Proposing to the love of your life is something you want to get right. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance to tell the person of your dreams how much you love them and that you want to spend the rest of your life with them.
With so much pressure to make your grand gesture romantic and memorable and countless ways to do it, it can be daunting to decide on the right proposal strategy. If you’re ready to pop the question but unsure how or when, this step by step guide can help you plan the perfect marriage proposal for you and your partner.
Make Sure Your Partner Is Ready To Get Engaged
Many people want their proposal to be surprising and exciting, but that doesn’t necessarily mean spontaneous. Before popping the question, talk to your future fiancée about how she’s feeling about marriage. This may seem unromantic, but it’s way more unromantic to receive a “no” when you ask.
You don’t have to get too specific in your discussion about getting engaged, but try to gauge her interest level. If she’s clearly excited, you can play detective and try to figure out some specifics about what she would like in her proposal. If she’s not as enthusiastic, listen to her concerns and hesitations. Just because she’s not ready now doesn’t mean she won’t be later.
Think About What They Want In A Proposal
When planning your proposal, consider what your future wife might want. Asking your partner what they like and dislike about proposals can help you narrow down your options.
You may want to ask your partner outright. If you’ve been together a while, she’s probably already thought about the engagement and likely has some custom proposal ideas of her own. If you want to keep your proposal a complete surprise, you can still ask her more general questions about what she likes and dislikes about proposals without her catching on.
Even if your fiancée suspects that you are going to propose, the proposal can still be romantic and surprising. It’s better to ask for her input and propose in a way she will love than to surprise her with a proposal she’ll hate.
Discuss Your Plans With Your Partner’s Family, Friends
If you don’t know how to propose, your future fiancée’s family and friends can be an excellent resource. They can provide insight into what she might want or how she wants to be asked. They might also be able to help you choose an engagement ring.
You can also ask one of your future fiancée’s close friends for proposal advice. They can help you gather intel from your partner or provide insight on what they already know your partner wants. Talk strategy. You may want to enlist their help on the day of your proposal to keep your partner distracted or bring her to a surprise location where you’ll be waiting with a ring.
It’s traditional in many communities to ask your future bride’s parents for permission before proposing. When people get married, they join each other’s families, so many deem it important to include the parents in the proposal process. Before proposing, ask your fiancée or her family members how they feel about this tradition. You don’t want to start your engagement on the wrong foot by neglecting the family.
Consider Time And Place
Once you have a general idea of how you want to propose, select a time and a place. Remember to consider your future wife’s schedule when planning, especially if you’re going to photograph the occasion.
Have A Plan, Not A Script
No matter how well rehearsed and throughout, every proposal plan will have some hiccups. It is more important to go with the flow and live in the moment than stick to what you wrote down in your perfect proposal planner.
The spontaneous changes will add to the excitement and buzz of the moment, so soak it in and see all surprises as serendipity.
