TV's Best Proposals, From The Sweetly Funny To The Super Romantic

Valentine's Day is a popular time of year for popping the question, and TVLine's roundup of the small screen's best proposals will definitely get you in the mood to declare your love (and hand over your credit card to a diamond ring retailer).

The following picks from shows such as The Office, Gilmore Girls and Friday Night Lights range in style from simple but sweet to wonderfully creative. Some feature elaborate setups (could there be any more candles?) or a thoughtfully decorated elevator (we'll give you one guess on that selection), while others were more impromptu but no less romantic. Plus, one special lady got a musical proposal! How's that for memorable?

But no matter how the fella or gal chose to take the next step in their relationship, they all won because each and every one of them got a "Yes!" in return, while we, at home, sighed in contentment.

So brush up on the art of the perfect proposal by checking out the list below, which includes video so you can relive the memorable moments and jot down some pointers, if you haven't already put a ring on The One. Then hit the comments to share your favorite proposal scenes that didn't make our cut.

At a lighting ceremony, Oliver made a very public display of love by celebrating "the one who lights his way" in front of all their friends and family members, not to mention dozens of Star City residents. "Felicity Smoak, would you make me the happiest man on the face of the Earth?" Oliver asked on stage. For someone who had lived in darkness for so long, it was a surprisingly showy and vulnerable move.

Season 5's Halloween Heist culminated in the biggest surprise of Amy's life, as Jake got down on one knee and declared his love for her... and her face... and her butt, in that order. The best part, though, might have been Charles' reaction to the engagement.

Sometimes, it's the little things that matter most. "I get to come home to someone who is kind and caring and changes the light bulbs and..." Kevin trailed off, before unexpectedly adding, "Marry me." His boyfriend Scotty was shocked and confused ("Because I changed the light bulbs?"). "I'm completely, completely in love with you. I even love the things about you that I hate," Kevin replied. It wasn't planned or grand, and maybe that's why the moment worked so well. Plus, every word out of Kevin's mouth was swoon-worthy in its sincerity.

"Oh, what the hell. Will you marry me?" With those little eight words said into a telephone, their recipient unknown, Sam Malone threw viewers an end-of-season curveball that would hang in the air all summer long. Come Season 5, we quickly learned to whom the question was popped: Diane, her hair in a towel, her face slathered with skin cream, and holding a cold chicken leg. It took Diane a full minute to... not say yes, nor no, but nudge Sam for a proper, romantic proposal. A wedding eventually came, at the end of Season 5, but a big break in her writing career steered the bride from the altar at the last minute, as Shelley Long bid the NBC hitcom adieu.

Dawson was greatly rewarded when she reached the rooftop during a firefighter drill and found a diamond engagement ring waiting for her. As the couple's love theme started to play, Casey appeared beside her and barely started to ask the question before Dawson cut him off with a resounding, "Yes, yes, yes!" Considering these colleagues met and fell in love on the job, tying the proposal to a firefighter drill was a nice touch.

With (an overexcited) Morgan running comms with Casey, Chuck plotted a picture-perfect proposal, whilst he and Sarah were on a mission in France. Alas, Chuck got no further than "Will you—" when the CIA swooped in to arrest Sarah for treason. Two episodes later, Chuck would finish his sentence and Sarah would say yes, though in a far more subdued, much less picturesque and yet sweet-in-its-silent-simplicity scenario — in a hospital hallway after the birth of Ellie and Awesome's daughter.

In Season 8's finale, Jenna realized that although she was wearing Bobby's engagement ring, "it's you I really love," he told ex-wife Pam. And it was a wonder that we heard a word he said, given how loudly her heart (and ours!) was beating. "If you still love me, if you'll have me," he continued as nervously as a first-timer, "I wanna marry you." Alas, by the end of the episode, he was headed for his funeral, not his wedding.

Sure, the sitcom was called A Different World, but fans never thought Dwayne would crash Whitley and Byron's wedding. And then, Dwayne asked her to marry him on the spot... and Whitley said yes, and they got married at that ceremony. As romantic as it is messy, this final scene in the Season 5 finale is hands down one of the best and most memorable proposals in television history.

PBS' period drama knew how to do romance, and Matthew couldn't have picked a more picturesque setting for his proposal in the Season 2 Christmas special, finding Mary outside during a light snowfall and openly declaring his love. She playfully chided him for not proposing properly, so he got down on one knee and asked if she'd do him the honor of becoming his wife, just as the orchestra swelled. Yes, their love ultimately ended in tragedy, but this one moment, frozen in time, is the Christmas gift that keeps giving.

Amy had come to expect that Robert would never commit, so she was naturally stunned when her on-again/off-again boyfriend staged an elaborate proposal with the help of his brothers in blue. But no one was more excited than Marie, who burst out of Robbie's patrol car to embrace her son and future daughter-in-law.

We knew Stefan was smooth, but a proposal on the steps of Cinderella's Castle at Disney World, complete with an elaborate fireworks display in the background? That's some next-level romance right there.

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As heartfelt as the speedster's first proposal was, it was marred by the reveal that he asked Iris to marry him in the hopes of changing the future and saving her life. Thankfully, he more than got it right the second time around, when he serenaded her with "Running Home to You" before getting down on bended knee.

Like the character himself, Matt's proposal to his former high school sweetheart was sweetly nervous, refreshingly simple and truly genuine. And while it might have seemed almost casual — the pair were on their way to grab food when Matt pulled out his beloved grandmother's ring — it was clear that the boy had put some serious thought into spending the rest of his life with Julie.

