London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 08, 2026

The Cutest Celebrity Engagement Stories to Lift Your Spirits

The Cutest Celebrity Engagement Stories to Lift Your Spirits

Soon after Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton announced their engagement on Instagram, details about how, exactly, the country crooner proposed began popping up. He did so in Oklahoma. He asked Stefani’s dad for permission. He designed a custom ring. At a time when our world seems constantly uncertain, it was a heartwarming distraction from a darker reality.

So, it got us thinking-what are some other wonderful celebrity proposal stories to revisit right now? Below, our favorites, from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's intimate engagement over roast chicken to Kim and Kanye West's over-the-top stadium proposal.

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian




Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian first met at the Cavalieri Hotel in Rome, after the Reddit co-founder sat down at a breakfast table near hers. Originally put off by his close proximity, one of Williams’s friends joked that there was a rat by his table-to which Ohanian replied that he was from Brooklyn, so he was used to rats.

18 months later, he was ready to propose in fantastical style. “I came home one day to find my bags already packed for me, and I had absolutely no idea where I was going until I got on the flight,” Serena told Vogue. “Alexis flew me out to Rome, back to the exact table where we’d met. We were both really nervous but also excited to take this huge step. It was such a beautiful moment.” Oh, and on the tabletop? A plastic rat.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle




Royal life comes with a lot of pomp and circumstance-which is why, perhaps, Harry chose a simple yet intimate way to propose to Meghan Markle. During a night in, when the couple was cooking a roast chicken, Harry pulled out the ring. “It was just an amazing surprise,” Markle recalled in an interview. “It was so sweet and natural and very romantic; he got on one knee.” In fact, she was so overwhelmed and overjoyed that, according to Harry, “she didn’t even let me finish.”

George and Amal Clooney




Like Prince Harry, George Clooney also planned a quiet engagement. First, he made pasta for the two to enjoy. "Then over champagne, after dinner, I told her there was a lighter to light the candle in the drawer, and she reached back and pulled out a ring,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. Amal was so shocked that it took her 20 minutes to respond.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West




Kanye West is always dreaming big-and that was particularly true when it came to his proposal. The rapper proposed to Kardashian in 2013 by renting out the entirety of San Francisco’s AT&T Park. While the Chicago Symphony played, ““PLEEEASE MARRY MEEE!!!” flashed upon the Jumbotron.

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom




When it came time to pop the question to Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom also went over the top. Perry told the story on Jimmy Kimmel Live: “We went to dinner. I thought we were going to go see some art after dinner, but we pulled up to a helicopter,” she said. “He asked me to marry him in a helicopter.”

Afterwards, they landed on a rooftop full of their family and friends.

Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez




Alex Rodriguez planned his proposal to Jennifer Lopez by the minute. No, really. He said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that he actually rehearsed their Bahamas betrothal three days in a row because he “wanted the sunset to be perfect.” He then decided that he should pull out the ring at exactly 6:29 p.m. (It paid off: the couple’s proposal pictures are stunning.)

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade




Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union’s proposal was a family affair. Wade had his two children hold up signs that read “Will you marry us?'" Union said yes-to him first, and then, to their kids.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Australian Crew Evacuates Seriously Ill American From Antarctica in Midwinter Darkness
Trump’s Top General Seeks an Exit Strategy From Iran War, Report Says
Brock Lesnar Retires From Wrestling, Closing a Career of Rare Athletic Range and Lasting Controversy
Trump-Era Policy Shifts Test the Boundaries of U.S. Institutions
UK Drought Cuts Harvests and Raises Food-Security Fears
UFO: Pentagon Releases Video of Unidentified Object Tracked Over Middle East
US Health Secretary: “I’m Not Afraid of Germs — I Used to Snort Cocaine Off Toilet Seats”
Ukraine Tells Senate Republicans Its Drone War Offers a Blueprint for America
Weight-Loss Drug Boom Tests the Limits of Prescription Advertising Rules
Trump Keeps Hegseth at Pentagon While Leaving Door Open for DeSantis
UK Clears Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery Deal, but US Trial Looms
UK Prosecutors Add 38 Charges Against Andrew and Tristan Tate
Taiwan’s President Joins Wartime Command Drill as China Pressure Grows
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Mutual-Defence Pact
Government Orders Review of Prison Release Rules After Concerns Over Grooming Gang Offenders
Rail Disruption Continues Across North-West England Amid Infrastructure Problems and Engineering Closures
UK Tax Authority Proposes Broad Changes to Rules Governing Company Distributions
UK Government Moves to Protect Standing Areas Outside Pubs From Local Restrictions
Extreme Right-Wing Referrals Under UK Prevent Programme Rise 42 Percent
EU Citizens in UK Warned That Some Residency Rights May Have Been Granted in Error
Every Monitored Body of Water in England Fails Chemical Purity Standards, Government Data Shows
UK Scientists Create First Artificial Intelligence-Designed Viruses
England Orders Primary Schools to Identify Children at Risk of Becoming Disengaged From Education or Work
Government Moves to Close Prison Release Loophole Amid Concern Over Grooming Gang Offenders
UK Economy Shows Modest Growth Despite Energy Volatility and Global Supply Pressures
Police and Prosecutors Failed to Stop Sex Offender Who Later Murdered Two Women, Review Finds
Millions in England Face Longer Mental Health Waiting Times as NHS Providers Cut Spending
Met Office Warns of Heatwave as Temperatures Across England and Wales Could Reach 36 Degrees Celsius
HMRC’s 2029 Tax Shift Could Overlap Old and New Self-Assessment Bills
Thetford Disorder Prompts Expanded Police Powers Amid Asylum-Housing Protests
Cambridge Faces Calls for Independent Review of Jason Arday Appointment
Scotland’s ‘Cock of the North’ Woodland Is Being Felled After Wind Damage
Reform UK and Greens Unite Against Vast Solar Plans for Kent Marshland
New Zealand Draws Wealthy Americans With Revamped Investor Visa
Senate Panel Votes to Hold Anthony Fauci in Contempt After Fifth Amendment Testimony
Cambridge Professor Jason Arday Resigns as University Opens Inquiry Into His Credentials
Manchester Power Failure Disrupts Trains Across North West Into Friday
UK Fashion and Tourism Sectors Prepare for Strong Summer and Autumn Activity
London Residents Seek Appeal Against Approval for Chinese Super-Embassy Development
UK Environment Officials Issue Biosecurity Alert Over Rising Bluetongue Cases in Livestock
UK Charity Regulator Opens Investigations Into Donations Linked to Israeli Settlements
Gatwick Expansion and Chinese Embassy Plans Highlight Growing UK Infrastructure Disputes
UK Agriculture Authorities Warn of Rising Bluetongue Virus Cases Among Sheep Farms
UK Watchdog Finds Electronic Monitoring Failures Leaving Some Offenders Without Timely Alerts
Metropolitan Police Investigate Covent Garden Knife Attack That Injured Four Men
UK Government Confirms Severe Terror Threat Level as Prevent Programme Expands
Diageo Plans Guinness Expansion While Cutting Jobs Through Global Restructuring Programme
Bank of England Keeps UK Borrowing Costs Stable While Markets Await Future Rate Cuts
Gatwick Airport Wins Approval for Second Runway Expansion After Legal Challenges Fail
Apple Challenges UK Government Over Demand for Access to Encrypted iCloud Data
×