Top 20 TV Marriage Proposal Scenes Ever

Although Howard’s proposal to Bernadette got us all excited, Leonard and Penny’s engagement had been a long time coming. Leading up to this anticipated moment, both of these characters actually proposed to each other on separate occasions. First, Leonard asked Penny to marry him, but his timing was a tad off. Later down the line, a drunken Penny caught Leonard off guard by getting down on one knee. Finally, the on-again, off-again couple came to a mutual agreement to wed. Although this proposal may seem anticlimactic at first, Leonard makes the occasion infinitely more momentous by revealing a ring he’s been carrying around for years.

It’s not surprising that Charlotte’s marriage to Trey didn’t last, especially considering that Trey’s response to the proposal was just “alrighty.” Of course if it hadn’t been for that failed relationship, Charlotte never would’ve met her divorce lawyer, Harry Goldenblatt, and found true love. Although their courtship was rocky at times, the two finally sorted out their differences in this heartfelt scene. Professing her love, Charlotte realizes that she wants to be with Harry, even if they never marry. Seeing things clearly now, Harry decides to give Charlotte the storybook proposal she’s always dreamed of. Needless to say, it’s the highlight of singles night.

Jim and Pam from the American version of “The Office” have to be one of the greatest TV couples of all time. And while Jim may be adept at putting tons of planning into elaborate pranks, we probably should have known that this proposal would be a sweet and simple one without any fanfare. Jim and Pam’s relationship was never over-the-top, it was just two best friends falling for one another. So when Jim pops the question at a highway rest stop, it may not be the stuff of grand romance, but it’s perfectly romantic just the same.

Many of the proposals on this list are of the traditional get-down-on-one-knee variety, but this one is a little bit different. As April and Matthew get ready to exchange their vows, Jackson stands up in the audience and proclaims his love for April. She ultimately runs away from her own wedding with him, and the audience later finds out that they’ve eloped. We don’t even get to see Jackson propose, which makes this an unconventional “proposal” for sure, but this grand romantic gesture did lead to a wedding, and isn't that what really matters?

Even in this modern day, it’s still pretty rare to see women propose to men on TV or in movies. That’s why this example from “Gilmore Girls” is one of our favorites. After Rory announces that she will no longer be attending Yale, Luke quickly jumps into action, rattling off a list of strategies – both reasonable and absurd – to Lorelai, formulating a plan to ensure Rory sticks to the right path. Lorelai listens patiently, and when he finally stops speaking she asks him in the most simple, straightforward and unplanned way, if he’ll marry her. And we’ve gotta say, Max’s proposal to Lorelai in the first season finale is one for the books too.

New Girl’s Schmidt has a habit of saying stupid things at the wrong time, but his timing in this next moment could not be more perfect. In season 4, Schmidt and Cece are still friends despite being in an on/off scenario for several seasons. Schmidt is dying to be with Cece again, but is convinced that the ship has sailed. Thankfully, Jess bends the rules among friends and reveals that Cece is in fact still in love with Schmidt. As he prepares to venture out to find her, Cece enters and Schmidt lays it all on the table. Featuring an epic call back to one of their first moments together, Schmidt pops the question, surrounded by all his friends.

“The Flash” is a CW superhero series, so when a musical episode showed up in the middle of season three, fans were surprised and delighted. While the gang gets into plenty of musical hijinks, the episode ends on a sentimental note when Barry begins singing to Iris, a song called "Runnin' Home to You". The entire performance is sugary sweet, with him serenading her with his romantic tune. As the song winds to a close, it starts to become obvious where this is heading, and he pulls out a ring, asking her to marry him, to which she happily says yes.

Usually, memorable proposals don’t happen when a couple is already married, but this is “One Tree Hill” so you always have to be ready for the unexpected. Nathan and Haley first get married in season one of the show, when they’re full of young love. By season three however, they’ve gone through plenty of ups and downs as a couple, and so Nathan proposes all over again, suggesting that this time they actually get married in front of all the important people in their lives. Of course, Haley says yes, and while they don’t quite live happily ever after without incident, they’re still hands down the best couple on this crazy show.

It’s not a stretch to say that “The Walking Dead” isn’t a romantic show, but amidst all the death and devastation there are some tender moments of love. Glenn and Maggie were a fan favorite couple, and in season three Glenn steals a quite beautiful ring from a walker’s finger and puts it in Maggie’s hand, wordlessly asking her to be his wife. It’s clear that there won’t be a typical wedding and that this won’t be a typical marriage, but that doesn’t stop the love that is obviously present between these two.

“Downton Abbey” has never been afraid to be romantic and this proposal is possibly the single loveliest moment in the entire series. Although Mary and Matthew belong together, they find themselves engaged to different people in season two. After a long string of tragedy and heartbreak, the two at last confront their feelings for each other. If they’re to become engaged, however, Mary insists that Matthew do it properly. And so, with the snowy landscape adding another level of atmosphere, Matthew gets down on one knee and closes out this Christmas special on a magical note.

