How to Pull Off the Perfect Proposal: Essential Tips and Ideas
It’s overwhelming. All of those marriage proposals that you see go viral. Fantastical showcases that take the coordination of a Broadway show. Flash mobs. Arenas. Hot air balloon rides. How the heck are you supposed to pull that off? Let us relieve some of the pressure: You’re not. As much of a non-answer that is, it’s the truth. The only question you should be asking yourself is, “What do my significant other and I want in a proposal?” After you answer that, the rest will fall into place.
What Do You and Your Significant Other Want?
A proposal is an extremely personal thing. You shouldn’t let anyone else determine the “right” way to propose to the person you love. To help you answer the above question, you can ask yourself:
- What things do the two of you share? Favorite musicians, restaurants, foods, cities? Let your shared interests guide you to something super special.
- Is your fiance introverted or extroverted? Do you want to make a big show out of it? The worst thing you could do would be to put yourself or your significant other in an uncomfortable position.
- Do you want it to be just the two of you? Does your vision of the perfect proposal involve just you and your partner in an imitate setting or the two of you surrounded by all your friends and family?
For some, a look over at their significant other on the couch and a “Hey, do you want to get married?” may be perfect. Others will want a little more planning and coordination, but may still want it to be private—like climbing to the top of a mountain before proposing. Others will want the massive flash mob and a celebrity showing up to sing their favorite song before “Will You Marry Me” fireworks explode in the sky. Only you know what the right vibe would be.
Finding the Right Ring
This is step one. You may be the type of person who knows exactly the type of ring that their significant other wants. You know their ring size, the materials they prefer, and whether they want a dainty diamond or a massive rock.
This will be easier for you. But others of us are not as keyed in to these types of things. You may have absolutely no idea. But don’t worry! There are tactics that you can use to find the perfect wedding ring.
●Crowdsource the Operation – If you don’t know the style of ring your partner wants, you’ve got to bring in the people who do. This means their best friends, their parents, their siblings, or whoever may know your soon-to-be spouse and what type of jewelry they like. You should know these people on some level as well. If you are trying to keep this a surprise, you can’t involve anyone who has a hard time keeping things quiet.
●Use a Stand-In Ring – If you don’t have someone who you can bring in for help, you can use a stand-in ring. There are two ways that you can do this:
○You can get a cheap ring that still looks nice, and then tell your partner that the ring is just a stand-in and that you want to go pick out one with them at a later time.
○You can get a really nice ring that you think your partner will like, and then tell them that if they don’t like the ring, it is totally okay, and they can trade it in and get something they like (just make sure you can return the nice ring before you purchase it).
Preparing to Propose
If you’re going with a big production, you need to coordinate with everyone involved to make sure everything goes to plan. But preparation is not only for the people putting on a big show. You may still want to practice what you’re going to say beforehand, no matter what you’re doing. You may be a little nervous, and a little practice will go a long way.
Picking a Location
Not everyone goes to a special location for their proposal, but many do. When you are determining your location, you must think about what your proposal involves. It is often a logistical decision. For instance, if you want to have your family involved, you will want to pick a place that makes it easy for the entire family to get there (grandma might have a hard time getting to the summit of your favorite mountain). If you want to propose over a private dinner, you’ll need to coordinate this with a restaurant.
If you want a specific destination to be the location of the proposal, then you will need to make an excuse to go there. This could be as simple as you two “going on a vacation.” But, remember, that also means you will have to keep the proposal a secret for that long. For some, this will be the equivalent of Chinese water torture. Pick a spot that is personal, that means something to your relationship. This could be visiting a place they always wanted to visit together and proposing there. It could be the location of your first kiss. Whatever it is, having the location be personal in nature can make it all that more special.
Hire a Photographer
Do you want to hire a professional photographer to capture the proposal? This has become common practice, but that doesn’t mean it’s a requisite. A professional photographer will be sure to make the moment look magical. But, if you don’t really care about that, you can always have a friend record it on their smartphone. In the end, it’s really about capturing the moment and, as long as that happens, you may not care how it looks. You could also just keep the moment private between you and your soon-to-be fiance.
One Last Note
Don’t stress about the proposal too much. It’s, no doubt, one of the most exciting times of your life, but, in the end, it’s about celebrating your love rather than creating a big spectacle. What really matters is that you are about to spend the rest of your life with the person that you love. As long as they say yes, everything else about the proposal is just icing on the cake!
