Propose With Passion at a Bed and Breakfast Inn 

Before every wedding comes a marriage proposal. Some are elaborately planned, others spontaneous. Whether a well-choreographed event or an impromptu request, there are no do-overs. The moment will be memorable, for better or for worse! 

Getting engaged becomes a part of each couples’ love story. Memorable marriage proposals can be uniquely creative or simply shared from the heart. Statistics show that 99 percent of grooms pop the question, and the most popular months to get engaged are October through January. 

Passionate marriage proposals often occur in bed and breakfast inns and the settings are so romantic that the engaged couples decide to plan and hold their wedding there as well!

Ask your loved one the pressing question while surrounded by vineyards in the middle of three distinct California wine-growing regions in Gold Rush country between Auburn, Placerville and Coloma. Enchanted April Inn, a country estate conveniently located in Pilot Hill, will provide a romantic picnic basket for local outings to Amador, El Dorado and Placer County wineries. The couples sauna and hot tub in the inn’s secluded garden can also set the stage for a successful proposal with panoramic views. 

Innkeepers David and Justine are professional chefs, so good food is a given at Barclay Heights Bed & Breakfast at Smythe House in Saugerties, New York. The luxury accommodations are in the heart of the scenic Hudson River Valley, near Rhinebeck, Hunter Mountain, and Woodstock. Propose to your sweetie by lush greenery at Saugerties Public Beach on Esopus Creek, or in a canoe or kayak amid serene surroundings. Kaaterskill Falls is a wonderful place to get engaged, and the five-mile return hike will feel like walking on air. If stress-free activity suits you, then pop the question while soaking together in the Jacuzzi. 

For a more historic setting, the restored, eighteenth century Nehemiah Brainerd House B&B in Middlesex, Connecticut sits on five acres on a bluff above the Connecticut River. The musically inclined can play a proposal piece on the baby grand piano by the fireplace. Step hand in hand from the porch onto the terraced stone patio amid flower-filled urns and greenery as the trickling fountain quietly serenades you. Then celebrate your engagement with tickets to a theatrical production at the Goodspeed Opera House.

Nature lovers will enjoy the romantic setting of Sandy’s Little River House Bed & Breakfast in Allegany, Oregon on the West Fork of the Millicoma River. So romantic, in fact, that a tree next to the house grows heart-shaped leaves. Innkeepers Sandy and John encourage couples to clip one as a keepsake. Fishing is great all year, and there is a swimming hole too. Salmon begin their mating dance in October, which is a memorable sight. The private deck overlooking the river is a perfect place to propose.

Innkeepers Jayne and Doug were on their honeymoon when they fell in love with the West. They have lovingly renovated Wapiti Lodge, surrounded by mountains and located midway between the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park and the town of Cody, Wyoming. They know this is a spectacular place to ask for your intended’s hand in marriage and they suggest a sweet spot at the short walkway to the Shoshone River. Contact them about your proposal plan and they will make it an even more memorable experience. Afterward, take your fiancée to a local rodeo, museum or concert where she can proudly wear her engagement ring.

Step into the Victorian era and be greeted by the butler when you enter historic Ryan Mansion Bed and Breakfast just two miles from downtown Galena, Illinois. Entertaining tours of the country estate start every 15 minutes. Lavish period furnishings and reproductions accent air-conditioned rooms with elegance and grace. Your proposal will be unforgettable and unique as the innkeeper takes heirloom stereo photos of you and your betrothed that will look like they were from the Civil War timeframe.

There are many ways to propose marriage, but no matter what your budget allows, or how creative you are, each of these romantic bed and breakfast inns can offer you customized assistance to plan and execute a personalized wedding proposal to your loved one.

--Shirley Anitra Swagerty