Being a psychiatrist, Niles naturally puts a bit too much thought into his proposal to Daphne. Writing a lengthy speech, enlisting a string quartet, and even hiring chef Wolfgang Puck to prepare a fancy dinner, Niles maps out the proposal of the century. Plans go awry, though, when Daphne shows up with the flu. This leads to some great farcical comedy as Frasier helps Niles get everyone else out of the apartment. The humor is balanced out with romance, as Niles finds that now’s the perfect moment to ask the woman he loves the big question.

Faced with a huge career opportunity, Ben is forced to think about his future, which would be incomplete without Leslie. Thus, he decides to secure his life with her by proposing in their dream home. However, before Ben can even finish asking the big question, Leslie hits the pause button to savor the moment. Then when Ben tries to ask again, Leslie gives him a premature response. Just to make it official, though, Ben gets the last two words of his question out in the middle of a kiss. It’s a proposal that’s as funny as it is touching, demonstrating why Leslie and Ben are television’s most adorkable couple.

Dr. Meredith Grey and Dr. Derek Shepherd are the classic will they, won't they couple for the ages. After almost five seasons, “Grey’s Anatomy” didn’t disappoint with this long overdue proposal. As Meredith enters an elevator, Derek takes her on a trip down memory lane via CT scans. Although he shows Meredith a series of brain x-rays, Derek definitely thinks with his heart in this moment. He doesn’t get down on one knee or even pop the big question, yet despite this unconventional proposal Derek makes his feelings for Meredith more than abundantly clear. Now you see why they call him McDreamy.

Just because the reason for a proposal isn’t the most romantic, doesn’t mean the proposal itself isn’t. In the series finale of “Gossip Girl”, Bart Bass has just been killed, and both Chuck and Blair are going to be questioned about the circumstances of his death. Jack Bass suggests that in order to gain spousal privilege so that Blair doesn’t have to testify against Chuck, they get married. Blair is quick to jump on the idea, and Chuck agrees, using this stressful and dramatic moment to ask her to be his wife. We knew this would happen eventually, but we couldn’t imagine it would happen like this.

If you grew up in the 90’s, there’s zero doubt that Cory Matthews and Topanga Lawrence were your One True Pairing. These two kids reached a milestone at the end of season five as they graduated from high school. Of course their graduation was an afterthought compared to Topanga’s proposal to Cory during the ceremony. Audiences had to wait months to hear Corey’s answer and then another week for Topanga’s answer! It was an emotional rollercoaster for viewers to say the least, but Cory and Topanga eventually came to a decision together that touched all of our hearts.

There are a lot of great proposals on “Glee”, from Will and Emma’s to Brittany and Santana’s to, of course, Kurt and Blaine’s, which has to be our favorite. This much loved couple ended up getting engaged in the very spot where they first met, after Blaine staged an epic musical performance featuring just about everyone they both knew. This proposal is basically exactly what we’d expect from these two: it’s over-the-top, it’s colorful, it's full of music and above all it made us want to bawl our eyes out with happiness. There was no way Kurt could say no to this one!

We’ve gotta admit, with the perspective of a few years, Barney’s antics on “How I Met Your Mother” seem a lot less charming, but at the time that this episode aired, fans couldn’t help but be taken with this notorious playboy finally making the decision to settle down. Of course, he couldn’t possibly propose to Robin in any sort of normal, functional way, opting instead to orchestrate an insanely elaborate “play” as the final move for his playbook. It involves lies, deception and manipulation and Robin is not impressed, but when he gets down on one knee, she still can’t say no.

While seeing Jim and Pam finally get engaged was heartwarming, it was Michael’s proposal to Holly that really took us by surprise. Considering how Michael can sometimes be an inept, selfish, and even unlikable person, you wouldn’t think he could ever be genuinely romantic. However, with help from the entire office, Michael pulls off a beautiful proposal with candles galore and a few warm words. When the sprinkler system goes, Michael cuts to the chase in a Yoda voice, which Holly accepts, also speaking in a Yoda voice. Everyone is ecstatic for the couple, although Michael’s announcement that they’re moving to Colorado leaves his employees stunned.

From the moment we were introduced to Jake and Amy in Brooklyn’s 99th precinct, it was clear that there was palpable chemistry between these two. Though they may have spent the first few seasons sparring, it eventually turned to outright flirting which eventually turned into a relationship. In a rare moment of seriousness from Jake, he gets down on one knee and offers Amy a ring while delivering an adorable speech about how much he loves her. And because it’s Jake, and this couldn’t possibly be too serious, of course he still mentions her butt.

Before we get to our top pick, here are some honorable mentions:

Matt & Julie
“Friday Night Lights” (2006-11)

Snow White & Prince Charming
“Once Upon a Time” (2011-18)

Booth & Bones
“Bones” (2005-17)

Mitch & Cam
“Modern Family” (2009-2020)

Dexter & Rita
“Dexter” 2006- 13

Following an ill-conceived proposal one season earlier, Chandler prepares to ask Monica to marry him for the right reason. After Richard’s untimely return, it appears Chandler has lost Monica forever. However, in a tender twist, Monica surprises Chandler with a proposal of her own. Too emotional to get through it, Chandler completes the proposal in one of the most moving and iconic “Friends” moments ever. Everyone else then shows up to celebrate…well, except for Ross, but he knows a thing or two about getting engaged anyway. Watching Monica and Chandler dance the night away over the credits is the cherry on top of TV’s finest proposal.