Marrying Man of October 2006: If Music be the Food of Love, Play on

When John Salamone and Kristi Phillips first met at the restaurant where they both worked, they quickly knew romance was on the menu. Instantly attracted to one another, the pair describes spending every day together after meeting. No wonder the Coldplay song "Sparks" was the couple's choice for "their" song. In fact, this song would play an important part in Salamone's elaborate proposal. After convincing Phillip's sister to get her out of the house for an hour, Salamone parked his car down the block and set the stage for a night of romance. The result? When Phillips arrived home, she was greeted by an entry way of candles, long stem roses and a single note. The note said the bride-to-be was going to play a game. A trail of rose petals led her to the stereo, where their song was playing. The final note led Phillip's to the bedroom, where she got the biggest surprise of all. After reading the last note, Phillips turned to find Salamone on his knee, holding out a flawless cushion cut solitaire in white gold. The game was over and Salamone had won his prize: a lifetime with his lovely bride Kristi. Having met at a restaurant, the happy couple might enjoy a personalized martini lounge sign as a wedding gift. Cheers to a life long "table for two!" Submit your proposal for a chance to win the Marrying Man of the Month title, or some groovy prizes just for entering!

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Marrying Man of November 2006: Marriage Proposal in a Bottle

Baseball tickets aren't just for groomsmen gifts As the Yankees beat the Red Sox for the third time on the couple's romantic Boston weekend getaway, DC native Ed Lafayette knew his winning streak was just beginning. The evening before, Lafayette had employed an elaborate hoax with the help of a friend, who offered Lafayette and his girlfriend Sarah tickets for a "free boat ride" at 11 p.m. the next night. Clever! Such collaboration is certainly worthy of some nice groomsmen gifts ... Despite their conspiring however, Sarah still thought the details sounded sketchy. Nonetheless the couple made their way to the Charles River the following evening. Sarah was right to think such an offer sounded unrealistic, though she was shocked to find the promised boat ride wasn't fraud, but pure fantasy. With a proposal this romantic, Lafayette knew a future of groomsmen gifts and wedding vows was in the bag. Unbeknownst to Sarah, Lafayette had arranged for a romantic ride on an authentic Italian gondola, complete with wine, candles, and an accordion player. As the couple sailed along, taking in the sweeping views of Boston and enjoying the melodic sounds of the accordion wafting through the evening, the gondolier pointed out the night's next clue: a wine bottle floating in the water. Instructed to open it, Sarah found the ultimate message in a bottle: the words "Will you Marry Me?" written on a scroll. Tip: wine-themed accessories make great groomsmen gifts and proposal props. Turning to Ed, she caught sight of the gorgeous ring that sparkled even in the Boston night, and uttered a very excited "yes!" The couple spent the rest of the weekend relaxing in a four-star hotel, celebrating with friends, and watching the Yankees finish off their five-game sweep of the Red Sox. In the words of Lafayette: "It was an amazing weekend, to say the least." This real-life proposal was selected from one of our many fine contest entries. Submit your proposal your story today to be considered for Marrying Man of the Month. Or, just browse our great selection of groomsmen gifts and more!

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Marrying Man of May 2006: the Gambler

Ever wonder how other guys pop the question? Now you can find out with GroomStand's exciting new feature, "Marrying Man of the Month." Each month, we will scour the world for the funniest, zaniest, most romantic or most original proposal, from celebrities to us regulars. The winner will be posted here for your viewing enjoyment. Bone up on these cautionary tales to learn what not to do, or maybe "borrow" an idea or two from a fellow groom. After all, we grooms have to stick together! And now presenting Mr. May, "The Gambler" Mr. Raymond Suarez. How did Mr. Suarez catch our attention as we sorted through the best new groomsmen gfts to become the first ever Marrying Man of the Month? With a little gambling maneuver of his own! The inventive 27-year-old physician from Yonkers, N.Y., proposed to his then-girlfriend Maria Viller of Bronx, N.Y. in the Paris Hotel Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. As if bringing Paris to Las Vegas wasn't romantic enough, Suarez rigged (with the help of the hotel of course) an eight-foot-tall slot machine so that when the unsuspecting Lillar pulled the lever, the machine's reels spelled out "WILL YOU MARRY ME?" Cheered on by a crowd of Las Vegas showgirls and other slot junkies, Suarez dropped to one knee and proposed to Villar with a dazzling diamond ring. Added romance factor: The couple spent their first vacation together in Atlantic City, so this proposal was sentimental as well as inventive, a killer proposal combo! Way to go, Suarez, or should we say, quit making the rest of us look bad! Either way, Suarez is a champion gambler, as Villar responded with an enthusiastic "yes!" Congratulations, dude. Steal Suarez's style: As a challenge to other gamblin' grooms, why not practice your own proposal poker face with our Professional Poker Set? We'd love to hear how some clever guy created a Poker-themed Proposal... Submit your proposal for a chance to win the Marrying Man of the Month title, or some groovy prizes just for entering!

