Pop the Question \ Suprise Trip for GF to NY

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djsim

Registered User
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Hey guys,

Could really do with your input on my travel plans. I have finally decided to take a big step and ask my long term partner to marry me. (Going to ask her dad tonight, wish my luck:) My plan is to give the tickets as a Christmas present and travel some time in January. I have never being to the States so I am a complete novice and I really want to make this trip one to remember. Havent a huge budget, so I would like to get the best value as possible, without staying at budget accommodation if possible, if you know what I mean.

Plane Tickets - I intend to fly with Continental Airlines from Shannon as they seem to be the cheapest, plus, we can clear immigration at Shannon, coming in at €730 return for 2.

Hotel - I was told I can’t go wrong staying in the Manhattan area. Any recommendations?

Engagement Ring - I plan to pick out a ring with the misses over there. I will have approx $2K to spend on one. Any recommendations on jewellery shops over there, or should I wait until point 3?

Shopping - I was told again to take a day out from sight seeing and travel to one of the two outlets in New Jersey. New Jersey gardens and Woodbridge Center - only want to go to one, which is better? Could we pick up a nice ring here, instead of a shop in New York?

Sight Seeing - If you had "3 must things to do\see", what would they be. I have a list of four already 1) Statue of liberty 2) Empire State Building. 3) Ice hockey game 4) Broadway Show

Sorry for the long post, But I want to get this right. Any help \ advice you can offer would be most grateful.

J.
 
HI there

I am heading to NYC next month to buy my engangement ring.
We are heading to the Diamond District, and the 2 places most recommended to us were Hanikens and Salvatores.
An important thing is to do your research on the 4 c's of a diamond, so you are not heading into a shop totally green.
If you get in contact with any of these stores beforehand and let them know your budget they will have a selection of rings ready for you to view when you visit.
Also if you are going for a few days, I will go ring shopping sooner rather then later, incase the ring has to be resized, or made up, just to ensure they will have time to do it before you head back home.

Accomadation wise, we are staying in the Standford Hotel, reasonable 2-3 star hotel centrally located in Manhattan.

I can let you know how I got on in Nov, if you are still thining of heading that way in Nov

Oh and best of luck with the daddy.. hope all goes well!
 
Thanks bobaloulou,

This is a good starting place. I will look into Hanikens & Salvatores. I have already done a limited research on the 4C's.

Hope it all goes well for you in November.
 
First of all, congrats and I wish you both all the very best. I would recommend having a look on Tripadvisor.com-I find it very useful for researching holidays. It is possible to post up questions on the forum specific to the city you want to visit and I always find the answers useful. A friend of mine is going to New York in December and staying in the Crowne Plaza in/ near Times Square so have a look on Tripadvisor and it will give you an idea of what to expect as well as price etc.
New York New York so good they named it twice...have a brilliant time!
 
+1 on Crowne Plaza, Times Square. For a few dollars less, try Milford Plaza which is well located too.

I also popped the question in NYC. I wanted to have an Irish flavour so I got down on my knee outside St Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue.

I then asked a passer by to take a photo of the moment with my camera.

Ten years later and 2 kids later, all is well. I am in the kitchen on the net and she is in the sitting room watching TV. Kids are conked upstairs. I wouldn't change a thing. Honestly.
 
Or you could put the proposal up in lights on Time Square!! Go into the Hershey Store and for something tiny like $5 you get your message to scroll across the front of the store for an hour. Not exclusively yours, if other people pay theirs alternates too but I know it can be very romantic.

I would go a little more upscale than a 2-3* - check out www.travelzoo.com for great special offers or be brave and go with www.hotwire.com (choose a 4* in Grand Central Area or Times Square)
 
Thanks people for all your help.

I have a fair idea of flights and hotels now. Now it is on to the most important bit, popping the question and ring:)
 
u can get nice night time cruises in new york. might be nice to pop the question on one of them with the city all lit up in the back ground
 
hello djsim. without a shadow of a doubt i can recommend Salvatores in the diamond district, they are undoubtably the BEST in new york and extremley helpful and reasonabe.. u will get a fantastic ring for that money.. i honestly cannot recommend them enough. dont be put off by the shop becos its actually like a little stall but definatly the BEST. AND U CAN BE POSITIVE WHEN U GET IT VALUED IT WILL BW ALMOST DOUBLE THE PRICE HERE... best of luck with the proposal. oh and u have to check out the W hotel on time square. its expensive but if u got it for one night only even for the night u propose it will be WELL WORTH IT
 
spursman said:
u can get nice night time cruises in new york. might be nice to pop the question on one of them with the city all lit up in the back ground
Click to expand...

