Write about a successful marriage proposal, or one that goes horribly wrong.

Posted in Valentine's Day on Feb 9, 2024

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✍️ 45 stories

“The Great Engagement” by DeSean Weems

Submitted to Contest #237

The date was officially January 1st, 2008. Right after the people on television yelled “Happy New Year!”, my boyfriend Stephen glanced at me. He looked into the open Bible and read the scripture about a man leaving his parents to become one with his wife. Truly oblivious to what was happening, my response was a simple amen.As he bent down, while pulling out a diamond ring, I went running from the kitchen to the bathroom. We had only started dating about eight months ago, so this couldn’t possibly be real. When I got back from my venture, the...

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“Valentine Day's at 83 and a half” by Dennis Haak

Submitted to Contest #237

After Eleanor had slowly made her way down the flight of stairs, taking breaks along the way to catch her breath, she had finally reached the apartment mailboxes on the ground floor."I really should not have picked an apartment on the third floor", she mumbled to herself as she wiped drops of sweat from her forehead with her wrinkly hand.Once again the elevator was not working. But Eleanor was a woman of routine and would not let this stand in her way. The mailbox had to be checked. Every day at 17.00 ‘o clock, no exceptions. She grabbed a k...

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“Can I Have This Dance?” by Carolyn Hawkins

Submitted to Contest #237

Everyone would think he had lost his mind and he was rushing into things, but Jake had thought it through. He may be crazy in other people’s eyes, but he knew he was just crazy in love. Nothing had ever felt so right as it did now with Maya in his life. He knew it was sudden, but he also knew his heart. He couldn’t stop thinking about her smile, her bright, lively eyes, and the way that everyone in a room would take notice when she entered. He felt in his soul that she was destined to be his wife. There was nothing more satisfying tha...

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“Engaged in Riddles” by Joseph Ellis

Submitted to Contest #237

Alice felt a twinge of suspicion from the start. Their big London trip finally came, and Michael insisted on spending the first full day on activities from her wish list. That meant afternoon tea at Twinings, How You Like It at The Globe Theatre, then pints and people-watching at a two hundred-year-old pub. Michael put on a good face throughout: eye contact, bright smile, consistent enthusiasm, plus supreme politeness with the servers and ushers. He must have tipped every street performer they passed, even the living statue. But Alice knew h...

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“Wedding Bells Won’t Toll for Thee” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #237

“It’s time you boys contribute to the good of Catatonia!” King Rupert Dornhoffer shouts at his two belligerent sons. “I just won the European Championship Chess Tournament,” younger brother Humphrey replies. “That should help Catatonia gain some recognition.” “Yes. We’re now the destination for little boys who hide in their basement and play with dolls,” King Rupert mocks. “They were action figures!” Humphrey protests. Gabriel pushes his smaller brother aside. “I’m contributing to Catatonia’s popularity. I’m in the gossip columns every day....

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“A lyrical retelling of Ancient Greece's most famous watery love-triangle” by Heather Henderson

Submitted to Contest #237

ATLAS The first time I saw her, she danced in the shallows of the Naxos coast with her sisters. They twirled together, delicate toes skimming the lilac waters, leaving behind them spirals of bubbles and froth. In the early morning sun, they swung their arms gracefully, limbs so supple and lithe they resembled freshly-grown almond tree branches. Her skin was the gleaming waters of the rockpools personified, her voice the trinkling cascade of the falls. Amphitrite, a sea nymph of Greece. And the woman whom I had hoped to marry.I, Atl...

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“Trapped” by Marie B Tavone

Submitted to Contest #237

That rat bastard lied again. The papers she had been cleaning up from the floor, where they had spilled from her boyfriend’s work bag, parted to reveal the backside of a court document. Maddie had come into their shared home office moments earlier to find his bag hanging from its hook on the wall, unzipped and spewing its content onto the floor. She had begun cleaning them up only to find this. &nbsp...

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“Cat & Mouse” by Caleb Cave

Submitted to Contest #237

"This is it." Tom thought to himself as he and Linda approached the castle. There was no better place to do it than here. For the amount of money he dumped to get to this point, it had to be perfect. It took Months of saving to get her the ring, a couple more months to get the tickets for the park, and sprinkle on those nights spent late at work just to buy the plane tickets. Tom had it all planned out in his head. He had managed to time it just right so that they would get there 10 minutes before the fireworks at midnight went off. He and...

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“The Shortest Engagement” by Jeff Namian

Submitted to Contest #237

The Shortest Engagement It was a Thursday afternoon. Janet opened the front door of her parent’s house where she still lived after graduating high school. She couldn’t believe who she was looking at. Allen. They were childhood sweethearts who met when Allen flunked and had to repeat the third grade. Since they were born a year apart, his academic faux pas ignited their spark. They played together after school. During school, Janet sat to the left of Allen for nine years to make sure he graduated with her. Once...

