Celebrity Marriage Proposals

A marriage proposal should be one of the most romantic and memorable moments of your life, so how do the celebrities do it, given their deep pockets and intense media scrutiny?

British singer Seal rates highly in the romance ratings, following his spectacular proposal to supermodel Heidi Klum. He chose the day before Christmas Eve to take Ms Klum on a helicopter ride to the top of a 14,000 ft glacier. He then took her to a specially created igloo, where he made his proposal. Heidi Klum is quoted as saying that it was a “once-in-a-lifetime event”, and was clearly delighted with her impressive 10 carat cushion-cut diamond engagement ring.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes had been dating for just two months when Tom chose the famously romantic city of Paris to make his proposal. After a candlelit dinner for two at the Le Jules Verne restaurant, he proposed at the top of the Eiffel Tower. The location is a bit of a cliché though, and the whole TomKat union was always a bit of an odd one, not least after all the strange rumours surrounding their scientology wedding and the birth of their daughter Suri.

Christina Aguilera’s fiancé, Jordan Bratman, filled a room with balloons, flowers and boxed gifts, with each gift accompanied by a poem he’d written. The last gift contained an impressive five carat diamond and platinum engagement ring. This is a simple and personal proposal, which shows Jordan’s heart is in the right place.

The British are renowned for their deep sense of tradition, as demonstrated by British actor, John Light, when he proposed to Neve Campbell. He got down on one knee and recited Shakespeare before presenting the ring.

A Florida beach was the setting chosen by David Arquette to propose to Courtney Cox. He arranged for an impressive fireworks display to start at the moment he proposed, providing a stunning backdrop to the event.

On the eve of the new millennium, Michael Douglas hosted a party at his Aspen home, where he proposed to his then two months pregnant fiancée, Catherine Zeta Jones. He chose a beautiful antique 10 carat marquise-cut diamond ring, estimated to be worth over a million dollars. Given the circumstances, one can presume he felt confident she would say yes!

Denzel Washington may be a Hollywood Oscar winner, but if there were Oscars for romance, he’d definitely be going home empty handed. He proposed to his wife over the phone whilst on location filming a TV series! The couple married in 1983 and went on to have four children. They renewed their wedding vows in 1995, in a ceremony presided over by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, proving that the most enduring marriages can spring from the least romantic starts.

It seems that while some celebrity proposals require a deep wallet, many are simply the result of a bit of effort and imagination, and could be within the reach of anyone. Of course, a big sparkling rock on your finger helps, but at the end of the day it’s the sentiment that really counts.