Popping the question is an undeniably nerve-racking experience. What if you stumble all over your words? What if your overly proposal goes off with a lot of hitches? What if she or he -- gasp! -- says no?
Unfortunately, that's a reality for some. An Ask Reddit thread popped up Thursday detailing some of the cringiest failed proposals stories we've ever read. Check out 11 of them below:
1. "I was in a three year relationship with a guy. I paid all the bills, paid off his debt, kept the apartment clean, lost 30 pounds and then he cheated on me so I broke up with him. We met up for dinner one night to end everything on good terms and that's when he proposed. I flat out said no. His reaction was to cry and sing me Bruno Mars songs. I'm sure he hates Bruno Mars now. Oh, I forgot to mention he also pulled a Seth Rogen and proposed with an empty box."
2. "He proposed in the middle of a Tim Hortons parking lot with a bread twist-tie. I was 18, but thankfully not an idiot."
3. "I had been dating a guy, a bit older than me, for less than a month. I was a sophomore in college. I came home one day and he had convinced my roommate to let him in and I found him in my room, the space covered with paper hearts he cut out, him kneeling on the floor with roses in one hand and a ring in the other. I handled it badly in that I pretended I didn't see any of it and said 'Oh hi! Didn't know you were coming over! Be right back, I need to use the bathroom' and then called my roommate from said bathroom to tell her since she let him in, she can kick him out. I haven't spoke to him since."
4. "I was standing on the stairs at my parents house. It was so awkward, my brother had just taken a shower and was walking passed us in a towel. He then stopped and sat on the bottom stair to watch the awkwardness ensue."
5. "We broke up and I was trying to move on. He called and told me he needed to talk to me, so I told him to come over. We sat in his truck and he cried and begged me to marry him. I said no and left him crying. A month later he messaged me to tell me he was going to be a dad. He had knocked her up before we had even broken up. Bullet dodged."
6. "I have a chronic illness that causes me to be in a lot of pain pretty much daily, but some days it hurts a lot worse. It had been one of those times where I was curled up in the fetal position crying all day wishing for sleep or death. After I had finally, finally gotten to sleep my ex wakes me up and does the worst proposal ever. Just shoved me awake and apathetically mumbled it, mentioned some copper ring he had. My response was a less nice version of, 'Are you serious? You couldn't have waited?' I probably could have been nicer, but he didn't even give a half-assed attempt at that inopportune time."
7. "This is my friend's story. She's an independent person with a good career, her own car and apartment. She was dating this man who she found out thought that women should not have jobs other than cleaning the house and taking care of the children. She was about to break up with him when he proposed to her at a crowded restaurant. All the patrons looked on while this happened. She panicked and nodded to keep up an act while she whispered 'no, pancake' to him. He went along with this and they fake smiled and shared an awkward hug while all the patrons clapped. Later, they broke up."
8. "When I found out I was pregnant, my then-boyfriend asked, 'So, do you wanna, like, go get married before you tell your mom you're pregnant?' I laughed in his face. I left him a few months later. He proposed again, about three weeks after my son was born. I politely declined this time, and he said, 'Haha, April Fools!' (It was April 1) I'm pretty sure he wasn't trying to prank me, though. I mean, he had a ring and everything."
9. "He was/is in love with me but we were never together. I always made it clear I was not interested. First time he emailed the proposal, second time he did it over the phone, third time was six years after the second proposal and at least it was in person. I said no to all three."
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