Even from behind the screen, TV audiences are always desperate to have their favorite ships have a happily ever after. Unlike movies, television series have the benefit of having more time to develop characters. As such, audiences tend to build relationships with TV characters, buying into their storylines and relationships with one another. So, the absolute euphoria and unmatched joy we all feel as consumers to see our favorite TV show characters getting engaged are some of the best things to experience in entertainment.
The combination of tension, trials, tribulations, and undeniable romance are a recipe for a TV couple that is destined to tie the knot. Especially in a series that goes on for years, marriage proposals between beloved couples can be pretty common, but we are lying to ourselves if we say that it doesn’t hit every single time. And who doesn’t love a moment of just pure happiness laced in the grand romantic gesture of a marriage proposal? So, if you are in the mood for love and sometimes the occasional happy tears, here are the best marriage proposals in TV history.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
13 Barney and Robin — How I Met Your Mother
CBS
Are you just a hopeless romantic at heart? Good, because this intimate rooftop proposal is right up your alley. In the eighth season of How I Met Your Mother, Barney writes out “The Robin,” his playbook that lists out all the steps of their journey together, the list fittingly ending with “Step 16: Hope she says yes.” Robin moves the paper aside to reveal Barney down on one knee.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
12 Connor and Oliver — How to Get Away With Murder
ABC
How To Get Away With Murder (HTGAWM) is one hell of a suspenseful thriller. As a result, whenever we are given some lighter and happier moments, it is 100% worth it. Two of our favorite LGBTQ+ TV characters, Connor and Oliver are the definition of perseverance and unconditional love. The crazy plot of this show tests their loyalties to not just each other but to their friends. In true HTGAWM fashion, Connor had to try more than once to get a “yes” from Oliver. However, for fans, to finally see them make this beautiful promise to each other is a win for us all.
11 Stefan and Caroline — The Vampire Diaries
The CW
The Vampire Diaries was truly an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish, and seeing these two finally get together was a highlight. Throughout the eight seasons of this CW show, it became obvious towards the end that Stefan and Caroline were each other’s endgame after a plethora of whirlwind romances. Their friends-to-lovers romance gave us endless butterflies. Therefore, it is only fitting that fans of this couple get to enjoy not one, but two heartfelt proposals, both times occurring in the eighth and final season of the show.
10 Piper and Alex — Orange Is The New Black
Netflix
Orange Is The New Black is a Netflix Original show that quickly captured the attention and love of audiences. The emergence of Piper and Alex’s “forbidden” romance was actually a second-chance romance for the record books. After rekindling an old flame, Piper and Alex ended up falling right back in love with each other, all while stuck in prison (romance at its peak). In Season 5, Episode 12, Piper gives Alex a can of beans from a well-stocked bunker, asking Alex to marry her because although love hurts, being there for each other will make it hurt just a little less.
9 Cam and Mitchell — Modern Family
The swoon-worthy proposal between Cam and Mitchell in Modern Family was a long time coming, and it was absolutely perfect with just enough goofiness to keep audiences smiling and enough heart to bring tears to our eyes. After needing to replace a tire in the middle of the road, the two men share a moment in the stars and as they both get down on one knee (to change the tire), they have a realization of what each other is planning. Without even having to ask each other the four magical words, they both just say, “yes.” Per AV Club, this moment honored the historical milestone of the U.S.’s legalization of same-sex marriages.
8 Ben and Leslie — Parks and Recreation
NBC
For any fan of Parks and Recreation, Ben proposing to Leslie is an unforgettable scene. In the Season 5 episode “Halloween Suprise,” Ben surprises Leslie and delivers an incredibly sweet and heartfelt speech about his love for her and their future together. In true comedic fashion, before Ben can get the words out, Leslie forces him to wait, prolonging the moment and cementing it in her memory forever.
7 Jane and Michael — Jane the Virgin
Jane and Michael are the picture-perfect couple and in CW’s drama comedy Jane the Virgin, a proposal between these two was practically written in the stars. Of course, in a show that plays off the over-dramatics of a classic telenovela, it took this couple three tries to get on the same page. But hey, the third time’s the charm, right? In the second season of the show, Michael proposes to Jane, and she was so quick to say yes that she didn’t even let him pop the question.
6 Nick and Jess — New Girl
Fox
Season 7, Episode 65 of New Girl is iconic. Not every proposal will work out exactly the way it was planned, but that doesn’t make it any less perfect. After chasing down their dog into a drive-in movie, Jess quickly catches on to Nick’s “perfectly” planned proposal. However, in the very nature of them as a couple, anything that goes wrong would be perfect for them. So, Nick just gets down right then and there, pulling the ring out of a plastic bag.
5 Monica and Chandler — Friends
The couples in Friends are almost as beloved as the show itself. A fan favorite happened to be Monica and Chandler and when this engagement finally happened, it was everything we could have hoped for. Monica is the moment as she gets down on one knee to pop the question herself, the room illuminated by the most romantic candlelight. From the comedy infused in the proposal to the surprise and the heartfelt words exchanged, this proposal is perfect.
4 Sheldon and Amy — The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory is not the kind of modern TV sitcom that centers itself around romance. However, when it does, we cannot get enough. The Big Bang Theory ran for an insane 12 seasons and throughout the journey with our central gang, romantic relationships were bound to form. In the first episode of Season 11, Sheldon gets kissed by a colleague and this incident drives him to begin the perfect travel montage as he makes his way to the hotel that Amy is staying in. Sheldon finally decides to pop the question, already on one knee when Amy opens the door and the crowd went absolutely feral for it.
3 Jane and Rafael — Jane the Virgin
Jane and Raphael are a hopeless romantic’s dream couple. Jane gets her second chance at happily ever after with Raphael, and boy, did he do a good job. With Jane and Raphael both working through their relationship and raising their child, it is inevitable that hel is ready to go all in with Jane. Raphael plans his proposal cloaked as a typical game of Lotería with Jane’s family. The last card, which conveniently no one in her family has on their boards, is The Ring. When Jane turns, she sees Raphael on one knee offering her a ring, and we could barely see it ourselves through the cloud of tears.
2 Michael and Holly — The Office
Love and laughs are the perfect combination for a TV proposal. For any comedic show, the most romantic moments seem to hit that much harder when emotions run high. For a show like The Office, Michael and Holly’s engagement was the perfect balance of sentimental and downright hilarious as the cast lines up in a hallway to be rejected by Holly until she reaches the end where Michael gets down on one knee. Of course, the indoor sprinklers go off, but it made the proposal more magical.
1 Meredith and Derek — Grey’s Anatomy
Relationship history lesson? An elevator? What more could you ask for? Grey’s Anatomy has gone on for so long — per Newsweek, it has been renewed for Season 19 — that it is filled with incredible ups and downs. Meredith and Derek’s engagement is nothing short of superb romance. Try not to smile as Derek goes through their entire relationship history in the form of CT scans. Both Derek and Meredith express their desires to just spend the rest of their lives together, sealing the promise with an epic kiss.
