Here’s one for the slushy romantics of STW!

So, I’ve decided to pop the question to my girlfriend of 3 years. The ring is being made, and I’ve booked a surprise weekend away in a hotel in Snowdonia for the August bank holiday weekend. All sorted, apart from exactly where and when to propose. We’ll get there on the Saturday afternoon and will be staying two nights. My current thoughts are to either:

a) propose shortly after arrival at the hotel in the hotel grounds (very scenic and likely to be able to find a private spot as it’s quite a small hotel) – assuming she says ‘yes’ we can then celebrate immediately with a bottle of Champers and a fancy dinner at the hotel;

or

b) wait until the Sunday and find some romantic spot in Snowdonia – problem with this being that I don’t know Snowdonia at all and all the possible locations I can find online are likely to be rammed full of tourists, especially as it will be the bank holiday weekend.

So, what do you reckon, A or B? If B, does anyone have suggestions of particularly romantic, yet secluded spots that might be suitable in the area? We’ll be staying in the north of Snowdonia and don’t want to spend ages driving to places further south.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

Climbing a mountain and then proposing sounds nice, but you’ll both be hot, knackered and possibly irritable… and there’ll be loads of teens orienteering around you, sniggering as you drop to one knee on a windswept rock. Your soon-to-be may well be mortified.

So I opt for the safe choice. Go A.

Where is the hotel

Take her up the Gospel Pass?

Crib goch?

I was going to propose on the Summit of the Old Man of Coniston, but when we got here the wind was about 40mph with driving snow, and the OH was freezing, so I binned that attempt as she didn’t look in a very romantic mood:

Liz looking a bit cold and wind burnt! by brf, on Flickr

EDIT I know Coniston is not in Wales, but it’s vaguely relevant…

I’d thought about the top of a mountain but she has an old injury that sometimes causes her serious discomfort during long walks, especially over technical terrain. It’s intermittent so she might be fine, but don’t really want to take the risk of ruining the mood. A walk of under 5 miles could work though.

The hotel is near Rowen.

I’ve not heard of Gospel Pass – will take a look.

On Adam and Eve on Tryfan, or on the cantilever on the Glyders (if you are the walking types).

Or at the waterfall in Betws-y-coed with a bag of chips from the chippy next door, if you don’t mind scousers throwing stones at the leaping salmon (I am not kidding).

Or Beddgelert, if you romanticise about dogs!

Or go for an outdoor swim in Aber Falls, and do it there. Nice Spot, short walk.

There’s a nice little spot called the Blue Lake in an old slate quarry in Arthog, near Fairbourne. Not too far to walk, generally quiet and very sheltered, it’s surrounded by sheer rock walls and slate. It’s blue due to the copper sulphate (I think), and is very good for skimming stones!

Have a google for it, also it’s not very big, more of a pool than a lake.

Petes eats or the Spar in Llanberis.

Take her up the Gospel Pass?

*adds to list of euphemisms*

Or go for an outdoor swim in Aber Falls, and do it there. Nice Spot, short walk.

+1 for this one. That’s a damn good spot.

Aber Falls looks nice, but potentially mega-touristy on a bank holiday. Blue Lake looks like it has potential – what do you reckon the chances are of it being quiet on a bank holiday Sunday?

Penrhyn zip wire – after the run of course!

*adds to list of euphemisms*

#innocentface

Might be a bit out of the way, but you get a great view of the sun setting behind Criccieth Castle.
Could be a romantic setting….

The Bull in Deiniolen?

Llanddwyn Island on Anglesea would be nice at sunset as would the quiet beach at The Welsh Language Centre near Trefor on the Lyn at Nant Gwertheryn.

Rusty Spanner – Member

…as would the quiet beach at The Welsh Language Centre near Trefor on the Lyn at Nant Gwertheryn.

Funnily enough, I was gonna mention that. A mate of mine had his wedding there in May. Lovely setting.

OP = sorry, missed your subsequent “injury comment” when making my slightly flippant suggestion about the zip wire. Apologies if that came across badly.

Lovely and more appropriate suggestions above – enjoy and good luck!

Cheers for all the suggestions guys – keep them coming, lots of food for thought here. Llanddwyn Island would be perfect but unfortunately we’ve already been there many times – she’s from Angelsea so I’m wanting to stick to the mainland in the hope of finding somewhere that’s new to her.

DON’T DO IT ON SNOWDON!

seriously, the top of snowdon looks like a manky bus shelter, and even at the best of times is crammed with kids, sulky teenagers and people in shellsuits.

if you choose to do it up a mountain, pick a pretty one!

Dave

Don’t worry teamhurtmore, it didn’t come across badly. It made me chuckle though as I’ve not got a great head for heights and trying to propose while not shitting myself might prove tricky!

You said no Southern Snowdonia, right?

