'I proposed to my girlfriend at a family gathering and she said no': People share stories of what happened after their marriage proposals were rejected

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Jul 6, 2024 7:00 AM EDT

When you propose to someone, it's a pretty big deal. There are some people who have dreamed their whole lives of having the perfect proposal in the perfect location with the perfect ring with the perfect person, and other people who could care less how they are proposed to, as long as it's with the right person. No matter what kind of proposal you hope to have, no one wants to be asked when they're not ready. So that's why if you're the one about to propose, you better make sure your fiance is actually on the same page as you. That way, you can avoid the unnecessary awkwardness and public embarrassment when they say "no." Unlike these people. 

Below, over 20 people share the stories of what happened to them after their marriage proposals were rejected. Some have a wholesome comeback story, others dodged a bullet by almost ending up with the wrong life partner, and others are just completely cringe. Read below for the full stories and prepare to have some second-hand embarrassment. 

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  • 01
    . r/AskReddit ⚫ 22 hr. ago The BamtotheFoozle Guys who got told "No" during a failed marriage proposal, what happened afterwards?
    via u/TheBamtotheFoozle
  • 02
    No_Witness_1234 20h ago • My 7th grade teacher brought his gf to school to propose to her in front of our entire class and she said no it was the topic of discussion almost every day that year nbs he ended up moving schools at the end of the year
    via u/No_Witness_1234
  • 03
    therealjohnsmith 23h ago I can tell you what happens when you propose and she isn't feeling it but says yes anyway because of social pressure - very awkward sad time until you finally have the talk you should have had before proposing.
    via u/therealjohnsmith
  • 04
    ColdFIREBaker • 22h ago My mom's boyfriend proposed to her three months into dating. She was 40, had one disastrous marriage and subsequent divorce under her belt by that time, and felt like it was too soon in the relationship to be talking marriage. He accepted her No, but said he wouldn't ask again, and he hasn't. They've been together 25+ years now and never married.
    via u/ColdFIREBaker
  • 05
    apetnameddingbat • 22h ago We'd been joking around about it for months, I'd ask sarcastically in the most un- romantic way. She'd say no, we'd laugh and move on with our day... I'd apparently conditioned her so well that when I asked for real, she flippantly turned me down, and everyone around me either gasped or got this real awkward look on their face. She changed her tune when she actually looked and saw me holding the ring. quick We've been married 17 years now. Good times.
    via u/apetnameddingbat
  • 06
    Lucas Bastonne • 21h ago You just have to hug her and high- five her a several times over, and ask again. Works like charm in The Sims.
    via u/LucasBastonne
  • 07
    Stratafyre • 20h ago I realized ten seconds later that she actually said "You know I will." And she's just really quiet when she talks.
    via u/Stratafyre
  • 08
    lamPlantHead • 21h ago Not my own experience, but I was in the restaurant when a failed proposal happened. Somehow the guy was able to get the families involved in this fancy dinner without the girl's knowledge as to what was going to happen. He orders their drinks, where he had the ring cleaned and then placed at the bottom of her pina colada drink. She gets up and goes to the bathroom and that's when some of her family moved in close with their cameras/phones ready for the proposal.
    via u/IamPlantHead
  • 09
    She comes back and the drinks are brought. She refuses the drink.. much to his dismay. But doesn't get the hint. She DOESN'T WANT IT. "You should have your drink, it's really good." She again says NO. This goes on, back and forth. Finally she says no and is disturbed by his pushy behavior. I hear this from my table, "I can't marry someone who won't respect my boundaries." She gets up and walks out of the restaurant. The guy sits there waiting for her to "cool" off. She doesn't come back
    via u/IamPlantHead
  • 10
    in. So he fishes out the ring and has the drinks taken away. She comes back in near the end and he shows her the ring tells her it was in the drink. And she slaps him and says no. This time she is angry and leaves. Everyone packs up and heads to pay. He just sits there by himself. I wanted to get up and say something, but my date was ready to go home.
    via u/IamPlantHead
  • 11
