History Main / RejectedMarriageProposal

* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother''. ** Played with in the case of Ted and Robin. When Ted and Robin are on a date, she finds a diamond ring in her champagne and responds with an immediate RapidFireNo. Ted calmly responds that he knows her feelings on marriage and wasn't proposing (the waiter had brought the champagne to the wrong table), but he still feels he deserved a more respectful rejection if he had. The ensuing argument leads to their breakup.

* This trope is at the crux of a lot of the plot in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanMaskOfThePhantasm''. Before he was fully committed to fighting crime, Bruce Wayne proposed to Andrea Beaumont and she initially accepted...but shortly afterwards she [[ReturningTheWeddingRing sent the ring back]] to Bruce with [[DearJohnLetter a letter]] saying she wasn't ready, intended to go to Europe with her father and Bruce should forget about her. Losing Andrea was the catalyst for Bruce becoming Batman, as he felt had nothing else important left in his life. [[spoiler: It's later revealed Andrea would've happily married Bruce, but she was forced to go into hiding in Europe because her father owed money to gangsters who would've killed them. Her grief and anger at losing the life she and Bruce could've had is partly what fuels her quest for vengeance]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing'' originally had a scene including a song called "The Madness of King Scar", which involved Scar basically proposing to Nala in song-form. She is at first confused because she had gone to him to complain about the state of the Pride Lands, only for him to start going on about her becoming his queen and giving him cubs; she then becomes creeped out and scratches his face when he gets too close to her. Besides being a selfish and incompetent monarch (and that's only the stuff the pride ''knows'' about), Scar is old enough to be Nala's father and would've been her uncle-in-law if she'd been able to marry Simba. The scene was removed from the final film for being perceived as too creepy for a family film, although it is included in the stage musical. Eduardo Quintana also made an [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kGEz1zDGgY animated fan-version]] for the film's 20th anniversary.

* Played with in ''Film/EllaEnchanted''. When Char proposes to Ella at midnight, she bursts into tears and utters a RapidFireNo, which he understandably takes as a rejection. He tries to reassure her he loves her and doesn't care about her humble background; however Ella's reaction is actually because [[spoiler:Edgar had ordered her to murder Char at midnight, and she's unable to disobey or warn Char because she's cursed to be obedient. In the end when Char proposes to Ella again, she happily accepts. Her stepsister tries to order her to reject him out of spite and Ella initially plays along, only to gleefully reveal she's broken the curse]]. 

* Played with in ''Series/HowIMetYourMother''. When Ted and Robin are on a date, she finds a diamond ring in her champagne and responds with an immediate RapidFireNo. Ted calmly responds that he knows her feelings on marriage and wasn't proposing (the waiter had brought the champagne to the wrong table), but he still feels he deserved a more respectful rejection if he had. The ensuing argument leads to their breakup.

** A straighter example PlayedForDrama would be in the final season when the titular Mother is proposed to by her boyfriend, Louis. After excusing herself outside to think it over, she asks [[TheLostLenore her dead ex-boyfriend in the sky]] for a sign if she ready to move on. As the narrative for the entire show is a ForgoneConclusion that she will marry Ted, the answer was pretty obvious.

** A straighter example PlayedForDrama would be in the final season when the titular Mother is proposed to by her boyfriend, Louis. After excusing herself outside to think it over, she asks [[TheLostLenore her dead ex-boyfriend in the sky]] for a sign if she ready to move on. As the narrative for the entire show is a ForgeoneConclusion that she will marry Ted, the answer was pretty obvious.

* In ''Series/CriminalMinds'', Penelope Garcia goes a step further and confronts her boyfriend Kevin Lynch about not wanting to get married ''before'' he formally pops the question, after she sees from his online activity he's been looking at rings. Garcia argues that she's not ready to get married, but she does love him and is happy with their relationship as it is. Unfortunately, Kevin disagrees and they subsequently break-up.

Due to potentially involving ShipSinking or a relationship changing significantly, there may be some unmarked spoilers ahead.

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Diana turns down quite a few proposals from ComicBook/SteveTrevor, but he keeps asking because they're dating and they both want to get married. It's just that as she's the Amazon Champions she's not supposed to get married until she finishes her never-ending mission. As there are loopholes in the rules, like her having to keep her word if she promises to marry him if he beats her in a contest, they do eventually get married.

* At end the of ''Film/ConanTheDestroyer'', Jehnna asks Conan to marry her and rule Shadizar at her side, but he declines to keep having adventures and because he still isn't over his [[TheLostLenore deceased love Valeria]].

* "[[Music/{{Evermore}} champagne problems]]" by Music/TaylorSwift is from the perspective of a woman whose boyfriend pops the question in front of his whole family just before Christmas, and she turns him down, ripping his heart out in the process. Curiously, she never actually explains why she says no, just that she feels she must; all the lyrics indicate her boyfriend is a perfectly nice guy and she [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy hopes he'll find someone else after he recovers from the breakup]]. It's implied she has some mental health problems that make her feel like she isn't suited for a lifetime commitment, or that he deserves better than her.

* In ''ComicBook/DoctorDoom2019'', Victor proposes to Fruzsina within five minutes of meeting her. She replies that she would never even consider marrying him.
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Diana turns down quite a few proposals from ComicBook/SteveTrevor, but he keeps asking because they're dating and they both want to get married. It's just that as she's the Amazon Champions she's not supposed to get married until she finishes her never-ending mission. As there are loopholes in the rules, like her having to keep her word if she promises to marry him if he beats her in a contest, they do eventually get married.

** ''Literature/MansfieldPark'': Henry Crawford tries to impress and court favour with Fanny Price, unable to stand the fact that [[RejectionAffection she's indifferent to his charms]]. When he genuinely falls in love with her, he proposes only to be rejected. He visits Sir Thomas, Fanny's uncle, to ask his consent to the marriage. Subsequently, Fanny has to explain her rejection to her uncle, citing Henry's immoral and flirtatious character, but Sir Thomas finds it ridiculous that she would reject such an advantageous marriage. At this point, Fanny is secretly in love with her cousin Edmund, which is another reason why she's reluctant to accept Henry's proposal; nor can she be completely honest about the extent of his rakish behaviour in order to protect the reputation of her cousins, Maria and Julia, with whom he had also flirted. Fanny is viewed with disdain for rejecting Henry, until [[spoiler: he runs off with the [[YourCheatingHeart now-married]] Maria, at which point everyone realises Fanny was right about him]].