How to plan a marriage proposal?

You’ve realised that you’ve met the woman of your life and it is with this person that you would like to start a family and live happily? What’s next? Now is the time to think about your proposal. The first question you need to ask yourself is how to propose to make sure you get the answer “yes”? Below are the 12 best ideas for a perfect declaration of love, ending with an exchange of engagement rings.

12 ideas for proposing marriage

Proposing is not an easy thing to do. To make this special moment as successful as possible, it is best to think about all the nuances and points in advance. How to make this important moment unforgettable for you and your future wife? 

The “classic/traditional” ideas

1. Make a proposal on one knee, with a bouquet of red roses (or any other favourite flower of your future wife). This can be done in a nice big restaurant with your future wife’s favourite cuisine (European, Japanese, Vietnamese and so on), or in your favourite café where you have nice common memories.
2. Another classic option for proposing. Write the question on the pavement near the girl’s house. Then call her and ask her to look out the window, you will be there with flowers and a ring.

Homemade proposals

3. You can surprise your sweetheart with a candlelight dinner prepared by your own hands, during which you ask the important question. You can also order a special cake with a personalised declaration of love on it. The cake can be made in the form of a ring box, which contains the attribute of the engagement.
4. If you live in a country house, you can prepare a romantic dinner on the roof, or simply surprise the girl by inviting her to the decorated terrace in the evening. Stick luminous elements on the wall or ceiling with the phrase: “Become my wife!”, which your future wife will see in the dark. In addition, you can make a proposal in the morning, when you bring coffee to bed with a beautiful bouquet and a ring. You can also give your future wife a puppy or kitten, which will wear an engagement ring collar.

Share this moment of joy with your loved ones 

5. For those who prefer a warm family environment, there are also some great proposal ideas. If you are convinced that your partner also likes to share happy moments with your loved ones, you can propose in the company of family and friends. Get together with friends and family in a restaurant or have a party at home. Invite your loved ones, decorate it with flowers, garlands and balloons. 
6. If you are sure that the presence of a large number of strangers will not disturb your lover, then propose in a public place, for example on the stadium pitch during half-time breaks. This option is often offered by the administrators of some stadiums. The same can be done at the theatre or at a concert of your favourite band. All you have to do is agree with the organisers on when you will be allowed to go on stage and ask the question that is important to you.

Holydays are always a good opportunity

7. Holidays are also a good time for a touching confession. Valentine’s Day is perfect. A very symbolic holiday to take the first step towards creating a family. New Year’s Eve or birthdays are also a good time to make the proposal. 

During a trip

8. If you go on holiday by the sea, write the phrase “Marry me” on the sand or with stones. You can organise romantic evenings by the sea and hide the ring in the shell. Hire a boat, create a romantic atmosphere with music, pour champagne into glasses and take out your ring.
9. If you prefer a holiday in the mountains, you can make an offer at a ski resort by offering your hand and heart on a ski lift surrounded by picturesque mountains. 
10. Certainly, any girl will be thrilled with an offer at the Eiffel Tower, in the Florentine Rose Garden or on a gondola in Venice. An unforgettable proposal on a horse during a joint horse ride will be unforgettable. Organise your overnight stay in a tent, where you can create a romantic atmosphere with wine and fruit. If you have a beautiful voice, you can confess your feelings by the fire and sing your favourite song with a guitar.

Original ideas 

11. For those looking for a special approach, there are some original proposal ideas. Make a short video about your relationship and show it on the big screen at the cinema before the film. You can do this in the full house or try to rent a room just for the two of you. Night parks, botanical gardens and museums are ideal for proposals.
12. Climb to her window on the fire escape with a bouquet of flowers and a ring. When choosing this option, you need to make sure that the girl is at home. And also take into account some technical problems, for example the height of the floor or the presence of screens, which can spoil the whole romantic atmosphere.

MISTAKES NOT TO BE MADE DURING PREPARATION 

Don’t do it … 

The proposal is an equally important and exciting event for both partners. Even if a man wants his proposal to be as perfect as possible, he can still make mistakes that spoil all the good impressions of a joyful event. What mistakes are we talking about and what exactly is best not to do? Pay attention to the following points!

The ring in the dish or in a glass 

In some films, you can often see how the main character asks the waiter or the cook to put the ring of the bride-to-be in the dessert or in a glass of champagne. It looks very romantic on screen, but in real life it is a commonplace idea that causes more trouble than fun.

