Best Places to Propose in Bloomington, IL
The midwestern state of Illinois, nicknamed the “Prairie State”, is full of lush forest, cultivated farmland, wetlands, and beautiful rolling hills. It’s understandable, therefore, why we have some incredible parks to share with newcomers, along with our noteworthy breweries to cool you down after a long hike. Bloomington, IL, maintains its small-town feel despite more and more boutique shops and restaurants popping up. We are widely known as being a major college town and also, for the many years that Abraham Lincoln spent here. There are loads of local fine jewelry shops in Bloomington, IL, you can visit to find your honey her perfect diamond engagement ring.
If you are looking for the diamond engagement ring of her dreams, it is doubtful that you will find everything you are looking for online. The internet is a great place to start, but to get the security you need when making a major investment, like buying an engagement ring, you will want to personally find a local diamond jeweler in Bloomington, IL. A trusted, experienced, and professional jeweler can answer all your questions and help you choose from a wide range of diamonds and find a ring. If you stick to the computer in hopes of making things faster and easier, chances are you will run into some trouble later on. You need to be able to touch and feel your ring instead of relying on a computer-based image and fancy website to really know what you’re getting. Most importantly, your local diamond jeweler can really take your precise wants and needs into account, which online stores simply cannot.
Local jewelers can also help you in your search for a romantic place to propose. After working with so many upcoming weddings, they have gathered a great deal of information related not necessarily to diamonds alone but to engagements, in general. They always have the latest on where the most romantic proposal spots are and clever new ways of popping the question. We spoke to one of our local jeweler partners to get their thoughts on how and where the best place to get engaged might be in Bloomington, IL. Here’s the scoop:
Local Diamond Jeweler
“Restaurants are the best places to propose in Bloomington, Illinois. We’ve got everything from Italian to Thai as well as the popular, good old American burger joint. Many couples in our area choose to get engaged at a local restaurant.” – Jack Lewis Jewelers
Jack Lewis Jewelers has been one of the best jewelers in Bloomington, Illinois, since the 1920s. They have transformed themselves into the diamond engagement ring destination for the entire central Illinois area, focusing on loose diamonds, engagement rings for women, wedding bands and proposal experiences. Come in and experience their Wedding Ring Playground, the custom-made bridal area featuring the top trends in diamonds.
We met with the store’s manager, John Carter, and asked him: What is the most memorable proposal story you heard from a Bloomington, IL customer?
“There are two most memorable proposal stories that come to mind from customers at our diamond ring store in Bloomington, Illinois. The first one took place on top of the mountains and the second one happened in front of the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris. Both customers bought their engagement rings at Jack Lewis Jewelers and came back to tell us their proposal stories.” – John Carter
2 Best Places to Propose in Bloomington, IL
1. The Oasis Waterpark
For a fun proposal location, consider splashing around at The Oasis Waterpark, 170 S Circle Ave, Bloomingdale, IL, 130 miles (2 h 9-minute drive) from Bloomington, IL. You can let the adrenaline and laughter inspire your diamond reveal and watch tears of joy stream down her face!
2. Picture Show at Bloomingdale Court
Or keep it simple and share a coke and a bag of popcorn while watching a movie at Picture Show at Bloomingdale Court, 324 Army Trail Rd, Bloomingdale, IL, 130 miles (2 h 11-minute drive) from Bloomington, IL, for a proposal she’ll never see coming!
Bloomington, IL, Love Story and Proposal : Jamie and Everett
How They Met: Everett and Jamie met while in Spanish class at the same high school. They exchanged phone numbers for a school project and began texting each other every so often but nothing too serious. They were, after all, only freshmen.
Months passed and Jamie still wasn’t quite sure if she liked Everett or not. He asked her to homecoming at the end of their sophomore year and she actually refused! She ended up attending the celebration with a group of friends and neither she nor Everett had a very enjoyable time that year.
The following year, Jamie thought she would definitely want to go with Everett but found out he had already asked another girl! It was perhaps then that Jamie knew she would have to be a lot more obvious with her hints if she wanted Everett to ask her out. The two officially started dating during their junior year in 2011 and have been inseparable ever since.
How They Asked: After dating in high school and throughout college, Jamie and Everett would talk about when they would eventually get married and start a family. An engagement wasn’t a matter of “if” but rather, “when”. Everett spoke of wanting to be quite stable in his field or with a comfortable living situation before he popped the question, so after accepting a particularly lucrative job offer, Jamie expected the proposal to come soon after. She wasn’t shy about expressing that either!
It’s important to note that Jamie is inherently a planner type while Everett is not. She has always loved surprises but never thought that Everett would be able to pull off a proposal scheme so elaborate that she’d actually be surprised. Little did she know, miracles do come true.
Jamie and Everett were planning to meet some of their friends at Indiana University in Bloomington, IL, for a weekend getaway. They had all been wanting to go to Oliver Winery, one of Jamie’s favorite Bloomington, IL, spots, to experience the relaxation, the beauty, and most importantly, the wine.
As their trip drew nearer, all of their friends started backing out and cancelling their plans, explaining that they couldn’t make it because of work or some other excuse. Jamie was upset, especially since she had booked the hotel. She and Everett decided to go down anyway, just the two of them.
Jamie was pleasantly surprised that Everett, who is usually late to everything, wanted to head to the winery earlier than planned. Since they were back in Bloomington, Jamie kept adding things like heading to their favorite farmer’s market to the schedule and Everett was not cooperative. Getting lunch somewhere else was not happening. He even refused to go to the local brewery to get his favorite beer! Jamie figured they should just stick to the plan.
They arrived at the winery and were seated at a beautiful spot on the deck, overlooking the pond and its surrounding trees. Jamie’s friend said she was running a bit late but she reassured her that they’d wait for her to start the tasting.
All of a sudden, Everett, who had turned his chair a bit, said, “look who’s here!”. Expecting to see her bestie, Jamie casually turned around and was shocked to see her family alongside Everett’s family all walking in behind her best friend.
At that moment Jamie understood what was happening and burst into tears. Everett got down on one knee, told her how much he loved her, and that he wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. Of course, Jamie said “YES!” and the rest of the afternoon was filled with many beautiful and heartwarming toasts over delicious glasses of wine.
Bottom Line…
Come to Bloomington, IL, and we’ll help you find your perfect diamond ring so you can propose! Log onto Willyou.net to find your perfectly matched local diamond jeweler today. For a comprehensive breakdown of local preferences, read our statistics and guide to engagement rings in Bloomington IL.
Top 7 Locations to Propose in Bloomington, IL
- Miller Park
- David Davis Park
- Lone Oak Park
- Busse Woods
- Lake Bloomington
- Illinois Wesleyan University Campus
- Miniland Park
