Eight great places to pop the question in San Diego

Say yes.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, many couples are thinking about chocolate and roses, while for a great number of others, the holiday is the perfect time to pop the question – or at least start thinking about it.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 6,000 Americans get hitched every day.  Helping couples get to the altar with the right ring (and the right proposition) are, of course the engagement ring jewelers.  So we asked them.  Below are their suggestions for the perfect San Diego proposal.

1.        Have the first meal of the rest of your lives together. Restaurants have always been a popular proposal destination, but according to Gene Dente, owner of Serengeti Jewelry, the more timeless the locale, the better.  In San Diego, try the Hotel Del Coronado, The Marine Room or the top of the Manchester Grand Hyatt.  “The Hotel Del is the number one icon in the city,” Dente said.  “It’s rustic, historic and has great views of the beach.”  Plus, he said, it will always be there for anniversaries to come.

2.       Hit the beach. “Any beach at sunset is probably a winner,” said Dente – but he noted that the exact spot of the proposal should be special or unique to the relationship.  Take a walk on your favorite stretch of sand and listen to the waves or have your friends set up a romantic seaside dinner for you.

3.       Go for a ride. What could be more romantic than taking a quiet, intimate journey with the one you love?  Tracey Lyles of Robbins Brothers , The Engagement Ring Store suggests taking a horse-drawn carriage ride in the Gaslamp, while Jenny Seligmann of Diamonds Forever recommends a romantic gondola ride in the Coronado Cays.

4.       Get away. You don’t actually have to be in San Diego County to have a great San Diego proposal.  Lyles’ pick for a mini-vacation and proposal is to escape to Julian for a weekend at Villa de Valor bed and breakfast.  But, Dente warns, if you go away together and the engagement is imminent, do not fail to ask the question.  The disappointment of a would-be proposal can ruin it.  And yes, it happens.

5.       Get up and away. The only thing better than actually being on San Diego’s beaches is seeing them from the sky.  Take a helicopter or a hot air balloon over the Pacific, just the two of you.  Dente is quick to offer a disclaimer, however.  Whether you pop the question in the air or on the sand, he said, make sure to tie the ring to your belt loop with fishing line.  If you happen to be nervous, you’ll be glad you did.

6.       Have some vino. San Diego’s got plenty of wineries, and if good wine is your thing, you couldn’t ask for a better, more romantic place to propose.  Couple up at the Bernardo Winery, San Diego’s oldest operating winery, or any of North County’s other treasured spots.

7.       Take her (or him!) out to the ball game. It might be a little cliché, but one of Dente’s clients proves that this proposal can be done right.  At a weekend day Padres game, this man’s girlfriend was to throw out the first pitch.  When he, dressed as the catcher, returned the ball, the ring was inside and he asked her to be his wife.

8.       Get back to nature. This is a great option if you are both outdoorsy, like one of Timothy Meier’s clients, who proposed to his girlfriend at the top of Mount Woodson.  “As he told it,” Meier said, “he bent over to ‘catch his breath’ and ended up on one knee.  It now gives that hike a lifetime of great memories whenever they go.”

Jennifer Reed is SDNN’s living editor.  She can be reached at jennifer.reed(at)sdnn.com.

Tags: Bernardo Winery, Gene Dente, Hotel del Coronado, Julian, Manchester Grand Hyatt, marriage proposal, Mount Woodson, places to propose in San Diego, proposal, Robbins Brothers, SDNN, Serengeti Jewelry, The Marine Room, Tracey Lyles, u.s. census bureau, valentines day, Villa de Valor, wedding proposal

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