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Marrying Man of June 2006: Love at First "Site"

We had many excellent entries for June's Marrying Man of the Month, but it was the innovative e-proposal of Mr. Dave Garr that took our breath away-both with laughter and sentiment. Like a lovelorn Stephen Colbert, Garr's deadpan irony and self-deprecation throughout his spoof on Eharmony.com makes for a most hilarious, creative, and inventive online proposal. As you click through the elaborate site, Garr parodies everyone from Dr. Phil to Cliff's Notes, all while articulating the qualities of his beautiful bride. Leaving no internet tool unturned, Garr uses Google maps to document their dating history, a side-splitting slideshow of blooper courting moments, and the crowning touch: a "Geeksta" Rap in which the groom busts a move to extol the wonders of his lovely bride Elizabeth. Needless to say, she said yes, and you can find a continuing chronicle of their wedded adventures at http://daveloveselizabeth.blogs.com/. In his blog, Garr makes no mention of what groomsmen gifts he gave out, but he does talk about playing golf during his Hawaiian Honeymoon. For fellow golf-lovers, check out our golf-themed groomsmen gifts right here at https://branddepot.com/collections/groomstand. Submit your proposal for a chance to win the Marrying Man of the Month title, or some groovy prizes of groomsmen gifts just for entering!

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Marrying Man of July 2006: Racy Love

Their romance may have begun with a taxi, but it ended with a race car. Two years after appearing together in the movie Taxi, NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon and Belgian model and actress Ingrid Vandebosch announced their engagement on the heels of his record 5th victory at Infineon Raceway and his first Nextel Cup Series win of 2006. What makes it romantic: The Secrecy. The couple had been engaged for about a month, but waited until a special moment to announce it. Their secret came out at a croquet event with friends and family at Meadowwood resort in St. Helena. The Sentiment. The tough NASCAR champion got choked up in his victory lap in Sonoma, California. "I guess I was just feeling good," Gordon said of the emotion, "I guess it was holding onto a secret for a month. It's nice to get that off my chest and let the whole world know. The Second Chance Factor: This sweet proposal comes just two years after Gordon's messy divorce from first wife Brooke Sealey. As Gordon puts it, "I think (Vandebosch) knows I'm a lot smarter the second time around. A much better guy the second time around." Hear, hear! As Gordon is a well-known wine aficionado, even releasing his own signature cabernet via August Briggs winery in Calistoga, why not buy him this engraved wine box as a groom's gift? Submit your proposal for a chance to win the Marrying Man of the Month title, or some groovy prizes just for entering!

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Marrying Man of January 2007: The Languages of Love

Our marrying man of the month is San Antonio Spurs player Tony Parker, whose romantic proposal will be making a less-than-desperate housewife out of actress Eva Langoria. Parker surprised Langoria in her Los Angeles home by flying in after an away game against the Utah Jazz and decorating her home with candles and rose petals. "I'm a traditional guy," said Parker of his preparations. He then proposed to Langoria twice, once in English and once in French, Parker's native tongue. Langoria had previously learned French as a surprise for her basketball- playing boyfriend, so the bilingual proposal was very sentimental. In fact, the couple plans to wed in a French castle later this year. The pair has been dating for two years, but though he'd thought of proposing before, the patient Parker waited until the time was right. He knew his restraint paid off when Longoria responded with the indistinguishable squeal that is recognizable in every language as "Yes." For this destination wedding, the ultimate groomsmen travel bags make for must-have groomsmen gifts. Buy these and other great groomsmen gifts here. This real-life proposal was selected from one of our many fine contest entries. Submit your story today to be considered for Marrying Man of the Month.