I second that. We did the glass boat dinner cruise and it was absolutely fabulous. It would be my pick to ensure a YES to the question in hand. We did all the other tourist attractions but the 'glass boat' beats them all hands down

Best of luck
 
Hillsalt said:
+1 on Crowne Plaza, Times Square..
Click to expand...

I love this hotel. Stayed there as a surprise for my birthday and it was great. Try for a high floor , we stayed in the floor below the penthouses and the view over Manhattan was out of this world


best of luck
 
Hi ilove pink

Did u go to a couple of diamond stores, I am torn between hannikens and salvatores, obviously i want to get the best value, bit dont want to spend a whole day doing different shops. I am so indecisive and out heads will be wrecked!!!
 
The "father in law" has given his approval so I guess I think its time to hit the credit union for a couple of boobJ

Thanks for all your help so far, I was looking at the Crowne Plaza and it look great, plus one of the few hotels in New York with a pool. Does anyone know if all the renovations are complete? A lot of unhappy reviewers on trip advisor as they were told the renovations were complete and in fact, they weren't.

Unfortunately, can’t do the night time cruise, checked website, season only starts in March, which is a pity, as that sounds lovely.

Thanks ilovepink regarding Salvatores. I must check that out with the other half. I suppose when she opens my card at Christmas, and see's the tickets, she will know 100% what I am about to do.

I nearly have the trip planned, what do ye guys think:

Continental to New York Fri - Stay around NY - Macys\Pop Question (Nice Location)\Ring Shopping
Sat - Empire State Building - Statue of Liberty Night - Madison Square Gardens for Ice Hockey game
Sun - Jersey Gardens for some shopping
Mon - Central Park - Home.

Anything else I can squeeze in that might be worth my while? I might stay and extra day.

 
djsim said:
The "father in law" has given his approval so I guess I think its time to hit the credit union for a couple of boobJ

Thanks for all your help so far, I was looking at the Crowne Plaza and it look great, plus one of the few hotels in New York with a pool. Does anyone know if all the renovations are complete? A lot of unhappy reviewers on trip advisor as they were told the renovations were complete and in fact, they weren't.

Unfortunately, can’t do the night time cruise, checked website, season only starts in March, which is a pity, as that sounds lovely.

Thanks ilovepink regarding Salvatores. I must check that out with the other half. I suppose when she opens my card at Christmas, and see's the tickets, she will know 100% what I am about to do.

I nearly have the trip planned, what do ye guys think:

Continental to New York Fri - Stay around NY - Macys\Pop Question (Nice Location)\Ring Shopping
Sat - Empire State Building - Statue of Liberty Night - Madison Square Gardens for Ice Hockey game
Sun - Jersey Gardens for some shopping
Mon - Central Park - Home.

Anything else I can squeeze in that might be worth my while? I might stay and extra day.
Click to expand...

Congrats!!
Go to a Broadway show.
See Times Square.

NY is amazing, I only passed through and stayed a couple of nights but it seemed like everywhere I went there was something amazing to see!
 
Congrats, The Rockafella Centre would be amazing at Christmas I would imagine, I was there in March for the first time. The view form the top is stunning. A horse drawn carriage ride around central park would be another nice spot to pop the question. The suggestion of Time Square is excellent, I loved time square and loved just watching the world go by... We did a night trip to Brooklyn and the tour bus stops at an icecream store by the river and the view across to New York is beautiful, would make a nice backdrop to any photo's. We stayed in the Wellington and it was an ideal location.

I just loved everything about NY.
 
Empire State is open late so you could pop question at top there on Friday night! Can't remember any nice restaurants off hand but might be nice to have somewhere reserved for Friday night if you are planning on having asked her by then.
 
My brother in law arranged to go ice skating in central park two years ago and ,when the arrived he went to use the toilet to deteer his partner. He got a worker to arrange Santa who was already skating on the ice to come up during their skating with the box and got down on one knee.... Very romantic....
But Santa and ice rink may not be there in January,so maybe the horse and cart ride around central Park is a second option which a friend of mine was floored by,her partner after 2 days on the trip mentioned the horse ride and half way around asked could they stop and got down on one knee finally popping the question
 
Hi djsim, congrats on the forthcoming engagement! Your plan is great but one thing I would add is don't just set aside one afternoon for ring shopping, your girlfriend may want some time to mull over rings she has seen and go back again a second day. New York is great, definitely go see a show on Broadway if you can!
 
Go see a baseball game, Really enjoyed watching the yankees..
You could always try get the proposal on the big screen :)
Best of luck..
 
Niallers said:
Go see a baseball game, Really enjoyed watching the yankees..
You could always try get the proposal on the big screen :)
Best of luck..
Click to expand...

I went to an ice-hockey game in Madisson Square Garden. which was frantic albeit less rough than hurling. The missus was nay impressed though.
 
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