For a wedding proposal in Venice

Hey congrats. I'm sure it will be memorable, wherever you choose.

Some ideas (besides the cliched gondola)....
- San Marco very late at night on your way home after a beautiful dinner.
- Accademia Bridge late at night similarly.
- Zattere or San Giorgio Maggiore at sunset.

I support the San Marco Square option. After dinner with a salon orchestra playing the appropriate background music.

In the gondola as it passes under the Bridge of Sighs.

Or, find a place near the church on the island of Torcello, a popular place for weddings.

those are great suggestions, and I've heard about the Bridge of Sighs.. but as a romantic story? "it was so wonderful, he proposed under a bridge famous because a window in the middle gave the last view prisoners would see as they crossed over to prison, and they would 'sigh'.." LOL
So what is the going rate for gondoliers nowadays?

Picking up my RS Italy 2016 book tomorrow, thanks for the suggestions so far!

Unless it has changed recently, €80 for 40 minutes and dearer after 7pm. I think €100. This is an official rate so recheck it on the web just before you go and don't get talked up by an unscrupulous gondolier.

See third paragraph:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_of_Sighs

@funpig.. all righty then, that sounds good.. just have to get those bells to toll at the right time! :) 80 Euros minimum, I can't say I'm surprised, but for a perfect moment, it doesn't matter. thanks for all the help..

I believe all of the gondolas at San Marco will go under the Bridge of Sighs. They enter from the Grand Canal which can be choppy depending on weather and traffic (pick a nice evening). Once in the little canal, it will be calm. Bridge of Sighs comes so fast, so it would be good idea to arrange for your gondalier to slow down or stop for the big moment. The primo seats will have both of you with back to gondalier. You may want to take a knee and face gal at angle if the gondalier is videoing. Suggest you send your lady to buy a drinkbeforehand while you confer with the gondalier on how to video, etc. Just don't drop the damn ring in the canal in both of your excitement. Lots of youtube videos of unfortunate boating engagements.

PS: i would not sweat the bells. I have read other references that omit the bells, just the kiss near sun set under the Bridge. Besides, 3 out of 4 ain't bad. 75% of eternity is still a damn long time.

PPS. 99% of people on this forum will probably hate me for suggesting this. You may want to consider getting a selfie stick to take a photo of both of you, gondolier and Bridge in the background. That is a lot of fiddling in a very few short minutes...

The more external factors you introduce (such as gondolas, gondoliers, water, smartphones, bells), the more chance things may not go as planned, or your 'moment' is diminished.

All the plans sound very sweet and romantic.... But I have to say after 9 years she will probably be thrilled no matter where you choose to propose:))).

Report back in Trip Reports and let us know how it all goes!

yes, I can't say that the topic hasn't come up before.. ;) I kept distracting her from the topic so much that she got the idea I don't want to get married. But how can there be a surprise otherwise? I think we're both against the selfie sticks, but I'd already decided I'd talk to the guy about stopping under the Bridge and taking a video (if the fellow was shaky with English, I was even going to have the question pre-translated and loaded on my phone for quick viewing..) , I'm sure I can come up with some reason why. I'd give the guy some extra dough for it anyway. Who knows, I might resurrect this topic later on with the YouTube link!!
thanks to all suggestions.

After all this work for the "perfect moment", make sure that your romantic speech includes the word "marry" or "marriage" -- after 9 years she doesn't want to have to guess or infer what you mean.

If you are at all unsure how shaky you might be down on one knee or your girlfriend might be ( from excitement!), you might want to have an inexpensive engagement ring for the gondola proposal.

Diamond to be picked out later together maybe?

I think you should get the movie "A Little Romance" that was mentioned in the link of one of the above posts and watch it. It is a great movie. It is available on iTunes.

Well... Just surprise her at the beginning of the trip at the airport and you can enjoy the whole trip as a newly engaged couple!!!
And you won't have to worry about it the whole trip!

I think this is a great church in a great location (but you are worried about the provenance of things)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_della_Salute

Or how about getting into a palazzo on the Grand Canal and then wandering onto a balcony?

I would recommend contacting the hotel you'll be staying at to suggest the best gondola stand for your purpose. There was one right outside the entrance to our hotel, but the concierge recommended we go to a different one nearby--said the gondoliers there were nicer. You may even be able to sneak to that gondola stand a little before to talk to them and find the perfect gondolier :).

I have followed this thread and debated with myself whether I should say anything and spoil the fun. I cannot keep quiet any longer. I think the gondola ride proposal is a bad idea. Have you actually been to Venice? Seen the gondolas filled with people gliding down the side canals? Everyone stands on the bridges to watch the gondolas. There is no privacy, no romance. I think the people in the gondolas must feel like they are on display, like animals in a zoo. Personally, I would hate to be proposed to in that situation.

Besides, the side canals are not "the most romantic spot in Venice." And certainly not the most beautiful. They are interesting, historical, maybe charming in a way, but a parade of gondolas down the small canals is not my idea of romance --- or that of anyone I know. The real beauty spot of Venice is the Grand Canal, and the gondolas spend very little time there because the water is rough and possibly dangerous. ( There was a gondola accident that killed tourists a couple of years ago).

Of course I don't know you or your girlfriend. But if you were my friend, I would say hire a water taxi instead. Have him take you down the Grand Canal from, say, a dock near Rialto Bridge toward San Marco. Out where the canal widens out and you have a beautiful view of Piazza San Marco, he can pause the boat and you can propose. In the back of the boat, in private, and I am quite certain the driver would be happy to video for you. Then he can take you to a nice restaurant where you can celebrate. Maybe Cip's Club across the way from San Marco.

I think this would be a whole lot classier than the cliché gondola ride.

Unless of course you prefer to do it in front of 20-30 gawking tourists and several other gondolas full of people.

For comparison purposes, a gondola ride starts at 80€ (30 minutes). It may be more in the evening, not sure on that. A water taxi is 60€ from Piazzale Roma to Rialto. It should be about the same from the Rialto area to the Bacino area, stop for 5 minutes, and continue to Cip's Club. Your hotel should be able to advise you on arranging it.

I have to agree with Sasha!

Now you have us all invested in your proposal! :)

Sasha's suggestion is the best one yet!! She must be a true romantic. After nine plus years you really need to pull out all the stops.

So DK, what do you think? I don't want to spoil the fun, but I thought you should know the reality of a gondola ride. You are on display, for many tourists to watch ( the locals don't bother).

Google it. You do pass under a pedestrian bridge as you enter the small canal. There are lots of tourists on that bridge taking photos. However, do not let this deter you. As you approach the Bridge of Sighs, there are no tourists (except those peeking through the holes while walking through the BS and they cannot look down underneath the Bridge). At that point you are almost 200 feet from the pedestrian bridge. Those tourists can only see the backside of your gondalier. You would have to stand up or look backwards over the side to see the tourists almost 200 feet away. There is nothing but the walls of the Doges Palace on your left and the prison on your right. It is pretty quiet there, no people and no traffic except the gondaliers who do space themselves out as the enter that canal. You may tell you gondalier to yell back in Italian to the gondalier behind to give you a few minutes to do your deed.

This really is just a glorified alleyway famous for the local legend and popularized by the film. If that is important for you than go for it. At least don't let the thought of people be the reason for not doing it. Otherwise, there certainly other arguably more scenic locations. One option is to propose elsewhere and do the bucket list ride under the BS to seal your eternal love with the kiss.