Chandler may have been freaking out over the fact that Richard was trying to reconcile with Monica, but his girlfriend proved that he had no reason to be worried when she one-upped his plans to pop the question with a surprise proposal of her own. Surrounded by every candle ever, Monica got down on one knee and declared through tears, "In all my life, I never thought I would be so lucky as to fall in love with my best... my best... There's a reason why girls don't do this!" When an emotional Monica struggled to get her words out, Chandler joined her on the floor and picked up where she left off. It was almost like two ridiculously romantic proposals in one.

They may not have ended up together, but there's no denying that Max's proposal by way of a thousand yellow daisies delivered to Lorelai's work was a flowery, grand display of thoughtfulness. It was exactly what Lorelai had earlier mentioned a proposal should be, and Max listened. Then he topped it off with an impassioned speech over the phone: "I have studied and taught the great literature all my life, and those stories are replete with characters that let opportunities slip by. But what I teach is more than just literature, it's lessons in life. If I don't follow the tenants of those lessons, I'm not the man I thought I was. The man I want to be." Lorelai spoke for us all when she replied, "God, you talk so good."

Because subtlety was never Blaine's strong suit, the former Warbler's proposal was an over-the-top gesture, complete with a performance of The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love," a color-coordinated flash mob, and even a cameo from The Flash himself. (Fine, Grant Gustin wasn't technically The Flash yet, but you get the idea.)

Elevators have a very special meaning for this couple, so it was the absolute perfect place for Derek to propose to Meredith. His using X-rays from their past surgeries to illustrate their relationship history truly proved how well he knew his girlfriend. And because these two never do things conventionally, Derek concluded his proposal with, "I'm not going to get down on one knee. I'm not going to ask a question. I love you, Meredith Grey, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

In the show's very first episode, Michael found out that his girlfriend had been accidentally artificially inseminated with another man's sperm, leaving him with some insecurities about his relationship. So Jane took it upon herself to "be brave" and tell Michael just what he means to her in what would become the series' trademark heartfelt and funny style.

Using Clark's proposal as an opportunity to reveal that Lois had figured out his secret identity ("Who's asking, Clark or Superman?") was a brilliant, jaw-dropping twist — the kind of agonizing cliffhanger most shows dream of. The series called back to this moment when Lois proposed to Clark in a later episode, with him responding, "Who's asking, Lois or Ultra Woman?" (It's a long story, don't ask.)

Martin isn't known for his earnestness, but his emotional proposal to Gina still makes us smile. Enlisting the help of legendary R&B crooner Brian McKnight, Martin spoke from the heart and delivered one of the show's sweetest and most memorable moments. 

Jess was over the moon when Nick got down on one knee and proceeded with his perfectly imperfect proposal in the park. "Nick, I want to spend the rest of my life with you," she declared. "I want to have babies, and eat good food, and laugh, and take care of each other, and I want it to start tonight." Cue Dirty Dancing's "(I've Had) The Time of My Life"!

Michael Scott is such a walking embarrassment that it's a minor miracle he was able to pull off a proposal as genuinely heart-melting as this one. He led his HR rep love Holly Flax on a tour of their love story through the office, past co-workers offering faux proposals and into a room filled with candles where he got down on one knee. Of course, all the candles set off the sprinklers, but the drenched couple just laughed it off. And of course, Michael had to pop the question using a Yoda voice, but the equally dorky Holly was happy to respond in a Yoda voice, too. Ya done good, Michael. (For once.)

This WB/CW drama gave fans plenty of iconic romances to obsess over during its nine-season run — the "Brucas" vs. "Leyton" debate rages on to this day — but the genuine emotions we felt watching Clay and Quinn's engagement proved that the show hadn't lost its romantic spark in its golden years. (Come on, they even used their adopted son's Green Lantern ring! It doesn't get much more adorable than that.)

Perfect couple meets perfect proposal. Ben surprised Leslie at her dream home and announced, "I'm thinking about my future. I am deeply, ridiculously in love with you, and above everything else, I just want to be with you forever." The moment was so full of emotion that as Ben started to ask the question, Leslie requested a pause so that she could take it all in and remember how "perfect my life is right now in this exact moment."

The 1985 scenes in which Eden sent Cruz on a wild-goose chase that led to a romantic date and an engagement ring in his champagne flute are a glorious reminder of how swoon-worthy soaps used to be. Slipping the sparkler on his beloved's finger, he said, "You know, there's a question that goes along with a ring like this." Oh, she knew. "But let me ask it," she said. "Will you marry me, Cruz?" Charming. Sincere. Sublime.

Freeform's short-lived supernatural drama had a lot to squeeze into its makeshift series finale, but it managed to give us several beautiful "Malec" moments, including Magnus asking Alec to marry him... right before jetting off to hell for a potentially fatal mission. (We told you the finale had a lot to squeeze in!)

After Patrick planned a beautiful hike and picnic as part of his proposal, David's incessant complaints and self-involvement, plus a foot injury for Patrick threatened to spoil the mood ("It's just a long way to go for some cheese!"). Patrick finally got down on one knee at the summit, the very place he used to hike when he first sparked feelings for his fiancé-to-be. "Are these 24-carat?" a teary David asked before catching himself and officially saying yes. Adorable? Yes. Hilarious in that very special Rose family way? Also yes.