Anyone who’s attended a wedding knows the “tried and true” songs for the ceremony and first dance at the reception.
The ceremony might include: Ave Maria (Schubert /Gounod); Greensleeves; Ode to Joy (Beethoven); Water Music (Handel); Gloria (Vivaldi); and of course, The Wedding March.
Many receptions these days still feature classic and contemporary songs from years past, such as: Unforgettable (Nat King Cole); I’ll Be There (Mariah Carey); What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong); and At Last (Etta James).
If there is a such a thing as a “proposal” song, Beyonce’s Put a Ring On It is undoutbedly not the right message to send. However, My Loveby Justin Timberlake or Donavon Frankenreiter’s Lovely Dayexpresses the feelings two people share around the time of an engagement.
Robbins Brothers liked Lovely Dayso much, it selected the song for its current marketing campaign. If you’re a fan of Donavon, or simply a fan of love, check out the video that features real marriage proposals from YouTube.
One of my favorite romantic moments is when Jake Ryan brought Samantha a birthday cake in the John Hughes movie “Sixteen Candles.” That scene sort of set the bar for me as to what I thought a guy should do to show his love. Nothing fancy, as long as it’s from the heart.
Marriage proposals don’t have to be over-the-top to be romantic. Just check YouTube and search for “marriage proposals” and you’ll see the pure simplicity of most videos. Whether it’s a guy proposing to his girlfriend in front of hundreds of screaming junior high campers or the proposal in Alaska where the guy proposes to his gal while she’s in her car working on her laptop, you’ll see that the reaction is pretty much the same. Pure joy and elation, and often times tears of happiness.
Most romantic marriage proposal of all time? Well, I’m pretty sure it’s when my husband proposed to me at Point Dume in Malibu. Simple, sweet, no bells or whistles. Just a light drizzle, a full moon, and the gorgeous Pacific Ocean as the backdrop.
What’s your favorite marriage proposal? Write back and let me know, and I’ll post it in an upcoming blog.
You know those signet rings the preppy kids used to wear? Back in the 16th century, this type of ring was customary to announce an engagement. A man placed a ring with his “signature” as his promise that she’d have equal authority when she became his wife.
Men in 19th century Germany had more literal symbols for the engagement: miniature locks and keys dangled from the ”marriage” ring that represented the control and responsibility the wife would have in the marriage. Hmm, I wonder how many wives waved hands out windows on quaint Bavarian streets, flashing the “equal responsibility ring” as the men bee-lined it out the door on Friday night for the local drinking spot, leaving the kids and chores behind?
One ring that simply defies romance is the “torture” ring. The ring consists of several spikes inside the band that easily slide on the finger, but must hurt like crazy when removed. This is a ring you definitely will not find at Robbins Brothers, The Engagement Ring Store.
So you and your soon-to-be spouse think it would be funny to shock the guests and have some crazy song played at your wedding or as the first dance song at your reception. My advice: DON’T!
Here’s the unofficial list of the ”top 10 songs NOT to play at your wedding”:
What day isn’t lovely for marriage proposals, come to think of it? Have you ever dined at a restaurant, seated next to a table where the guy proposes to his girlfriend? Unless you were downing a few gin & tonics because your husband just left you for his 21 year old secretary, you probably got caught up in the thrill of the moment. C’mon, you know you did.
If you need a pick-me-up right now, spend a few minutes with this video of surprise marriage proposals set to Donavon Frankenreiter’s song ”Lovely Day” and I dare you not to feel just a little bit better at the end.
If your relationship has reached the “I think this is The One” stage, you’re probably noticing engagement rings now more than ever. If you’re the guy, you might be asking friends and co-workers where they bought their engagement ring. If you’re the gal, you’re likely surfing the web to look at ring images and noticing the left ring finger of every celebrity on Access Hollywood and in InStyle.
If you’re a fan of The Hills (MTV) or past Bachelor/Bachelorette shows, chances are you’ve seen or heard about Tacori. Each Tacori ring is hand-crafted in platinum or 18 karat gold, with collections that offer intricate hand-engraved designs and perfectly-matched diamonds. It’s no wonder that Hollywood and brides around the world love Tacori.
Robbins Brothers, The Engagement Ring Store is proud to offer Tacori engagement rings.
Where it all begins. This is the new “tag within the brandname” for Ritani. InStyle’s huge fall edition (September 2009) includes a full page ad that showcases the Bella Vita Collection by Ritani. Three diamond engagement rings (one with the matching band), a pair of diamond earrings, and a diamond pendant are featured, each with the micro-pave diamonds that Ritani has mastered in his bridal collections in recent years.
