These Celebrity Proposals Center Around Food and Drink

You may be familiar with the social media stereotype that posits men think about the Roman Empire at least once a day. I’m not a fan of applying broad descriptions across a large group of people, and even though my own boyfriend admittedly has a massive map of the Roman Empire hanging in his kitchen, I'm aware not every man ponders the ancient civilization each day.

That said, I do buy into the notion that we each have a personal Roman Empire. That means something that pops up in your mind all the time, often for no clear reason. To use another slang term, it’s the person, place, thing, or topic that lives in your brain rent-free. And for me, that’s Meghan Markle. 

I’m not here to convince you to like the Duchess of Sussex — although if you want to have a spirited debate I’ll defend her to the end — but I am here to demonstrate how much I love learning about celebrity lives. I read about them, write about them, and listen to podcasts about them. Combine that with one of my other passions, a deep appreciation for romance-focused content such as Love Is Blind, and it’s clear how I developed one of my less valuable wealths of knowledge: all things celebrity relationship. 

If this seems like a ridiculous thing to care about, I’d like to provide a gentle reminder that a lot of people want to know more about celebrities. It's impossible to become a celebrity without people being invested in who you are. I also think it’s possible to participate in celebrity discourse without following these people around or invading their privacy — I love the glimpses of their lives that influential people give to us freely. 

I’m far from the foremost expert on the Kardashians or Taylor Swift, but as a professional food writer, and someone who stays on top of celebrity food news, my mind is a library of major food moments that intersect with pop culture. To start sharing what I know, provide anyone else who loves celebs with a few more tidbits of sweet information, and perhaps inspire someone else’s love life, here's a collection of three food- and drink-centric celebrity proposals that will sit in your brain as solidly as the Roman Empire.

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco

Perhaps the most-talked-about celebrity couple in the past two years, Only Murders in the Building actress, Rare Beauty founder, and pop star Selena Gomez got engaged to her boyfriend, music producer Benny Blanco, this past December. When Blanco proposed on a set that was carefully designed to look like a miniature park, many people were abuzz about Gomez’s ring — a marquise-cut diamond that references the iconic lyrics in her song “Good for You,” which declares “I’m a marquise diamond” in the chorus.

But what I care much more about is the impressive Taco Bell spread that Blanco included in his makeshift park. Gomez has made her love for the fast food chain clear before — she recently told Access Hollywood on the red carpet that her go-to order includes the Mexican pizza and chalupa — so it’s no surprise her now-fiancée opted for a Taco Bell picnic to surprise her.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

If you thought I wouldn’t bring up Meghan Markle again, you thought wrong. In an interview with BBC announcing their engagement, Prince Harry and the Suits actress revealed the surprisingly humble and cozy way that he proposed. Harry popped the question in their backyard — which was decorated with candles — after a simple evening at home, roasting a chicken and sipping Champagne. Meghan has previously stated in an interview with Good Housekeeping that she believes being able to roast a great chicken is an essential cooking skill, and I strongly agree.

The former actress and Duchess of Sussex is so passionate about food and entertaining that for the next chapter of her career, she’s announced a new show anchored on both, dubbed With Love, Meghan, which will premiere on Netflix on March 4. Here’s hoping she’ll share the exact recipe for her proposal roast chicken in one of the episodes.

Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom

Although it’s a fun anecdote, pop superstar Katy Perry and actor Orlando Bloom’s (who will forever be known in my eyes as Legolas from The Lord of the Rings) proposal story is more of a lesson in what not to do. After going to dinner at an Italian restaurant on Valentine’s Day, Perry was under the impression that the pair would head to look at some art. Instead, Bloom surprised her with a helicopter ride above Los Angeles — a bold move if your partner is afraid of heights, but Perry loved it.

During their scenic flight above L.A., the Pirates of the Caribbean actor tried to pull the ring out of his pocket, but accidentally knocked over and broke a bottle of champagne in the process. In spite of champagne spilling everywhere inside a helicopter, Bloom pulled off a successful proposal, complete with a surprise party after they landed. But perhaps if you have a bottle of bubbly at the ready for when you ask someone to marry you, make sure it’s at least several feet away.