Jose Baston
Jose Baston and Eva Longoria are so in love that they decided to get engaged twice! The first proposal came totally out of the blue for Longoria – but it was a happy surprise! Baston got down on one knee in the desert while he and Longoria were holidaying in Dubai. However, he did so again on a later trip to India, this time right in front of the Taj Mahal! We were treated to not one but two iconic engagement Instagram posts! The two wed in Mexico back in 2016 – only once this time, mind – and are currently expecting their first child together.
16. Kanye West and Kim Kardashian
The Kardashian-Jenner clan doesn’t exactly do ‘understated’… So it’s no surprise that Kanye West’s proposal to Kim Kardashian was insanely flashy. Luckily for us, the whole event was documented on one memorable episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. West chose Kardashian’s 33rd birthday as the time to propose, leading his then-girlfriend onto the field of the AT&T; Park baseball ground in San Francisco. As the Chicago Symphony Orchestra played, Kanye got down on one knee in front of a genuinely surprised Kim. She said yes, of course, and her friends and family all rushed onto the field. It was a spectacle only overtaken in grandeur by the couple’s wedding a few months later.