I have been with my Brazilian SO for 4 years living in UK. The past two weeks we have been staying with her parents in Brazil. This is also the first time I have met them face to face.
Leading up to this trip I had decided that I would ask for their blessing for our marriage. I didn't have a ring or anything yet, and did not plan to propose until next year, but I did not know when I would see them again so figured it would be a good opportunity to ask.
Neither of them speak any English, and I only speak very basic Portuguese. With my SO's help, I translated a speech I'd written about how I felt and if we could have their blessing for our future. I then added on the marriage part myself which my SO had no idea about.
After holding this in for a few days whilst I got to know them a bit better, everything was building up to this moment where I would sit down for the chat, and try to stumble through these Portuguese words to express my feelings.
My SO was away for a moment, and I took my chance - The tension was real. My hands shaking and my voice trembling slightly, but I aced the whole thing and they were both super emotional and super happy. We used Google translate so that I could understand their reply, and they told me they already saw me as their own son. Some of what they were saying was not picking up on my phone, so I told them that if they wanted to get my SO to translate a few words then that was cool, but just don't specifically mention the marriage part. They said not to worry and that we would push on with the translator.
I then decided to reiterate, using Google translate, that I had no plan for when I would propose yet, but after spending time here I felt more and more like I wanted to propose in Brazil (we had already discussed returning next year) - In hindsight, this is probably where the fun began.
Her dad wandered off whilst her mum said a few more lovely words, and he then returned with my SO. Everything was awesome, and I casually changed the subject so we could get on with the evening. However, my SO then anxiously laughs and says 'they are saying that you are going to propose.' So I'm thinking 'wtf? Way to ruin the surprise guys!' but whatever, I guess they were really excited and couldn't hold it in the moment. So I try to smoothly joke and act like they are just kidding to throw my SO off the scent.
Nope. They are insistent that I had just told them I would propose and that I had to go through with it. My poor SO is very sheepish and doesn't know what the hell has hit her. A feeling that we both shared in this moment. I then take my SO's hand (with my in-laws joyfully staring in anticipation) and tell her in English that they have very much misunderstood the situation, but that I had indeed asked for their blessing to marry her. And that now that the cat was out the bag, I may as well go through with it.
So there I am suddenly on one knee in my in-laws kitchen, no engagement ring in sight, her mother filming the awkward exchange, my SO's face in a state of disbelief. I say something sweet and ask her to marry me.
She says yes!
My FIL goes into a serious conversation with her in portuguese whilst she is still processing the whole thing in a near catatonic state, and I am awkwardly tapping her arm and muttering if we can go and talk to debrief this whole cluaterfuck of a situation. During the debrief I explain what went wrong, and how my dream of a super romantic proposal had rapidly slipped away.
After processing everything, we are both absolutely over the moon, and come away with a very interesting story to go home with. Oh, and the only person I had mentioned anything to prior to this is my father, and even then he only thinks I am coming home with a blessing.
My friends and family are certainly in for a surprise....
TL;DR Asked my Brazilian in-laws for their blessing to marry by translating from English to Portuguese. They then tell my SO that I said I am proposing to her right now... She said yes.