Like many other things, our relationships are constantly changing. Today, you can propose without a ring, you can get married without a ceremony at a church, and you can skip all that and live with your significant other without any legal forms and still be considered a couple. Despite all these changes, though, getting married still hasn’t gone out of style – but the proposals themselves have lost their traditional form for many, becoming a memorable and, let’s face it, weird ritual for some. Here are some of the craziest proposals ever recorded.
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian
Kanye truly went out of his way to propose to his current wife and the mother of his children, Kim Kardashian. The 41-year-old rapper rented out the AT&T Park (now Oracle Park) Stadium in San Francisco to celebrate his then girlfriend’s 33rd birthday. When they arrived, they were greeted by a full orchestra, a pyrotechnics display, and a message from Kanye to Kim reading “PLEEEASE MARRY MEEE!!!” on the Jumbotron. Kanye was confident that this high-profile marriage proposal will work – so confident that he even asked Kim’s family to stay hidden in the dugouts and only come out when she says yes.
She did.
Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey
While their marriage didn’t work out, ending in scandals and disagreements, its beginning was as crazy as you expect from a celebrity proposal. The actor, singer, rapper, producer, television host, and activist (and these are, surprisingly, the same person) took Mariah to the roof of his Manhattan apartment and proposed… with a candy ring lollipop. Make no mistake, there was a diamond hidden inside the candy. A few days later, Cannon repeated the proposal but in an even crazier way – he “abducted” Maria on a helicopter ride and proposed once again.
Ludacris and Eudoxie Mbouguiengue
The American rapper didn’t pop the question directly to his girlfriend Eudoxie Mbouguiengue but he took her on a romantic getaway to Costa Rica. Unbeknownst to her, he had the words “Will you marry me” written in giant letters on the grass in the vicinity of the airport, in a place that they were certain to see from their private plane. Upon seeing the message, her reaction was bursting into tears and quickly saying yes to the proposal.
The craziest of them all: Will and Jada Pinkett Smith
If the above examples were big, romantic, and crazy, here is the story of how Will Smith proposed to his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, as he revealed to People Magazine in 2005:
“We were just lying there, going to sleep. I looked over at her, and I said, ‘Hey, we might be real good married. Wassup? You wanna marry me?’ Unplanned. No ring. Not the classic proposal. She said yes.” Apparently, the crazy and stressful life of an actor makes you appreciate simplicity…
by Ameh Ujah