There is no right or wrong way to ask your special someone to spend the rest of their life with you. However, there are several ways to ensure that your proposal goes off without a hitch! Popping the question is a poignant moment in your love story and you should be prepared.
Here are top 10 tips for taking this big step toward wedded bliss in stride:
1. Make it meaningful
If there was ever a time to get sentimental, this is it! Think back on noteworthy moments in your relationship and try to tie them into your proposal. Take your sweetheart back to where you first met, first kissed, or first said “I love you”. Play your song during the proposal or include your pet. Get creative. We can help! We have helped to set up some really creative ideas including: a basket of her favorite candy and wine, pictures of their love story clipped in with string lights, and using items in our setup that were sentimental to the couple.
2. Don’t be too trendy
Sure the new trendy restaurant in town might be the perfect spot for a romantic night out, but will today’s hot spot be tomorrow’s old news? When it comes to selecting the destination for your proposal, pick a spot that will more than likely still be there in 50 years. A place that you can go back to and reminisce. An outdoor location is always a great choice! Still want to go to that hip new restaurant, consider going there for dinner before or after you pop the question. You can book our full "Say I Do" package and enjoy a charcuterie appetizer and some bubbly before you go have a dinner elsewhere.
3. Consider if the proposal should be public or private
Not everyone wants to be in the spotlight, while others might revel in it. Consider how your loved one will react to an audience. If you are unsure, it's time to do some digging. Ask friends and family whose secrecy you can trust for their advice. Or pretend to find proposal videos online and ask your lover what they think about it. When in doubt, always play it safe. He or she obviously adores being alone with you, so you cannot go wrong with a one-on-one environment.
4. Develop an airtight decoy story
This is a vital part to a successful marriage proposal. Begin developing your decoy story by thinking of things that your intended can't say no to—and would be excited to do. Involve an accomplice to really throw them off track and plan it out.
5. Don’t let the secret slip
The more details people know, the more you risk ruining the surprise. Find out who needs to know what ahead of time, and keep everyone on a need-to-know basis. It's more fun to share the happy news together as a couple anyway.
6. Have a backup plan
Thinking a walk along the beach ending in a picture perfect picnic would be the perfect place? We agree, the beach is lovely … until you wake up that day to dark skies and stormy weather. As you're brainstorming your plan, have a few indoor spaces in your back pocket, OR be flexible with your timing. We have had to move proposals around by several hours or even several days when mother nature was uncooperative.
7. Don’t neglect your own look
Planning your "proposal outfit" may sound silly, but we're talking logistics more than we are fashion (though you will want to look sharp). Keep the ring box safe and concealed up until the big moment by choosing pants or a jacket with deep pockets (and no holes!).
8. Stick to an idea & not a script
Of course you'll want to have some notion of what to say when you propose and how to say it. Maybe you want to reflect on a shared memory or common interest, or to simply tell him or her what you love most about them—do that, and it will be heartfelt no matter the words you choose. But if you memorize lines like an actor in a play, it will sound unnatural at best and forced at worst.
9. Don’t sweat it
If something unexpected ruins the moment, laugh it off and remind yourself that this is real life—not a rom-com. And think of the hilarious story you'll have to tell in the future.
10. Share the news
If you're a guy about to propose to your girlfriend, tradition would tell you that you should approach her parents first to ask for her hand in marriage. If you're not the traditional type, however (and won't be offending any of her family members who are), there's nothing standing between you and your to-be-fiancée, except maybe a mean case of the jitters. That said, once you slip the ring on her finger, you should call or visit those closest to you before broadcasting your news to the wider, social-media world.
If you are hoping to propose and need some help executing your plan, check out our packages and give us a call! If you're hoping to be a fiancé sooner rather than later, share this article with your lover as a subtle hint. We'll do the rest!