Your girlfriend may not eat sweets or drink alcohol at all. Moreover, there is a risk of choking on the ring, accidentally swallowing it, or biting it off without success. 

If you still want to propose a surprise dinner, you can place the wedding ring on a plate next to a cup of tea or coffee. This way everything will go smoothly and the lady will certainly notice the ring, which will not be sticky and dirty from the food or drink.

Reconciliation after a quarrel

Giving an engagement ring after an argument is really undesirable. There are several reasons why it is best not to propose marriage immediately after an argument. Firstly, because emotions have not yet calmed down and the woman may say “no” out of anger. Also, this will not solve the problem that caused the argument; on the contrary, it may make it worse. Finally, your proposal as a whole may be perceived by the woman as frivolous.

Cruel hoaxes

Pretending to have a heart attack, fake kidnappings and police arrests are not considered “original” marriage proposals. If even after such romps, the feelings between you are still very strong, you will certainly have to say goodbye to a lot of nerve cells. And usually, after a lot of stress, which ends up being faked, the woman clearly does not want to get married.

Worry and excitement 

It is impossible not to worry at the time of the proposal, but high excitement and a tangled tongue can ruin everything. If a feeling of fear and panic rises to your throat, you should take a short break, take a few deep breaths in and out, and when everything is working well, simply continue what you started. Your future wife will understand everything, because at this moment she will not be less worried than you are. Breathing exercises, a preliminary walk and warm-up, pleasant thoughts and ideas of a common future will help to cope with the stress.

Alcohol for courage

Yes, a marriage proposal is a nervous, exciting, and scary task for almost every man. However, it is not worth drinking alcohol to calm down. It can lead to slurred speech, forgetfulness, confusion, increased hand tremors and unsteady gait. Appropriate women normally respond to the manifestation of nervousness in men. To some extent, the lady will even be pleased that her boyfriend is so worried about her response. Therefore, drinking even a small amount of alcohol is not desirable.

Expecting an instant response

It should not be assumed that all women also want to get married as soon as possible and as soon as they are proposed to, they are immediately ready to give their positive answer. Sometimes a woman has to think before making such an important decision for herself. Silence should not be taken as a refusal. Even if your girlfriend does not accept the ring in the end, it does not mean that she is not in love. Maybe she’s just not ready to start a family yet and the man should wait a while.

Say whatever comes to mind

The phrases “It’s just circumstances”, “It’s time to get married”, “Our time has come”, “Everyone is already waiting”, are not what a woman in love wants to hear. The moment of presenting the ring is extremely exciting, so a prepared speech will simplify the complexity of the situation. But even if a young man forgets something because of strong feelings, words of love spoken from a pure heart will help to correct the situation.

As you can see, there are many interesting and original ideas for a proposal. The main thing is to listen to your heart, and it will certainly tell you the best way to implement your plan. 

Our main advice – think carefully about creating a romantic atmosphere. Saying such important words in an absolutely everyday situation, without a ring, a declaration of love, especially in a condescending tone, is clearly a bad idea. The woman wants to be in an atmosphere of spiritual intimacy. She certainly won’t like it if you propose to marry her in a completely banal atmosphere. Your girlfriend will be happy even for a simple, terse, but romantic and sincere proposal of a hand and a heart. And for this to happen, all you have to do is take her wishes into account.

What to wear if you are going to propose?

Obviously, you need to look presentable and elegant, but the number one rule is to match your outfit and accessories to the circumstances. If you want to propose in the middle of nature, the suit and bow tie will be ridiculous. But if it’s a candlelit dinner in a nice restaurant…the proposal is an important ritual. You want (or know your girlfriend wants) the proposal to feel like a scene from a romantic movie. A table in a nice restaurant, dim lights, champagne, you take out the ring, immediately, as if out of nowhere, a quartet of violins appears. Everyone applauds and the young woman squeals with delight – the scene is as old as time, but that doesn’t make it any less desirable. For this scene to be perfect, you must be well dressed. You are not expected to wear a velvet or leather jacket, but not wearing a good suit would be a crime. For the Saturday night dinner, it’s best to opt for a jacket and trousers in different shades: the contrast of dark blue and sky blue would be a perfect idea. A nice suit bag will complete your elegant look.