For BRIDES, by Sherry Amatenstein, LCSW.

Proposal are always emotional, and when you add in the beach, a beautiful life commitment, and well-thought-out situations, it doesn't get much better than that. Here, nine brides are getting real about how they proposed to their girlfriends. Diamond rings, sunsets and parental blessings - enjoy the romantic stories below!

"I'm a singer who plays at local clubs and Jill is usually front and center when I perform. So I wrote a special song proposal and sang it in front of a SRO crowd made up mostly of friends and family who were in on the secret." -Paula

"When we became domestic partners Lisa and I exchanged rings, and when we were legally able to marry we used the same rings engraved with our wedding date!" -Gaby

"It was so thrilling to be able to have our love publicly sanctioned so I proposed at Yankee stadium - arranging beforehand for the stadium's jumbo size screen to declare my love in front of thousands. Everyone cheered, even the ball players. The Yankees lost that night but who cared? I'd won what mattered." -Ellen