Full Circle Eventi

It’s Valentine’s week, a whole week to be showered in cute little cards, flowers and chocolate (of course!). While many of you reading this are already engaged, every once in a while I get a desperate plead for help with a romantic and unique way to get the ball rolling. So for all you guys, here are a few ideas I’ve drummed up, thanks to Groomsstand. Enjoy!

For many, Valentine’s Day, the national holiday of love, seems like the perfect time to propose. The day’s already reserved, the anticipation is already building… Then again, there is an implicit pressure in trying to combine to momentous romantic occasions into one. The key is to let the natural romantic ambiance of Valentine’s Day work in your favor, while adding some unique touches to create a personal proposal.

The first thing to do, since you’ve already selected a traditional date to propose, is to avoid any traditional sweet-but-cheesy proposals. So, no chocolate script on the restaurant dessert plate, no skywriters, and no fortune cookies! Groomstand’s unbeatable Valentine’s Day Proposal Guide will get you from bended knee to “will you marry me?” with superb creativity and aplomb. Simply take one of our suggestions, wait for the ecstatic “Yes!” and then come back later to pick out groomsmen gifts!

THE PROPOSAL: QUIZ ‘O’ LOVE

Secretly type up a Valentine’s Day Trivia Quiz. Start with general questions (i.e. “Is Valentine’s Day a pagan or religious holiday”) but make sure they are all yes or no questions. Have the last question be, “Will you marry me?”

HOW TO PULL IT OFF: Tell your lady you’re exhausted from work and you just want to have a low-key night in. If she’s a worth it woman, she’ll be disappointed, but agree. Get her to sit down next to you on the couch, and then casually pull out a Valentine’s Day trivia quiz you’ve typed up in advance. Pull it out of the newspaper and pretend it was an ad. Say, “Hey honey, I know you’re bummed about spending Valentine’s Day in. I’m just going to jump in the shower, but why don’t you take this Valentine’s Day quiz to get in the spirit of things?” While she’s taking a quiz, rush into the other room, where you will have stored the ring, flowers, and wine (bonus points for presenting it in our romantic personalized wine box – hey, it works for more than just groomsmen gifts). When you hear the tell-tale scream, rush back in the room, get on one knee, and propose.

THE PROPOSAL: YOU PUT THE STARS IN MY SKY

Okay, I know we said no skywriters, but that’s because we have a better idea. Have a star named after your intended, only with her first name and your last name (or your last names hyphenated, if you prefer.)

HOW TO PULL IT OFF: Take her to a scenic vista with plenty of star-gazing spots. Give her the document to open, and then say “I want to spend the rest of my life star-gazing with you. Will you marry me?” Spend the rest of the night picking out “your” star.

THE PROPOSAL: GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR FEMININE SIDE

We know it’s not macho, but women do stuff like this all the time. Drop in on your local craft circle and get some knitting tips. Embroider “Will You Marry Me?” on a table cloth. Bonus points for multiple languages.

HOW TO PULL IT OFF: Invite her to an intimate dinner for two at home. When she gets up to go to the bathroom, switch your old everyday table cloth for your handcrafted masterpiece. Wait and see how long it takes her to notice. When she does, pull off dinner plate cover to reveal ring box. Say, “Honey, now you know that when I said I’d do anything for you, I really meant anything. Will you marry me?”

THE PROPOSAL: SAIL AWAY WITH ME, HONEY

If you two are sailing sweethearts, a romantic moonlight sail is your perfect Valentine’s Day proposal.

HOW TO PULL IT OFF: Wait until the moonlight is just right, and then tell her you have a Valentine’s Day present for her. Give her this beautiful silver compass and tell her “With you, I can never lose my way. Will you marry me?” Have the compass engraved with a special message for a perfect proposal memento. Bonus points if she wears it on the wedding day.

NOTE: If you don’t sail, another idea is to take her on a drive and pretend to get really lost. At the last moment, pull into a romantic spot, give her the compass and say, “I’m never lost as long as I’m with you. Will you marry me?”

THE PROPOSAL: BUTTERFLIES IN FLIGHT

Make the location of your Valentine’s Day Proposal a huge surprise! Take her to a tropical butterfly museum for an exotic proposal she’ll love re-telling.

HOW TO PULL IT OFF: Get on one knee and say “Honey, you’ve given me butterflies since the moment I met you. This is my chance to give some butterflies back to you. Will you marry me?”

THE PROPOSAL: YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO YOUNG…

Especially if you have been high school sweethearts or together for a long time, this Valentine’s Day proposal is a sweet gesture. Plan a kid-themed day of amusement, ending with a timeless proposal. Spend a day swinging on swings, picking apples at an orchard, wading in a creek, and flying kites. At the end of the day, surprise her with either a grade-school style valentine that says “Will you Marry Me?” or even more classic, a simple folded “Will you Marry me? Check Yes or No” note.

THE PROPOSAL: BUILD-A-BEAR MARRIAGE . . .

What is sweeter then given her a cuddly bear? Given her a cuddly bear with a marriage proposal! Create a “Proposal Bear”. With hundreds of Build-A-Bear Workshops around, getting a hold of one won’t be hard. Stop by your local Build-A-Bear and pick out a bear. Before stuffing the bear you will be given the option to insert a message box. Select a personal message box and record your proposal. Place the box inside of the bear and then continue the process of it. Once your bear is created you can dress it how ever you would like to but keep in mind they do have wedding dresses and tuxedoes. This way you will have a romantic proposal along with a keepsake!