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Marrying Man of December 2006: Match Made In Heaven

Though this celebrity couple had been dating for almost three years, it took a hint of Mexican moonlight for Survivor & The Apprentice mega- producer Mark Burnett to muster up the courage to propose to Touched By an Angel actress Roma Downey. On the shores of Zihuatanejo this past Thanksgiving weekend, the holiday was made even more special when Downey agreed to Burnett's marriage proposal. Both Burnett's and Downey's three children were present at this happy occasion. Living near each other in Malibu, CA, things started out innocently enough for the lovebirds. "I think we were both deliciously ignorant of each other," Downey told PEOPLE in June of that year, "and so when we met, we didn't bring any preconceived notions of who the other person was. The attraction was very real." After that initial meeting, it was only a matter of time before the couple started taking the "love thy neighbor" commandment to heart. The two started dating steadily and things turned serious. For Burnett, it's nothing less than a match made in heaven. "I have found my angel," Burnett tells PEOPLE of Downey. He goes on to describe why the couple is so compatible. "We are people with similar backgrounds," he said in PEOPLE in 2004. "We are both from Great Britain and both living in Malibu and we both have kids. And we laugh all the time." The wedding will take place in 2008. This television-friendly twosome is used to seeing their names in the headlines, so why not send them one of these as a wedding gift. This real-life proposal was selected from one of our many fine contest entries.

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Marrying Man of August 2006: From the Airplane to the Ambulance

A man planned a romantic plane-ride proposal to his girlfriend, only to have his plans dramatically altered when the Cessna 172 stalled and crashed. No, it's not the latest ABC sitcom. It's the true story of our Marrying Man of the Month, Mr. August's Adam Sutton. Nineteen-year-old Sutton meticulously planned his proposal to his girlfriend Erika Brussee, arranging for a romantic plane ride while friends and family were planted on shore to hold up a "Will You Marry Me?" sign. But what Sutton meant to be a scene out of "A Perfect Proposal" ended up being more like something out of ABC's "Lost" when the plane faltered and crashed into the Richard B. Russell Regional Airport's tarmac. Groomsmen gifts of parachutes, anyone? Sutton recounted the first bump and then looking out the windshield to see the front of the plane on fire. "It didn't even register in our mind that we crashed," he said. "I was looking at her and was going to get the ring out, and then-just impact." What happened next is something even the most imaginative TV writer couldn't dream up. Instead of carrying his beaming fianc over the threshold, Sutton ends up dragging the unconscious pilot to safety. Rather than a romantic in-air proposal, Brussee murmurs "Tell Adam I said yes," as she is loaded into the ambulance to be treated for a broken leg. Instead of a gorgeous engagement ring on her finger, Brussee makes do with an empty ring box as her own sparkler is lost somewhere in the plane wreckage. Now that's true love. There was some tough competition for the Mr. August title, but in the end Sutton was a shoe-in. Not only do you have to give the guy props for persevering through a plane crash to deliver his proposal, you gotta hand it to a nineteen-year-old guy who plans a proposal during a plane ride in Rome. Even if it is Rome, Georgia. For such an adventurous couple, we propose this Dalvey Explorer compass would make a fine wedding gift or groomsmen gifts for similarly enterprising buddies. After such a thrilling proposal, we can't imagine what exploits the honeymoon will hold. Submit your proposal for a chance to win the Marrying Man of the Month title, or some groovy groomsmen gifts and prizes just for entering!

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March 2008: Daily Show Producer Proposes After Mexican Quest

Some guys need a stern talking to from an older sister. Others need the stamp of approval from their buddies. But former Daily Show Producer Ben Karlin wanted an omen in nature to tell him girlfriend Paola was the one. So he set about getting one. In the closest thing to a chivalric quest we've seen in modern times, Karlin enrolled in a potentially dangerous and definitely dignity-risking expedition in Mexico. Here's how he describes it: "In a move cribbed from a mid-career Billy Crystal vehicle, I signed up for an Outward Bound Wilderness Program - a seven-day backcountry camping and sea-kayaking trip in Baja California, Mexico." Amid learning backcountry camping techniques and kayaking rescue maneuvers, Karlin hoped to cure his cold feet and find the epiphany he needed to make an honest woman of his lady love. His monogamy muse came in the form of an orange flickering light, a hint of sunset that came after the end of a terrifying night alone in a tent in the wilderness with no food and minimal provisions. Karlin went home and proposed to Paolo, satisfied that he had finished his quest. It's not quite dragon slaying, but for a Manhattan dweller who writes for one of the world's most cynical comedy shows, we'd say it's pretty dang close. Congrats to the happy couple! These Personalized Rubber Grip 13-Function Army Knife would make great wedding or groomsmen gifts to remind Karlin of his brush with adventure! Think you've got what it takes? Submit your story today to be considered for Marrying Man of the Month! Or read the other submissions....er competition here

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March 2007: Proposal Right on Par

