November 2007: Crab Shack Patrons Smitten By A Tale of Tennessee Romance

Crab Shack Patrons Smitten By A Tale of Tennessee Romance November's Marrying Man of the Month is a sentimental tale starring one William Atkinson and his now-fiance Sarah. With a memorable proposal like this, we can't wait to find out how the ceremony turns out and what groomsmen gifts Will picks! Sarah came home one Friday to find their suitcases packed and sitting by the door, and that was only the first of several surprises. They drove to Nashville, where he said they'd simply stop for a meal - but afterwards, he took them to Nashville's Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel to stay in one of the finest suites. In an echo of the first bouquet Sarah received from Will, the calla lily and rose arrangement on the table bore the message "Je t'aime," and after an evening of champagne, strawberries, and fine chocolate, the next day dawned with in-room massages for the both of them. How did Will wrap up this weekend? With a meal at their first-date location, the South Street Original Crab Shack and Authentic Dive Bar, complete with a special sectioned-off table for them upstairs. The natural follow-up to such a meal is, of course, a proposal, and when Will got down on one knee in the middle of the road, Sarah happily accepted as the Crab Shack waitress snapped away, catching the proposal on camera. Thanks for the memories, Nashville! A sentimental guy like William will certainly have some fantastic plans for groomsmen gifts, we bet - may we suggest groomsmen gifts of Personalized Red Wine Glasses for similarly-romantic groomsmen? If you think you've got what it takes to beat Will's tale of romance, Submit your story today to be considered for Marrying Man of the Month!

Read more

May 2007: Tennis Star and Former Miss Universe Make Perfect Match

Tennis Star and Former Miss Universe Make Perfect Match For this month's Mr. May, we chose a Time Magazine 2003 "Asian Hero" tennis star Paradorn Srichaphan, who just proposed to 2005 Miss Universe Natalie Glebova in Bali. This sensational couple is known internationally as Thailand's version of Brangelina. There are many things that make this proposal romantic, but mostly we're just suckers for the die-hard- playboy- reformed angle. Srichaphan, formerly notorious for dating strings of models and vowing never to have a family before 30, renounced his philandering ways after he started dating Miss Glebova, but nothing was official at first. The turning point in their relationship came at none other than an AIDS benefit. It may not be the most traditionally romantic setting, but after seeing how tender Srichaphan was with the AIDS victim children, she decided to give the tennis star playboy a real shot at winning her heart. Srichaphan then proceeded to sweep Glebova off her during a romantic stroll on the beach. After an intimate dinner, he got down on one knee and surprised his soon-to-be bride with a dazzling 3 carat engagement ring engraved "Natalie." Congratulations to the happy couple, who will surely be needing these as they embark on their jet setting romance! Submit your story today to be considered for Marrying Man of the Month.

Read more

Marrying Man of September 2006: A Stormy Romance

Groomsmen gifts of umbrellas, anyone? To say the proposal of Mr. September's Reed Smith got off to a stormy start is an understatement. After a romantic night of cocktails and dancing, Smith dropped to his knees, pulled out his great-grandmother's ring, and proposed to his ten-month girlfriend Christine at midnight that night. The bride gleefully accepted. Little did the New Orleans couple know that night would be the eve of Hurricane Katrina, the cataclysmic natural disaster that would set off a chain of events the couple would later refer to laughingly as their "evacuation engagement." Giving fresh meaning to the phrase "for better or for worse," the newly-engaged couple fled their hometown the very next day and took up temporary residence as hurricane refugees in Dallas, Texas. Breaking the news of their engagement to their fellow evacuees (26 relatives and friends, a bulldog and one loyal Yorkie) from the cramped confines of Dallas's Homesuites was hardly the engagement party the couple had pictured, but they were just happy to be together. Despite the horrific footage of their hometown's devastation in the background, the Smiths' engagement helped to bring a little calm to the storm. Reed's mother Elizabeth weighed in, saying "I knew he was going to ask, but I didn't dream it would be the night before a hurricane," she said. "But everything happened perfectly." Christine's mother echoed the sentiment saying the engagement was "a ray of hope" in the midst of stormy circumstances. As for the happy couple, they are putting the devastation behind them as they recently tied the knot and, after a romantic European honeymoon, returned to their hometown where Mr. Smith works as a law professor at Tulane University. When asked about what they brought with them during their fast-flee from Katrina's destruction, the Smiths answered, "jewelry and guitars." Why not add to their collection with these snazzy knot and bead bracelets?! Submit your proposal for a chance to win the Marrying Man of the Month title, or some groovy prizes just for entering!

Read more

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!

Read more

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!

Read more

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!

Read more

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!

Read more

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!

Read more

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.

Read more

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.

Read more

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!

Read more

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

Read more