While over-the-top proposals are definitely popular with the general public, celebrities are in a class all their own when it comes to popping the question. Get inspired by these top proposal stories that seem straight out of the movies.
Jason Sehorn to Angie Harmon, Los Angeles, CA. When model-turned-actress Angie Harmon (Law & Order) made a guest appearance on the Tonight Show in October of 1998, she had no idea that her boyfriend Jason Sehorn (of the New York Giants) was waiting in the wings. After peppering Harmon with questions about her love life, host Jay Leno brought Sehorn on stage -- where Sehorn dropped to one knee and surprised a stunned Harmon with a marriage proposal on live, national television. Harmon’s father was also in attendance, as was the show’s musical guest Elton John, who made the event even more memorable by serenading the couple with a song.
Michael Douglas to Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aspen, CO. The eve of the millennium was the date, and the Aspen home of Hollywood producer and actor Michael Douglas was the setting for a New Year’s proposal. Following an evening of celebration to bring in the new year/century/millennium, etc., Douglas quietly presented actress Catherine Zeta-Jones with an antique, 10-carat marquise-cut diamond ring. Zeta-Jones -- then two-months pregnant with the couple’s son -- said yes, and the couple announced their engagement to the expectant press.
Seal to Heidi Klum, Whistler, B.C. There was nothing ordinary about British singer Seal’s proposal to supermodel Heidi Klum. Not only did he have an igloo built for the occasion, but had it placed inside a snow cave… on a glacier… at 14,000 feet. Klum later described the proposal as “a once-in-a-lifetime event,” and she has a 10-carat cushion-cut diamond ring to support her statement.
Tom Cruise to Katie Holmes, Paris, France. After a mere two months of dating, Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise popped the question to actress Katie Holmes in the wee small hours of the morning atop the Eiffel Tower. Although it may seem clichéd, the Paris landmark is a dreamy backdrop for a romantic proposal, and Cruise doubled the romance factor by proposing after a private, candlelit dinner at the Tower’s formal restaurant, Le Jules Verne. The 2005 proposal was capped with a 5-carat diamond engagement ring, and the news announced to the world via a press conference later that morning.
Al Reynolds to Star Jones, Los Angeles, CA. Millions of sports fans and 20,000 Staples Center spectators were witnesses to the proposal of banker Al Reynolds to attorney and former co-host of The View, Star Jones. During the fourth quarter of an NBA All-Star Game in downtown Los Angeles, Reynolds dropped to one knee and presented a happy Jones with a five-carat diamond ring while the Jumbotron and TNT cameras rolled. Although a basketball game isn’t most people’s idea of romance, the excitement of live television mixed with the originality of the setting deserves a nod.
-- Tia Albright
See More: Celebrity Weddings , Engagements