Nope. I'm traditional myself. But brave is the woman who does. I'd love to hear stories if there are women here who've proposed!

I think that's great too and would love to hear some stories! I don't consider myself typically "traditional", but a proposal is one area where I am - I'm waiting for my boyfriend to do it. If only because I love the element surprises and that would be a great one!

BAD IDEA.

I got all female empowerment one day and planned out this amazing proposal to my boyfriend only to have him sitting there awkwardly. I was so embarrassed that I just ran off and didn't speak to him for awhile. We broke up a few weeks later after all the weirdness. We're back together now but I don't think I would ever do that again!

I can't see the problem with women asking their boyfriends to marry them. But I do think that the couple should be on the same page with the idea of her proposing. I'm waiting for my boyfriend to ask me, but that won't be for another few years when we're done school and have settled somewhere.

while i am all for equality its just one area i remain a traditionalist.

No way. I'm too traditional....

I don't see a problem with women asking their boyfriends. However, I'm going to guess that most of the comments will not be in favor of it. This month alone there have been at least 3 posts about women complaining how their boyfriends won't propose or they're tired of waiting, etc, but these posters never consider just proposing themselves and solving their problems.

I did to my BF, but I was only half serious, so he laughed it off. I think the guy has to propose for it to be taken seriously.

theres nothing wrong with it, its just not for me.

I agree, juliemyjewel. I think the way to know that he would say yes is it he's talked openly, more than once, about wanting to marry you. If he doesn't mention it and it makes him uncomfortable talking about marriage, then he's just not ready. That's the only way I'd ask and I'm sure I won't. He's gonna have to do it.

Some guys would be VERY against it, mine included. I was eager to get engaegd, but I knew my man was going to do it. I think he woud have been insulted if I did it before he had a chance to save up for a ring.

Some time ago I asked my BF about this, not because I wanted to propose but because I was curious how he would feel about a woman propsing to a man.

I'm not going to explain it well but he said something like this: He would feel like he was denied the opportunity to do something important that he had been looking forward to doing. Meaning, I guess, that as a man you might look forward to the day when you can get down on one knee and propose.

Just thought that was kind of an interesting way of looking at it.

As for me, I'm not in a hurry to get married so I won't be proposing any time soon.

I would not. But I love hearing the stories of different ways proposals happened, including who initiated them.

No.

I have no problem with it, but I think in general that it should be the partner who is slower to want to get married who does the proposing, and based on other posts and stereotypes, it seems like that's usually the man. If the less eager partner proposes, that probably means that s/he is definitely ready, but if the more eager partner proposes, s/he runs the risk of jumping the gun and scaring off the slowpoke. Of course, sometimes it's hard to tell who is more or less ready, which is why I think it would probably be best to dispense with the concept of proposing altogether, and have people decide to get married mutually after a long in-depth discussion. But that's not nearly as exciting, so I suppose we won't be seeing a major cultural shift any time soon.

It's too complicated to explain here in detail, but for a while my husband insisted that I should be the one to propose to him... finally one day he said to me "Are you going to marry me or what?! Can I get you a ring? Is that ok?" I know I'm not making it sound romantic, but it was.

I'm the same way. I want to be asked just because it's so romantic.

But I think the idea of the girl asking is awesome and...who knows? Maybe when the time comes, I'll change my mind!

NO NEVER! This is definitely a time gender roles should be upheld. If we didn't believe in these gender roles associated with marriage as a society why are engagement rings only for women, why are wedding magazines centered around women etc. This phenomenon of women asking men is rare and will remain so..unless we start giving men engagement rings too...ICK NO. Also why would you want to take your power away from the situation...the woman can always say no.

Sorry, i just NEED to have my man do it. No way will i do it. If anything, it would be a mutual decision but i'd still want "the proposal" to be done by him. does that make sense?

i would drop hints but not propose

no wai

I think I'm the least traditional of all. I don't think either person should "pop the question". I think it should be a joint decision to get married, and when you're ready, you'll both know.

ehhhh. i WOULD do it, but i'd rather just wait. Chances are...when he's ready, he'll propose. If he's not ready, then when you propose to him....he might say no because he's not ready. I don't know. lol

I'm traditional..so I'm agreeing with those traditional folks!

I honestly think it would be crazy cool to do. If the time comes when I know that I am ready and my boyfriend is also ready (ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT HE IS READY!!!) I would love to do it.

Of course I would probably also have to have a giant BUCKET of courage, which I don't, and have lost my pathological fear of rejection. Haha!

I wouldn't want to steal that moment from my future husband, either. I think it might be kind of neat to do a "Will you ask me to marry you?" kind of thing instead of the real deal.

I'm too scared to be the one asking! Besides, I know he's not ready anyway so I'll let him ask me cause he knows I'm ready any time.

