Call us hopeless romantics, but we love a good old-fashioned love story — and a few modern ones, too. We still get excited when the news (or even a viral rumor) breaks that two celebrities have gotten engaged. Aside from keeping an eye out for a quick glimpse or Instagram shot of what's likely some huge, extravagant diamond ring that only the famous can afford, we also want to know all of the juicy details. Where were they? How exactly did it happen? Did it all go as smoothly as planned, or did things take a hilarious turn when life got in the way?
Thankfully, plenty of stars have opened up and told the story of what went down on the day of their engagement. Some of the proposals are just as elaborate as we would expect them to be — replete with candles, music, and even romantic getaways to private islands. Others are shockingly normal. (It's actually kind of surprising how many celebrities, and even royals, pop the question in the comfort and privacy of their own home.) Still, every story is sweet and lovely in its own way because — spoiler alert — the couple was making the decision to spend their lives together.
Read on for the celebrity proposals that gave us all the feels — from massive surprises to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle getting engaged over a humble roasted chicken.
Prince William & Kate Middleton
Prince William asked Kate Middleton to marry him in a rustic cabin in Kenya, which is a place that means a lot to William as he's been visiting for years. According to the Duchess of Cambridge, it was very romantic, and she wasn't expecting it at all. William also gave her his mother's ring, which he had been carrying around for three weeks, as a way of keeping Princess Diana "sort of close to it all."
Justin Timberlake & Jessica Biel
Justin Timberlake proposed to wife Jessica Biel in Montana, and later revealed the details to Amazon Music. "I had the ring on my pinkie and I was like, 'Look at the shadows over there on the mountains,' and she was like, 'Oh yeah, that's beautiful,' and I was like, 'Do you see it?'" And that's how he got it done.
Mike 'The Situation' Sorrentino & Lauren Pesce
This proposal was definitely a Jersey Shore affair! Reality star Mike Sorrentino popped the question during season one of Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, with the help of his castmates. Mike and Lauren Pesce, who said "I do" on November 1, 2018, were college sweethearts and now they share a baby son.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle
Perhaps what's so great about Prince Harry popping the question is that it sounds so … normal. He and Meghan Markle were apparently at home trying to roast a chicken when he asked. "It was just an amazing surprise," Meghan later said in an interview with BBC News. "It was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee.”
Check out our Meghan Markle page for all the latest news about Meghan, Prince Harry, and their growing family.
Ludacris & Eudoxie Mbouguiengue
When this couple flew to Costa Rica for vacation, Ludacris had arranged for "Will You Marry Me?" to be written in the grass — and as far as we're concerned, this has to be one of the major perks of being a celebrity. Who else could have pulled a proposal like that off? It's no wonder Eudoxie Mbouguiengue said yes.
Sam Esmail & Emmy Rossum
This one is really cute: Emmy Rossum and Sam Esmail evidently have a tradition of reading the "Modern Love" column from The New York Times each week, so he had a special version printed with their story — which she ended up reading while in the tub. "I began to read the article, and the story is about a director who falls in love with an actress, and I started to think, 'Huh, that's strange,'" Emmy recalled. "And then I realized that it was our love story."
Joe Manganiello & Sofia Vergara
Joe Manganiello told his proposal story on Live! With Kelly and Michael in 2015, revealing that he decided to pop the question in Spanish, then-girlfriend Sofia Vergara's native language.
"I had a big speech in Spanish, and that's what I was nervous about," he recounted. "The last thing you want to do is mess up the Spanish on the proposal to a Colombian woman."
Carey Hart & Pink
Pink actually proposed to Carey Hart, holding up a "Will you marry me?" sign at his motocross race. He didn't end up seeing it at first, so she added "Serious!" the second time around — and the rest is history. We don't doubt that they're still laughing about how it all went down — and of course, they're still together to this day.
John Stamos & Caitlin McHugh
John Stamos planned out a special night at Disneyland, because his love Caitlin McHugh is a big fan of Disney. (She even dresses like the characters on Instagram.) When he finally popped the question, graphics that said, "Go on and ask the girl," were in the background.