    MoonlitDiva 22h ago . I proposed to my girlfriend at a family gathering, and she said no. It was a tough moment for both of us, but we sat down and had a long, honest conversation about our relationship. We realized that we had been drifting apart for a while and that the proposal brought those issues to the surface. We decided to break up and focus on our own personal growth. It was painful at the time, but looking back, it was the right decision for both of us
    via u/MoonlitDiva
  • 12
    AnitalvanaMartini • 18h ago I had a foreign student at my university, I'd only spoken to on the phone a few times, and whom I'd never met call my father on Christmas morning of my Freshman year. He asked my dad for my hand in marriage. They talked for ages, and my stupid father said yes! He was so out of touch with my life, he assumed the guy was my boyfriend. My dad thought I'd be thrilled, the idiot.
    via u/AnitaIvanaMartini
  • 13
    Junkyard_DrCrash • 19h ago She was graduating with her Masters, I still had two years left for my PhD. I floated the idea privately,... she said "If you ask me formally, I will say yes. But if you really love me, give me a year to prove to myself that I can live on my own." I said "No problem." She moved to her job, down in New Jersey. Next I heard of her, she was engaged to another guy I knew. I took that as "another bullet dodged, another life lesson learned.".
    via u/Junkyard_DrCrash
  • 14
    ProfessorLake ⚫ . 22h ago She told me "No, but wait awhile and ask again and I think it will be yes." We're still married.
    via u/ProfessorLake
  • 15
    travelingpirate • 21h ago Was with a girl for a couple years. I started talking about getting married. She was up for it but kinda distant about it. I take her out ring shopping and she breaks down. Tells me she can't marry me. I was really confused I thought things were going great. Turns out I was just the guy taking care of her until her Ex gets out of prison.
    via u/travelingpirate
  • 16
    I paid for her schooling helped her get off drugs. We were looking at houses. I thought we were making a life together. She left me not long after that. He got out of prison a few months later. She went back to stripping. I ran into them a few times. I guess she's happy.
    via u/travelingpirate
  • 17
    elektroloko . 19h ago Proposed to her at 22. She said no. We stayed friendly while life took us on different paths. About twenty five years later, we got married.
    via u/elektroloko
  • 18
    Altruistic-Sand3277 • 22h ago Not a guy but a girl, I asked my boyfriend to marry me. I didn't do a whole scene about it, we were talking and I said that I wanted to get married and I felt ready for it and he just said no. I was mad, he had never mentioned this and we've talked about it before. All he had ever said was that he didn't want it cause it was expensive and didn't want a big party and so, in my understanding, we would get married at the courthouse and have a small gathering with famil
    via u/Altruistic-Sand3277
  • 19
    Then I found out he didn't want to get married cause his parents had a divorce and he didn't want to go through that It took a while to unravel all his issues with marriage. At a certain point I said I'm not gonna wait around with a guy that doesn't want to get married, I had always been very clear about wanting to get married. He disagreed and said I've also mentioned that I didn't want a big wedding. I'm like...wut? We realised we were both talking about different things. He had put together m
    via u/Altruistic-Sand3277
  • 20
    Still obviously it wasn't solved right then and there. I gave him some time to think. After like a month I came back to the subject and he asked me why I wanted to get married and I talked about all the laws. that protect the couple in the eventuality of disease and death, in owning property, in security if we had children, etc. He suddenly just said "oh I didn't know about that, then yeah we'll get married then" We've been happily married for 5 years. Almost everyday he says he's so happy being
    via u/Altruistic-Sand3277
  • 21
    CanisLupusCa • 19h ago Not the guy here, but the nay-sayer. He had just finished a 1000 mile solo cycling tour and I met him at the finish. I was so caught up in his achievement that I did not see the proposal coming and I was shocked. So I told him right there: "I love you, but I can't give you an answer right now". Of course there were tears and we both called family members and then continued on our planned holiday. We had such a good time on our holidays and were able to enjoy each other's c
    via u/CanisLupusCa
  • 22
    Cheezburger Image 10368663040
    via Daniel Moises Magulado

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