THE OLD WEST TRAIN RIDE PROPOSAL

The Short Take:

Brandon, the groom, convinced an actor in an old-time western sheriff outfit to set up his proposal to his girlfriend Anna—on a train.

The Introduction: “Well, hello now, purdy lady!”

How He Did It

Brandon’s proposal took place on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad, an old-timey train ride based in Grapevine, Texas.

This one is particularly clever in that it is unexpected, inexpensive, and relatively easy to set up. The key is finding someone who is game to play along with the surprise—and a performer on an old-time Western train ride is pretty much “game” by definition. More to the point, being on a train ride creates a captive-audience experience. There’s nowhere else to go.

“He hasn’t proposed yet? You want me to make him?”

The sheriff hit on Anna—a good touch. It’s the kind of thing you’d expect one of these performers to do, and a perfect lead-in to the actual proposal.

Another advantage of this set-up: Family members can be present without arousing suspicion. We assume it’s Anna’s mom who takes her glasses once the emotion of the moment hits her.

One hand on the mouth…

…And then two.

“She said yes! Yee-HAW!”

Props

• The ring
• A vintage train with old-timey sheriff (both of which are included in the excursion ticket in this case)

Location

 Grapevine, Texas (or any other similarly themed tourist attraction)

Cost

The cost of tickets (the full Grapevine ride currently lists at a maximum of $26 a ticket, so we’re not talking a lot here.)

Anything you feel like tipping the sheriff.

Caveats

You run the risk of the actor getting a little too carried away—you know actors—and making him or herself the center of attention. In this case, Brandon got lucky. The guy playing the sheriff set him up beautifully than moseyed on out of the picture. You can view the full video below.

View the Video