Dwyane Wade & Gabrielle Union
When Dwyane Wade proposed to Gabrielle Union, he recruited the help of his kids to hold up signs that said, "Will you marry us?" But since they had apparently always asked Gabrielle to marry their dad, she didn't think they were serious, until she saw her man on one knee.
George & Amal Clooney
George Clooney cooked dinner for Amal as part of his big plan, but when she went to wash the dishes, he had to switch it up. He ended up asking her for a lighter, and that's when she found the box with the ring. He then got down on one knee and said, "I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life without you." Swoon!
José Antonio Baston & Eva Longoria
José Antonio Baston surprised Eva Longoria during a trip to Dubai, asking her to marry him while they were in the middle of the desert. We can't help but think how awkward it would have been if she said no, but fortunately, the way he popped the question was so perfect that of course she said yes.
Alexis Ohanian & Serena Williams
This one requires a bit of background. When this couple first met in Rome, a friend thought that Alexis Ohanian was sitting too close for comfort, so she told him that there was a rat where he was sitting to get him to move. His reply? "I'm from Brooklyn. I see rats all the time." When he decided to propose to Serena Williams, they went back to Rome, and he made sure a small plastic rat was sitting on a table nearby.
Daryl Sabara & Meghan Trainor
There's a full proposal video online to prove how sweet it was when Spy Kids star Daryl Sabara proposed to singer Meghan Trainor under multicolored lights — we can't imagine anything more special during the holiday season! They're still together today and share a toddler son named Riley.
Matthew McConaughey & Camila Alves
Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves got engaged over the holidays in 2011 while they were visiting his family. And apparently, it took her a moment to say yes — which made his family worry that she was about to reject him. Fortunately, things worked out perfectly.
Todd Kapostasy & Tara Lipinski
Another holiday proposal. Olympian Tara Lipinski dished all the details on her Instagram, saying Todd Kapostasy convinced New York's Plaza Hotel to "take one of their displays over, and this painting of him proposing to me in front of my home in California was inside. By the time I turned to him, he was on one knee." We love it!
Maks Chmerkovskiy & Peta Murgatroyd
Since he and Petra Murgatroyd are dancers, Maks Chmerkovskiy used the opportunity of their Sway tour to pop the question on stage. No one even knew what he was up to. "I wanted it to be a surprise for everyone, so I only told my brother and my friend who held on to the ring," he said.
Russell Wilson & Ciara
Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson decided to surprise Ciara with a romantic getaway to the Seychelles. He proposed on a private beach, and when sharing the news with the world, said he knew Ciara was the one "since day 1." So far, these two are still living happily ever after.
Tom Brady & Gisele Bündchen
When he proposed, Tom Brady apparently pretended that Gisele Bündchen's apartment was flooding. When she arrived to assess the situation, there were candles and rose petals everywhere. However, when he got down on one knee, Gisele wasn't too happy. "He'd just had surgery and had three staph infections," she told Vogue. "I'm like, 'What are you doing?!' He's like, 'I gotta go on my knees.' I'm like, 'No, no, no! Get up, please.' And here we are."
Jason Kennedy & Lauren Scruggs
When Jason Kennedy proposed to Lauren Scruggs, he set the mood with candles, using them to make a path that led to their balcony. Lauren would see him, standing downstairs, with more candles that spelled out, "Will You Marry Me?" When she went down to meet him, he asked her himself while on one knee.
Travis Barker & Kourtney Kardashian
Fans finally got to watch Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker's proposal play out on The Kardashians in season one. Travis set up a display on the beach of so many roses we couldn't possibly count, popping the question on their anniversary of getting together — and her family was waiting for a surprise dinner afterward.
Chris Harrison & Lauren Zima
Since Chris Harrison is the former long-time host of The Bachelor franchise, of course his proposal had to be super romantic. In October 2021, he asked longtime girlfriend and entertainment reporter Lauren Zima to marry him, surrounded by a fantastic view and an intimate dinner setup.
Grant Hughes & Sophia Bush
Being proposed to in a boat on Lake Como in Italy is a hard proposal to top. Somehow, Grant Hughes — One Tree Hill star Sophia Bush's future husband — managed to pull it all off, and it looks like his bride-to-be was totally blown away. What a moment!