Flowers and candlelight are always romantic, but sometimes there's nothing sweeter than a proposal that celebrates a couple's favorite pastime. Such is the case for this month's Marrying Man of the Month, simply known as Jason a.k.a Mr. March. His creative proposal consisted of popping the question to his golf-loving girlfriend at their favorite spot: on the green at Bill Roberts Golf Course in Helena, Montana. As the couple was playing a round of golf one morning, the couple noticed something strange: the flag was missing from the cup at the 18th green. As Jason's girlfriend Danielle scurried over to investigate, she was incensed to find what she thought was trash blocking the hole. One woman's trash is the same woman's treasure however, because when her boyfriend opened the object, Danielle saw that what she thought was debris was actually a diamond and pearl encrusted egg, containing an engagement ring! Our Mr. March then got down on one knee and proposed right there at the eighteenth green. As Danielle tearfully accepted, their family and friends emerged from their hiding place in the woods to congratulate the happy couple, and our Marrying Man even arranged to have the golf course announce the engagement over the loudspeaker. The twosome is now joyfully planning a wedding that would make Tiger Woods weep with jealousy. If you want to take a cue from Mr. March and plan a golf-themed wedding of your own, click here to browse our full range of golf-related groomsmen gifts for inspiration. This real-life proposal was selected from one of our many fine contest entries. Submit your story today to be considered for Marrying Man of the Month.

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June 2007: Google Co-Founder Ties Knot in Aquatic Style

Google Co-Founder Ties Knot in Aquatic Style Nothing says I love you like multi-million dollar investments! This month, Silicon Valley brings us a tale of romance, gene mapping, and swim-up wedding ceremonies, starring geek superstar Sergey Brin, co-founder of a little website called Google, and his new bride Anne Wojcicki, creator of an individualized genetic mapping service known as 23andMe, which proposes to bring personal genetic information to the people at dramatically low costs. After several years of dating, Sergey and Anne were married on a private island in the Bahamas in a swim-up ceremony where guests either had to take a boat or simply swim up to the sandbar where the vows were exchanged. The wedding attire was casual swimwear, his in black and hers in white, with the unique ceremony taking everyone by surprise - not only were wedding guests unaware of the exact location of the wedding, even the bride's mother was amazed. "She said, 'Mom, I'm going to swim to my wedding,' " claimed Anne's mother, Esther Wojcicki. "And she pulled it off." Not long after the wedding, Google announced their intention to invest $3.9 million into 23andMe. Now that's what we call spousal support! How to thank the Sultan of Search for allowing the masses to sound smart and educated in mere seconds? We think a nice computer-related wedding gift, such as this leather mouse pad, would be a nice choice. Submit your story today to be considered for Marrying Man of the Month.

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July 2007: Man Proposes To An Angel

Man Proposes To An Angel Zipping around town in the Angel Limo. Groomsmen gifts hand-delivered by Giselle and Adriana Lima. Getting an up-close and personal peek at the million dollar bra. When you're proposing to a Victoria's Secret model, you've got a lot on your mind. These thoughts include staying in shape, recognizing that you're one of the luckiest men alive, and most of all, treating her like a queen. That's just what Drumline star Nick Cannon did when he popped the question to his future bride, gorgeous Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks. After an evening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Gala, Cannon and Ebanks were chauffeured to Times Square in a Rolls Royce. There, Cannon presented her with a twelve-carat diamond ring, getting down on one knee with the MTV Jumbotron flashing "Selita will you marry me?" in the background. And to think, some guys settle for just the Jumbotron and Rolls Royce! Reach for the stars, guys, and you may end up affianced to a Victoria's Secret model. Although not Selita, because she, of course, said yes. Average groomsmen gifts pale in comparison to the lucky groomsmen who gets to pull that garter off at the reception. Unwilling to stop there, Cannon had her parents and best friends flown in to New York City to celebrate with them as they partied at hot spot Butter. The two of them caught a private plane back to Los Angeles that night to continue their celebration and get back to work, as the celebrity lifestyle comes with a lot of glitz, but also a lot of work to earn those twelve carat paychecks. Still, we bet Cannon's pals would be more than willing to sacrifice groomsmen gifts for a day on Selita's work set. What can normal guys learn from this? We say when in doubt, bring out the blinding bling - whether that's through a pre-proposal party, four or five months' salary worth of sparkle for her ring finger, or a Jumbotron with the big question. If that doesn't fit your style or your budget, you can still learn a thing or two from Cannon by bringing her family and friends in to help the two of you celebrate. She'll love the gesture, and her friends and family will think you're pretty great, too. That can never hurt, right? For some blinging groomsmen gifts worthy of a Victoria's Secret model, check out Groomstand's cufflinks selection. Submit your story today to be considered for Marrying Man of the Month.

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