Once Upon A Time is heavily inspired by a variety of fairy tales. With romance being a major component of many fairy tales, Once Upon A Time naturally made romance a core aspect of the show.
From couples that are traditionally together in fairy tales like Snow White and Prince Charming, to less traditional pairings like Belle and Rumplestiltskin, the show’s couples swept audiences off their feet with heartwarming and sometimes heartbreaking romantic gestures.
Cross over to Storybrooke as we look at the 10 Biggest (And Best) Romantic Gestures In Once Upon A Time.
Regina And Robin Hood’s First Kiss
Not only was Regina incredibly hard on herself, but she was also someone who sometimes struggled to share her true feelings with others. Throughout the second half of season 3, she grew closer to Robin Hood. There was tangible chemistry and attraction between the two of them, yet they seemed unable to take any kind of steps that would make their relationship something more.
All these elements made it a standout moment at the end of the episode “Bleeding Through” where Regina approached Robin in the forest and began passionately kissing him. Regina stopped being hard on herself, allowed herself to share her true feelings, and helped her relationship with Robin go to a more meaningful level.
Snow And Charming’s Real Wedding
Snow White and Prince Charming’s fancy, public wedding didn’t go so well as the Evil Queen burst in and declared she would destroy everyone’s happiness. The season 2 episode “Lady of the Lake” showed that Snow and Charming had already been married, though, in a private and more meaningful ceremony.
Snow proposed that they get married with no one in attendance but Charming’s mother Ruth and with their friend Lancelot as the officiant. Ruth was on death’s door and her only regret was that she wouldn’t be able to see her son marry the love of his life. Snow made sure Ruth would be able to get her last wish. The ceremony was simple, intimate, and illustrated the depth of Snow and Charming’s love for one another.
Hook Giving Up The Jolly Roger For Emma
The chemistry had been there for a long time between Emma and Hook. The question was whether their relationship could go to a deeper, more serious level. One of the key moments that showed this was possible came in the season 3 finale when Hook revealed that he gave up his beloved ship the Jolly Roger in order to get back to Emma.
He sold it for a magic bean, all so he could get back to the Land Without Magic so Emma could help save her family. When Emma realized what Hook gave up for her, she looked at him in a way she never had before as she realized that this man would do anything for her.
Beauty And The Beast dance
Belle and Rumplestiltskin’s relationship always drew many parallels to the central relationship between Beauty and the Beast. That made it fit in the season 4 premiere when the characters had their first dance as a married couple. From the “Tale As Old Of Time” tune to the costumes to the chandelier, everything evoked the moving scene from Beauty and the Beast and how it mirrored Belle and Rumplestiltskin’s relationship.
The looks on their faces and the energy between them in this scene made their love feel palpable. It’s also significant that Rumplestiltskin is the one to initiate the dance as Belle was usually the more romantic one.
Going To The Underworld To Save Hook
Few couples can say they’ve gone to Hell and back to save one another. Emma can basically say this as she went to the Underworld to save Hook after the tragic circumstances of his death.
She did it out of love, with some of her friends and family so moved by this that they joined her quest in the Underworld, knowing that a return trip was no sure thing. Emma’s initial plan and many of the plans that followed seemed to fail, but in the end, Hook returned to the land of the living, largely because of the efforts led by Emma.
Robin Hood Sacrificing Himself For Regina
Hades tried to kill Regina with the Olympian Crystal, which would not only end her life but also obliterate her soul, meaning she wouldn’t go to the Underworld and have the chance to move on. Robin Hood saved Regina from this fate as he jumped in front of her and took the full blast of the Olympian Crystal.
In the final moments, before his soul was destroyed, he reached out to Regina and gazed on her with a look full of adoration. Sacrificing his life and his soul certainly showed that his love for Regina was true and he would go to any lengths to help her.
Sharing A Heart
Due to circumstances involving Zelena and Emma, the heroes had no chance but to enact another Dark Curse in season 3. The Dark Curse only works if a person crushes the heart of the person they love most. This led to Snow having to crush her beloved Charming’s heart.
While Charming sacrificing himself for his wife and children is noble, the most romantic part came when Snow begged Regina to split her heart in two, keeping one half for herself and the other half for Charming. She knew their love was strong enough that they could literally share a heart. Snow’s plan worked and they loved one another for many more years, all while they each shared half of the same heart.
Building A Home Together
As they waited for the eternal sun to set on the Edge of Realms, Belle suggested that she and Rumplestiltskin build a home together, with no magic involved. Rumple agreed and what followed was a heartwarming, Up-inspired montage where Belle and Rumple built a beautiful, cozy home and life together.
After all the tumultuous stages of their relationship, they finally got a chance to simply enjoy and live their lives. As both Rumple and the audience realized by the end of the episode, Belle sacrificed a great deal to make it happen, but it was worth it so she and Rumple could finally find peace and happiness.
Emma Saves Hook Instead Of Her Heart
In one of her last efforts to help Hook leave the Underworld and return him to the land of the living, Emma tried to help Hook acquire Ambrosia, which would safely restore his soul to his body. In order to acquire it, Emma and Hook needed to prove that their love for one another was true. The test came when Emma had to place her literal heart on a scale.
Moments later she was gasping for air and Hook was on fire. Instead of taking back her heart first so she could save herself, Emma chose to save Hook. This choice proved their love was true and allowed them to pass the test. Emma was often guarded about her feelings and sometimes questioned the authenticity of their relationship, but this moment beyond doubt proved the authenticity of their relationship and what she was willing to give up for him.
True Love’s Kiss And A Proposal
It’s hard to top the opening scene of the series where Prince Charming–accompanied by epic music in the background–races across the terrains of the Enchanted Forest to find Snow White and wake her from a Sleeping Curse. True love’s kiss wakes her, reunites them, and the utter joy between them feels palpable.
An additional flashback shown in a later episode revealed that Charming proposed to her shortly after this. Numerous proposals and curse-breaking kisses of true love would follow, but none would ever top the couple that kicked off the entire story.