What’s all this fuss about the first lady’s summer apparel choice? It’s hot, and she’s wearing shorts. Michelle Obama’s got the legs and the confidence, and she’s active, so why not?
The last time the media was in such a frenzy about the prez’s wife was when she danced the night away at the Inaugural Balls, sans engagement ring or wedding band. She had a glamorous cocktail ring on her middle finger and it likely would have been too bulky with her wedding ring on the next finger. Again, so what? She and Barack are happily married and we all know she has a beautiful diamond engagement ring. Does she really have to wear her ring 365 days a year to prove that she’s married?
Michelle, you rock with or without your diamond engagement ring, and that’s the short of it.
Mr. Ferraro and I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary this past Friday. The traditional gift for the big five is wood or paper, so I decided to give hubby a coffee-table photo book of Tuscany, a place we’re saving up to visit soon. (Hopefully we can make it there before our 10th anniversary!) I also found a pewter Irish wedding mug at an antique store in Pasadena that was a nice “extra” that honors his heritage (he’s Irish/Italian) and our commitment.
We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Cafe Mundial in Monrovia, CA, the same restaurant where we had our first date AND where we had our wedding ceremony and casual lunch reception for 50 guests. I had the tequila lime shrimp with pasta and we shared a chocolate souffle – yum, yum! The wine prices are very reasonable (we shared a $19 bottle of white wine from South Africa, and it was perfect with our dinner choices) and the service was superb. I still highly recommend Cafe Mundial to anyone looking for a great date place in the San Gabriel Valley.
Happy anniversary, Johnny! Here’s to a lifetime of wedded bliss!
Di
PS – I was hoping for a matching Ritani diamond anniversary band for my Endless Love micropave engagement ring, or a pair of diamond hoop earrings. I guess I’ll have to wait until our sixth or seventh anniversary…
Robbins Brothers knows that a marriage proposal doesn’t have to include champagne and violins. We know from experience that a perfect proposal is one that’s from the heart, and sometimes even involves a costume or an unexpected visit, as you’ll see in the following videos:
Bunny proposes to teacher – love her reaction!
George Murphy proposing to Brielle Bonn is hilarioius and so genuine. Brielle’s reaction will crack you up!
The Chicken pops the question at school talent show!
This is so funny because the Sesame Street character, who I assume is the “fiance” never takes his costume head off!
Is there anyplace more romantic to pop the question than at your local Starbucks? Go ahead and order the Grande Caramel Macchiatto, sit back, and enjoy some very sweet marriage proposals.
How about a few proposals at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf? Any volunteers???
Robbins Brothers TV campaign features video clips of real surprise proposals, set to the song “Lovely Day” by Donavon Frankenreiter.
Everyone at Robbins Brothers in our Southern California office and stores sends a huge and heartfelt “THANK YOU” to the brave firefighters battling the fires in the mountains near our homes.
September 4, 2009 at 3:37 pm
· Filed under wedding
Andrew must be thinking of breakfast as he exchanges vows with his bride. Melissa’s reaction is hilarious! Congratulations to the happy couple from all of us at Robbins Brothers – The Engagement Ring Store!
Robbins Brothers launched a new TV commercial yesterday that features two new surprise marriage proposals, including the airport proposal by Los Angeles local Joseph Gershon. I LOVE his fiance’s reaction after he drops to bended knee and I’m willing to bet that every guy would be elated if his girlfriend reacted with so much enthusiasm, even BEFORE she is wowed by the diamond engagement ring!
Check out the spots in L.A., Dallas and San Diego. I saw the commercial on KTLA this morning and I never do get tired of Donavon’s song “Lovely Day.” Go ahead and listen now to the entire song while you watch a montage of our favorite marriage proposals:
Looking to find your future Mr. or Mrs.? Over the weekend I noticed that the local “pop up” clinics at Pavilions, CVS and Walgreens in Los Angeles County ran out of flu shots. This led me to wonder if those who are single should hold off on dating until flu season passes, or throw all caution to the wind and just get out there and live life, flu virus or not?
Are the popular places to meet any more dangerous than in past years, or is the hype just going to scare off people otherwise destined to fall in love? I wonder if any romances will start at a local flu shot clinic? Think about it: dozens, maybe hundreds of wise people who desire to be healthy, from your community, and who are considerate and care about others enough to get the shot will be there too. Tough to come up with a better place to meet someone these days, right?
The downside to the h1n1 clinics is that supplies are scarce so they’re limited to certain priority groups. But check with your local pharmacies and grocery stores and you might luck out and get a regular flu shot. Who knows? You might even meet your soulmate and find yourself at Robbins Brothers picking out the engagement ring before the next flu season.
