Manwe gave them his choice, yes.
On the relinquishing of immortality,
Squatter of Amon Rudh gave an answer which echoes my own thoughts when the subject came up in the thread 'Passing Over the Sea' started by
Thranduil.
It was given in response to this post:
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But do elves have to give up their immortality? I mean Arwen did, and some others through the ages,but does it say specifically some where that elves have to do it (if so, I'm sorry and could you please point that part out).
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Here it is:
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Elves are never obliged to give up their immortality, but they may choose to do so if they so desire. Luthien becames mortal because after her death she requests that Mandos re-unite her with Beren, and Manwe, having "sought counsel in his inmost thought, where the will of Iluvatar was revealed", offers her the choice to live in Valimar, where she could forget the griefs of her life, until the end of the world or to return to Middle-earth with Beren, but do so as a mortal and to share his fate after death.
Whilst not being obliged to make a personal request of the Valar, or to enter the Halls of Mandos, Arwen makes the same decision. She elects to share the fate of her husband so that death will not permanently separate them.
In each of these cases, immortality is something that is relinquished for love: eternal separation after death is something which the Elven-women find harder to accept than to pass beyond the circles of the world entirely, yet remain with the men that they have chosen.
For those of half-elven blood, whether to share the fate of Elves or of Men is one which they make for themselves, so that Elrond binds himself to the Firstborn, whereas his brother Elros elects the life of a Man, albeit one of greatly extended span.
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[ August 20, 2002: Message edited by: Legalos ]