The Moment He Got Down On One Knee

Three couples share how their better halves won their hearts and popped the big question

A description of the proposals are as follows:

Teresita & Eduardo
 A FLASH MOB PROPOSAL
Eduardo and I had been dating about 10-11 months, when he popped the question on May 31 last year (this was just before we moved to Dubai). It was completely out of the blue for me - mostly because we were in New York at the time, and I didn't think he'd do it without my family being there; and certainly not with a flash mob!
We were walking through Central Park and had stopped to rest at the famous Bethesda Fountain. Out of nowhere, a flash mob began dancing to Bruno Mars' Marry You. In New York, stuff like that happens all the time. I thought it was just another one - I didn't know that this one was for me.
About three minutes into the song, Eduardo suddenly joined them, and that's when I began to cry. Seconds later, his sister, my sister and their husbands also joined in (the dance company had sent them videos so they could learn the steps). He even had a filming crew on the spot. I'm usually sporting heels and perfect manicures but, on this particular day, I was in sneakers, without a manicure, and it had rained, so my hair was a mess. Luckily, I had sunglasses on so I could cry without making funny faces. I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't answer his question if I'd marry him in the end, and he had to take the ring back and ask again!
Eduardo himself was very nervous (so much so that he forgot the dance steps to the song!) but I didn't really notice that he was on edge before that moment. He did a good job, playing it cool. He doesn't really like to dance, so the fact that he tried to learn the sequence for me just made it all the more special.
The biggest surprise was that he'd flown my parents, little sister and a lot of his family into New York without my knowledge - all of them were hiding near the trees, waiting for him to propose before coming closer. So, yes, the proposal was very public, but it was also wonderfully private because my family was there. It went above and beyond anything I expected because I never thought that someone from Panama could make me feel like a princess. and yet, I definitely felt like one that day.

Luke & Iku
 A BURJ KHALIFA PROPOSAL
Iku and I met through mutual friends five years ago. We live in Taiwan and had decided to take a trip to Dubai for New Year's this year to catch the fireworks. I figured a proposal at the top of the tallest building would make the best memory. Also, what better time for a new beginning than the start of a new year? And so, I decided to propose on January 1. Of course, she didn't have a clue.
I got in touch with Caroline from the Proposal Boutique in Dubai around October last year. Most of our communication was over email but she helped me organise everything - and it all went off without a hitch. We hired an exclusive room on the 123^rd floor and filled it with 10,000 rose petals along with a red carpet, a bouquet of 199 long-stemmed red roses, candles and photos of our time together.
A musician sang some of her fav-ourite songs. I'd also put together a film, featuring 100 of her friends and family from back home. It took me two months to edit it with music and subtitles in both Chinese and English. Incredibly, we managed to do all of it without her knowing a thing! The family and friends were wonderful, because everybody cooperated. It turned out great and she cried, watching it all on the screen there.
Iku is a huge fan of magic so we also had our very own magician to entertain her. He made the engagement ring appear out of fire and then floated it straight into my hand. Then came the only part of the evening I was nervous about - getting down on one knee and popping the question. Iku was too shocked to say anything, and I actually had to whisper: "Say yes!"
Thankfully, she did!
The room was filled with costumes, pictures and games, so we spent the rest of the evening having a lot of fun, taking photos, watching the video again and dancing, with views of the entire city in the background. I think it's safe to say: it's an evening that neither she nor I will forget.
 
Samar & Jamil
A SPA-TASTIC PROPOSAL
With Jamil and I, after three years of being in a relationship, we were already thinking of the next step.
A week before my birthday, in July this year, he surprised me with a trip to Dubai for the Eid holidays (we live in Kuwait). We had dinner at the Burj Al Arab and then, someone came and asked him if he was ready for our sightseeing tour. We entered this area which led up to a spa, called the 'Midnight Swim', which in itself is incredibly beautiful. That night, though, it was stunning.
There were petals and candles every-where and a commissioned 'memory lane', which mapped out our relationship - starting with how we met on Facebook in 2012! The lane led to a covered easel that, when uncovered, had the words 'Marry me'. That's when he got down on one knee and produced a solitaire ring. I couldn't speak, so I just nodded 'yes'!
We then spent some time relaxing, enjoying a couples' massage in matching bathrobes that had our names stitched on them, and swimming in the lagoon.
Looking back, I wish I'd reacted better (Jamil had to drag me through the memory lane because I was rooted to the spot). I think the shock was partly because I didn't think him capable of such a nice proposal. I'd always nagged him about never surprising me, and figured he'd go the traditional Lebanese way with a proposal too. I was the only one who didn't know though (my family did); it was my first-ever surprise from him and it was perfect.
If you ask why he chose to incorporate swimming and spas into the proposal though, that's a funny story. We were stuck in traffic one day and he began asking me random questions that were apparently from a "questionnaire to test compatibility" that he found on Facebook (it was a fake one he'd invented to find out my preferences!). At the time, I thought it was weird but I went along. That's when I told him I liked spas and swimming. By the end of the questionnaire, we turned out to be totally incompatible - but we're so glad real life is proving that wrong!