My then-boyfriend went on his own to talk with my parents prior to proposing to me. He didn't "ask" for their permission but from what I heard after the fact, they had a good long talk about marriage and whatnot. He showed them the ring he'd designed and purchased for me and the following weekend I was wearing it! I like that he wanted to first speak with my parents before proposing to me. I hope that my future daughters' boyfriends do the same.