Because if that’s negotiable and you want to propose amidst the grandeur of quiet hills, I suggest the Arenigs (about 15 miles south of Betws).

Arenig Fach is a pretty easy climb with great views over Bala Lake etc… There’s a nice lake next to the bothy on Arenig Fawr before the steepest part of the climb… We’ve been there a few times and not encountered anyone.

top of Nicki’s leap at Vivian Quarry.

OrmanCheep +1 almost exactly my thoughts

+ the little bridge under the A5 at the end of Llyn Ogwen
Here it is always love showing people that a real surprise that so many people miss

Llyn Arenig Fawr:

Notice absence of teen orienteerers. 😉

I think we might have a winner! Llyn Arenig Fawr looks ideal, and the location is pretty much perfect in terms of getting there. Nice one camo16 – much appreciated.

I’m thinking that we could head straight there on the Saturday morning, have a picnic on the shore and a little swim, then either pop the question there or head on to the hotel and propose in the grounds if there are other people around at the lake. That way she shouldn’t have time to get too suspicious about what I’m up to (waiting until Sunday might lose the element of surprise, even if I do tell her it’s just an early surprise weekend away for her birthday). It also has the benefit of me not stressing about it all Saturday!

Thanks a lot for all the suggestions guys, none of these places had come up in my searches so far. Any further suggestions welcome, still need ideas for things to do during the rest of the weekend (although that can be more touristy options).

Nice one. 😉 One of my favourite Snowdonia spots; grandly wild and refreshingly empty.

Hope all goes well. An update will be required!

Cheers, I’ll keep you posted!

I wouldn’t pick a spot above all others but go for the weekend with the intention of proposing and pick a moment that feels right, just when everything feels wonderful.

It might be coming down off a walk, could be in the pub relaxing after a fantastic day or it could be in one of the amazing locations already suggested. I think the moment is more important than the location and too fixed a plan could make a heartfelt gesture come across as a bit staged.

Kind of agree with the last comment to some extent.

I proposed to Mrs FD on a hill in the Lakes. I knew when I wanted to do it when we were out walking, and roughly where, but Mrs FD fell and bust her lip requiring a visit to A&E, so that didnt happen!

2 days later we were more just strolling along a path, in not quite so popular area having a lovely walk, and just decided to do it there and then. Was no one one about etc, and so much nicer for it.

I’d planned to pop the question in Tignes, on a New Year skiing holiday. I was going to creep out in the night and write JO, WILL YOU MARRY ME? in massive letters in the fresh snow on the lake, so it could be seen from a restaurant halfway up a run back in.

I was so engrossed in my plans, I ended up forgetting to buy her a Christmas present. As a get out of jail, I ended up popping the question after midnight mass on Christmas Eve, in front of the fire, with a glass of baileys.

Wish I’d done it in Tignes though.

My first date with my wife was a walk up Moel Siabod. Isolated from the rest of the main snowdon range so pretty quiet and yet a fairly easy walk to the top.

Great views as well.

muppetwrangler +1. There will be just a “moment” – I spent a week in Scotland with Mrs O agonising over where to, and in the end it just happened at the right moment.

(When she was covered in cow slurry after I assured her it was OK to ride through as it was just water).

PS Good luck and report back here.

mark_b – it’s a gorgeous spot, but I’d say Siabod’s too close to Capel Curig for assured privacy. Nice views of the horseshoe though.

How about Portmeirion?

a little bit of Italy in North Wales.

There are also places where you can eat and celebrate (the hotel by the beach is quite nice) so you’d have all bases covered.

I agree completely muppetWrangler, I’m not going to get fixated in proposing at an exact point or an exactly those reasons. On the other hand, I’d like to plan a day that has the maximum probability of the perfect moment arising! If I’ve got a few pre-selected possibilities in mind then I won’t be worrying about when to do it (at least not as much), but it definitely has to feel right. That right moment may well be at the end of a romantic day/weekend in Snowdonia rather than at a picture-postcard spot, we’ll just have to see. It may well be pissing with rain all weekend!

Just to update everyone who helped me out with suggestions: she said yes!!!

The weather didn’t want to play ball for our picnic at Llyn Arenig Fawr. The forecast suggested a dull start but brightening later in the day – unfortunately it seemed to brighten everywhere except for the big black cloud over us. So instead of a romantic picnic on the shores of the lake, we ended up sheltering from the wind by a fence next to the bothy, surrounded by sheep shit. Funnily enough I decided that this wasn’t the ideal moment for the proposal. If the sun had been out then it would have been the perfect spot, but we still enjoyed the walk and picnic.

I ended up proposing after a meal in the garden of the hotel that we stayed in (Tir-Y-Coed Country House – can’t recommend it enough for anyone looking for somewhere nice to stay in Snowdonia).

So thanks again to everyone for their suggestions, especially camo16 who came up with Llyn Arenig Fawr.

Congratulations and good luck!

Nice one 🙂