And if you are one of the lucky ladies to get engaged over the holiday, be sure to let us know!!!!!

I’d love to hear your story! How did he propose? Leave it in the comments and we’ll repost it again soon for others to enjoy your story!

The Eight Maids a-Milking may be one of the most interesting play on words in the song I’ve come across so far, if it doesn’t end up being the most interesting! But as normal, let’s cover the religious view first. There is definitely sufficient substance to create an imagination board from this as well, but I was drawn into the alternative story! In the Protestant interpretation, the eight maids a-milking stand for each of the eight Beatitudes: 1) Blessed are the poor in spirit, 2) those who mourn, 3) the meek, 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 5) the merciful, 6) the pure in heart, 7) the peacemakers, those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake. (Matthew 5:3-10)

Alternatively, the eight maids a-milking address two of the major themes of fifteenth and sixteenth century English celebrations and parties during the Christmas holidays – food and romance. What is a feast or party without food? Especially foods that are not common and are reserved for special occasions.

Until the advent of refrigeration, milk was not a common drink because it spoiled quickly. However, milk based products that did not spoil, such as cheese, sour milk (which is actually a cultured milk much like yogurt and is neither sour tasting nor spoiled) and custards were prized treats. Cheese and sour milk are the result of processes that expose milk to so called friendly bacteria which convert the milk to a state where it can be preserved for a longer period and is also tasty. Custard is similar but this involves the cooking of the milk, which kills the harmful bacteria thereby extending the period during which it can be safely consumed. In 18th century England, they played a game on Christmas night called “Yawning for the Chesire Cheese.” OK, now we all know that yawning is addictive. It’s really hard to not yawn when you see someone yawn. Well, back in those days they had yawning contests. And, the person who made the widest and longest yawn — and who produced the greatest yawns in return — won the cheese!

Remember earlier when I told you there were a lot of sexual connotations to this song that I never realized, well, here is probably the best example yet!

The maids, of course, refer to the women who would milk the cows to obtain the milk in the first place. In times past milking of cows or goats was typically a job for women. However, the term maid is also the shortened form of maiden which is a young, unmarried woman. By combining the images of maiden and milk (which can also bring to mind a woman’s breasts), it is easy to get the idea that this particular gift has more to do with sex and romance than with cows.

The term eight maids a-milking evokes images of the food, especially the special holiday foods, to be enjoyed at this festive time of year as well as the possibilities for romance, both licit and illicit. While the people of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries were not as prudish as the nineteenth century Victorians, there was still pressure, especially for women, to maintain a somewhat chaste image in public. Young upper class (both merchant class and nobility) women were usually chaperoned when in public and when being courted by young men. However, during the Twelfth Night celebrations not only were many of the rules of behavior relaxed but the environment in which the parties were held provided opportunities to escape the watchful eyes of the public. In the midst of a large group of people, many of them strangers, who were busy drinking, dancing and having a good time, it was easy to slip away from one’s chaperon or spouse. Masked and costumed balls increased the opportunities for secret liaisons as well as providing additional means of denying your actions the next day. With candles and torches the sole source of lighting, it was often difficult to identify people across the room let alone in the numerous rooms and darkened alcoves found in the castles and large manor houses where the parties were held. The opportunities offered for some passionate time alone with a lover or a quick one night stand with a stranger was a major attraction of these parties.

Further evidence of the sexual connotations of this stanza is the fact that during this time period in England the term to go a-milking had strong romantic and sexual connotations. It was a term that men used when they wanted to ask a woman to marry them or to have a simple sexual encounter. Like similar expressions people use today, asking a woman to go a-milking was a code used by men to test a woman’s response to their intentions. Words have meaning and they carry emotional impact. Requests also require a response. Will you marry me and will you go a-milking with me may convey the same message but the nonsense phrase go a-milking does not carry the emotional impact of marry me or come to bed with me. Coded phrases like this allow people to converse more freely while at the same time allowing them to retract a statement more easily. When a man asks a woman to marry him and she says “No” what can he respond back with without looking desperate and/or foolish? But, when he asks a woman to go a-milking with him and she replies with a “No” he can easily come back with something like well, I just thought you would like to help me with the cows. In this case his proposal was received and understood but rejected, at least temporarily. However both are able to dismiss it as a misunderstanding of what he really meant. Both laugh and can proceed without loss of dignity on either side.

Food, drink, masks, proposals, cheese and romance are all the images I have swimming in my head after reading the back story. So here it is.

Mask, Forget Me Not Factory; wine & cheese, The Chemistry Lab; heart candles, Wallpapers 4 Ever; couple kiss, Fashionality; proposal; moon mask, Forget Me Not Factory; With this Favor Blog; black & white ciuple, Photobucket; red mask, Life 123; cheese & wine, Pipes Magazine; color couple, Life 123; I love u candles, Wallpapers 4 Ever; fondue, The Melting Pot ; bruschetta, Gourmet Station; candle steps, Fete.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me, Seven Swans a-Swimming . . .

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, Six Geese a-Laying . . .

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, Five Golden Rings . . .

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, Four Colly Birds . . .

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me, Three French Hens . . .

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me, Two Turtle Doves . . .

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, A Partridge in a Pear Tree . . .

Posts Tagged ‘proposal’

Valentine’s Day Proposal Ideas

12 Days of Christmas ~ Eight Maids a-Milking

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