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“Reverse Happy Hour ” by Kat Palmquist

Submitted to Contest #237

Applebee’s was certainly not Lupe’s first choice for dinner tonight; she was going for more of an Outback Steakhouse or a Texas Roadhouse vibe for the proposal. Something with ‘house’ in the name seemed fitting for starting a life with Maria. But, Maria wanted Applebee’s on Valentines day, so Applebee’s it would be. So that is how, on a chilly Tuesday night Lupe and Maria found themselves trekking through the pockmarked parking lot outside of the casual dining chain for reverse happy hour. Maria knew that the appetizers were half off from 9p...

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“An Indecisive Proposal ” by Jordan Adams

Submitted to Contest #237

The night was perfect. Every last detail had gone exactly to plan. Donovin had made sure of it. Today was important, and he felt he couldn’t afford a single slip up. He pushed through his clammy hands and nervous sweating. It was the worst kept secret in the world, unless you were his girlfriend of course. Tonight, Donovin was going to propose. Maddie and Donovin had been together for almost a decade. They’d met in the tail end of college and had been inseparable since. Donovin’s family was initially scared when he finished college and decid...

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“Chocolate Has a Memory” by Rosemary Cannon

Submitted to Contest #237

The rain was falling steadily, as he sheltered on the porch of the Knightsbridge house, nursing his eye, which throbbed nastily. The rain washed over the bouquet of red roses which lay bedraggled on the top steps leading down to the flat below, which has once been the kitchen of the grand house, but now was a basement flat. The tall windows of the houses opposite seemed to stare down at him reproachfully, taking in his torn jacket and tousled, damp hair. A trickle of blood was running from his nose, joining the rivulets of rain. In his other...

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“Billy's Valentine” by Kathryn Kahn

Submitted to Contest #237

1973. San Leandro, California.Nine-year-old Billy Crumpet carefully traced the letters on the envelope. D-A-N-N-Y. He had scrawled everyone else’s name on their envelopes quickly, not caring how it looked. But for Danny, he wanted to make it perfect. Tongue clenched between his teeth, he sorted through the pile of tiny candy conversation hearts until he found the one he was looking for. MARRY ME.Most of the kids in fourth grade didn’t use that heart. At nine, romantic relationships were still far in the future for most, and of course th...

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“A Marriage Proposal” by Audrey Campbell-Eby

Submitted to Contest #237

It was going to be a very long day, Lily thought, as the sun drew her eyes open and the rooks welcomed the day with their obnoxious song. As she sat up in bed and put her slippers on, she recalled the previous afternoon: “I shall be round at 9:30 on the dot, with Agatha, to fetch you, and we shall make a day of it.” Peter’s voice resounded in her ears, mingled with her father’s shouts of “Splendid! Splendid! What fun!” By the time she had bathed and dressed, it was only 8:00, so she took the liberty of stalking the garden until breakfast was...

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“La Vie Est Belle” by Jasmine Naran

Submitted to Contest #237

I met him the Friday after my first week in Paris, at the Tuileries Garden. It was one of my favorite places that I’d seen in Paris so far. The smell of the flowers, the sound of the fountain water, the feeling of the sun beating down softly onto my shoulders; everything about it was just so beautiful. He’d been lounging in a chair next to the fountain, reading a book. I saw that it was Gatsby le Magnifique. I loved that book so much that I’d read it three times since my sophomore year in high school. I settled down in the seat next to him, ...

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Write about a successful marriage proposal, or one that goes horribly wrong.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 45 stories

“The Great Engagement” by DeSean Weems

“Valentine Day's at 83 and a half” by Dennis Haak

“Can I Have This Dance?” by Carolyn Hawkins

“Engaged in Riddles” by Joseph Ellis

“Wedding Bells Won’t Toll for Thee” by Michael Jefferson

“A lyrical retelling of Ancient Greece's most famous watery love-triangle” by Heather Henderson

“Trapped” by Marie B Tavone

“Cat & Mouse” by Caleb Cave

“The Shortest Engagement” by Jeff Namian

“Reverse Happy Hour ” by Kat Palmquist

“An Indecisive Proposal ” by Jordan Adams

“Chocolate Has a Memory” by Rosemary Cannon

“Billy's Valentine” by Kathryn Kahn

“A Marriage Proposal” by Audrey Campbell-Eby

“La Vie Est Belle” by Jasmine Naran

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a love story without using the word “love.”

Write about a cynical character who somehow ends up on a blind date.

Write a story about a first or last kiss.

Write a story about two people falling in love via email.

Contest #237

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

328

Contest entries

133

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

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