Robbins Brothers – The Engagement Ring Store – is thrilled to be the sole engagement ring and jewelry sponsor for the 2009 Fashion Rocks! Holiday Magic fashion show at the Arlington (Texas) Convention Center. This wonderful event put on by the Arlington Junior League will take place on Friday, November 6th, from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm, with a private shopping session and silent auction starting at 9:00 am.
The Junior League of Arlington is an organization of women dedicated to voluntarism, devoloping the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Some of their projects include funding and/or assisting: AIDS Outreach Center, Boys and Girls Clubs of Arlington and Greater Texas Community Partners.
On behalf of everyone at Robbins Brothers, including Kelly Roddy and the team at the new Arlington store, we say “THANK YOU” to the Arlington Junior League for all that you do.
If you weren’t one of the lucky 100,000 fans at the U2 concert at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena the other night, be sure to click the link above to watch the re-broadcast of their concert on YouTube. YouTube did a fabulous job with the live concert!
If you are one of the lucky people who will watch U2 on YouTube with the one you love, and you haven’t yet proclaimed your love with that little symbol that goes on the left hand, consider a ring from the UTwo Collection of rings at Robbins Brothers, The Engagement Ring Store.
Santa (aka Ernie Ruiz who works for Albertson’s) surprised his wife Brenda live on KTLA’s morning news with a new diamond engagement ring to replace the one she lost on Halloween in a bowl of candy she handed out to Trick-or-Treaters.
Watch Santa’s striptease in last segment – guess that’s what keeps a marriage exciting after 27 years!
Ready to get engaged but not sure if your significant other is confident you’ll say “yes” if he were to pop the question? Here are five simple ways to let him know what you really want this holiday season is an engagement ring:
1) Prepare a romantic evening at your place, complete with his favorite dinner, between now and the end November. Tell him you want to spend the rest of your life with him and that you’d like nothing more than an engagement ring this Christmas.
2) Ask him to make out a “wish list” for gifts he’d like this Christmas. When he gives you his list be sure to have your list ready for him, with your engagement ring at the top of the list, of course.
4) Enlist the help of his close friend or family member to drop him a hint. Have a few pictures to help describe the type of ring you’d love, and include the designer name (Tacori, Simon G., Scott Kay, Jeff Cooper, Ritani, Bridget, Utwo, etc.) or specify a diamond solitaire ring and the shape of diamond you desire.
5) Just come out and ask him if he wants to get married soon, and if he says “of course” tell him you’d love to get engaged before the end of the year. Then make an appointment to visit Robbins Brothers and find the perfect ring!
November 11, 2009 — Designer Scott Kay lives by two steadfast words: Never Compromise. This credo is evident in this hand-sculptured engagement ring available at Robbins Brothers:
November 3, 2009 — This week Robbins Brothers, The Engagement Ring Store, launched a new commercial in the popular TV campaign that includes real marriage proposals from YouTube. Donavon Frankenreiter’s song “Lovely Day” sets the tone for romantic holiday engagements, and one version of the TV spot features gorgeous diamond engagement rings by designer Tacori.
Here are a few Tacori diamond engagement ring styles, set in platinum or 18k white gold, that are current faves saved to wish lists:
If you’re in a serious relationship and wonder if you’re ready to get engaged, ask yourselves the following 10 questions. If you answer “yes” to the questions that are most important to both of you, then you’re probably ready to start engagement ring shopping.
1) Can you see yourself together as a couple forever?
2) Do you accept your significant other as he/she is TODAY, and know that the bad habits might not ever change?
3) Have you talked about and agreed on your plans to have (or not to have) children and how you’ll raise them?
4) Do you and your significant other agree about roles you’d each take on as a married couple?
5) Have you shared important details about your pasts with each other?
6) Do you both get along with immediate and extended members of the family?
7) Do you see eye-to-eye on financial matters?
8 ) Have you discussed short and long-term plans, such as paying off credit cards, getting a dog or cat, saving for a house?
9) Have you seen each other handle extremely stressful or unexpected situations and are okay with the reactions or actions taken?
10) Do you feel that you’ve been together long enough to see each other during good times and bad times and truly know each other?
If you’re sure about the one you love but weren’t sure how to answer some of the questions, then take as much time as you need to get to know each other. No need to rush into a lifetime commitment until you’re both 100% positive the person you’re with is really your soul mate.
And if you are ready to pop the question, you’ll want to check out these proposal videos of sweet and unique proposals:
Stupid Girl (Garbage)