No, I want to be able to tell my kids how their Dad proposed to me andnot the other way around. But I admire women who can do that...just like what PINK did!

Yes, and I have!
If the feeling of overwhelmingly wanting to spend the rest of my life with someone was there, why wait? Because it sounds better to say he got on one knee and proposed? How about how it sounds for him to proudly tell his buddies how you 'got him' that one night in bed, your nose is in his armpit, he elbows you in the head, again (kisses it to make it better), gives you your blanket (cause 'its cold in here'), turns on sportscenter and you debate about how your team (marlins) are soooo much better than his (the mets), and it clicks that you wanna do this for the next 50-90 years.

So you say, "baby, you know I love you do you wanna marry me, like now?" he says yes, and you buy a ring for him and lovingly call him 'your b*tch'. Which he is until he buys your engagement bracelet (I don't like rings). It works, if there is anything uncomfortable about it, it would be that you either aren't certain of his response or true feelings... basically the same anxiety guys have when proposing. If he would have said no, so be it. Either the timing wasn't right or he wasn't in the same place as I was, no need for tears just an honest discussion of how you want the relationship to progress.

NEVER. I'm extremely old fashioned, and I would never ever propose to a guy. No matter the circumstances.

Yes.

a definite no for me. it's his job to get down on one knee and ask me. i'm just very traditional that way. and also, i'd rather have him be ready and do it than me do it and have him refuse or evade answering because he isn't ready.

i have no problem to propose to my boyfriend

No, I don't think I could of done that to my husband. I guess I'm a traditionalist.

I don't think I would but never say never! My mom did with my stepdad and it's worked out wonderfully (and he's 14 years younger)!

my partner is totally clueless when it comes to traditional roles. i asked him if he would be my husband and we're designing a ring together, using family gold.

I have to admit I'm surprised that so many people are so horrified at this. I've always thought that it was weird that I would have to wait around to be surprised with a major, life-affecting decision. Plus, I don't like the idea that I have to go around with some symbol of being "taken" (an engagement ring), while my partner gets to walk around completely free of that...it doesn't seem very empowering to me. I agree with those who indicated that a life-altering decision should be made mutually...

I *might*, it would really depend.

I like the idea of an open discussion. That's pretty much how my husband and I did it. We had been talking about getting married for quite a while, we both knew we wanted to get married, it was just a question of when's the right time financially. Also, I was still in school and we were debating on whether we should wait until I finished. Neither of us proposed, we just sort of decided one day that it was time to do it, we set a date, and bought a ring, and that was that! I feel like it was the perfect way for us, we both knew we were ready and there was no guessing, on either part, of whether or not the other person wanted to/would say yes/was ready.

I agree with ClassicsDiva.

I have been with my boyfriend almost 4 yrs and I knew two years ago he was who I wanted to marry. I am beyond anxious on when he'll pop the question but not anxious enough to reverse the roles.

Even though we've been together ages, he knows I'm ready and when it's the right time for him-he will do it.

Or so I hope...ha.

i am pretty traditional. wait for him. Britney is a fine example of what happens when those roles are switched. i am all about equal rights for women, but some roles are a loooong ways from being reversed.

I proposed to my boyfriend while we were baking chocolate chip cookies. We had talked about marriage, but never seriously. I realized that I was serious about him, so I asked. He said yes and we had our 7 year wedding anniversary in June. lol, turns out that he was waiting to ask me when I had graduated from college, which was a year away at that point!

I'm not going to read the other comments, just give it to you straight- Hell to the no Whitney. Screams of desperation! End of story. Done. Don't ever think of this again.

We were both married before and those marriages ended after our spouses had cheated on us( not with each other!)So when we got together and everything was just so good right from the beginning, I figured why jinx it? We were very happy the way things were! But my now husband insisted we get married and we would constantly go back and forth on this issue!!!He finally said "you ask me when you're ready." When a couple months went by and I didn't ask, he bought a fabulous ring and got down on his knee and proposed. I knew how serious he was about it and it took a lot of nerve when he knew I could say NO!! But I said yes! I truly felt like I was married to him already!

No way, never!! I'm old fashioned and traditional too, the guy SHOULD do it!!

I think it's great if a woman wants to propose. I mean, If the woman has waited long enough, and wants to be married..why not? If the man had his own proposal in mind, he should have done it already!

Women's empowerment works both ways. That is, telling her that she has the power to propose can backfire and make her feel stripped of the power to say yes or no.

Let's be honest ladies. What's more empowering than a man on one knee in front of you? Is it any wonder that the marriage proposal is the one thing where we equality-minded women remain traditional?

I won't never propose to a guy never and ever cause that really don't work that way, it's more romantic and serious from a man to a woman to propose. If the woman propose to a guy sounds like she was desperate, she couldn't wait for him or think he won't do it.