Planning a proposal can be super stressful. After all, it is one of the biggest moments of your life! There can be so much information and ideas out there that it can seem very overwhelming. In this article, I am going to share with you my top tips for proposing to the person you wish to spend forever with, and it might not be as hard as you might think!
1.) Don’t Rush To Propose
In today’s culture, there can be a lot of pressure to propose soon after you start dating. It can be especially frustrating when friends and family start hinting or out right asking you when you intend to pop the question. You want to make sure that you get to know each other really well before you take the next level of commitment. When you are ready to propose, you should have already talked about marriage, and you should already have a good idea of what her answer will be before you ask. Take your time, enjoy dating, and try not to rush into it.
2.) Chat with Her Parents Prior to Proposing
Although it may seem old fashioned, it does show a large level of commitment and respect to both your future bride and her family when you go through the extra effort of talking to her parents before you ask her to marry you. This can seem really overwhelming and nerve-racking, but is worth the little extra effort and your soon to be fiancée will thank you for it.
3.) How To Choose Your Proposal Location
The next thing you need to think about is how to choose your perfect proposal location. Where you get engaged will play a role in your love story and is not something that you or your future wife will forget. A lot of people choose locations that already have a significance in their relationship such as a first date location, a first kiss location, or a place that has a significant impact on their life such as a Church. Other locations you could think about are beautiful nature scenes, or after an activity that you both enjoy doing such as hiking, visiting the zoo, star gazing, or after enjoying a glass of wine together at a vineyard.
4.) Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
People LOVE love. You would be surprised at how many people would be willing to help you pull off the perfect proposal. Calling ahead to a restaurant, asking your friends to set up candles or rose petals, or asking someone to make sure nobody disturbs you during your moment are all ways that you can have others assist you. Having the help of other people can make the moment far less stressful for you.
5.) Should You Book A Proposal Photographer?
The moment you ask your girlfriend to marry you is one of the biggest moments of your life. You can for sure ask a friend or family member to take pictures, but sometimes, especially if you or your girlfriend want a more private proposal, booking a professional photographer is best. That way, you know that you will be getting beautiful images, and you won’t feel the extra pressure of having a family member or close friend nearby while you are proposing.
6.) Public vs. Private Proposal
This is where knowing your girlfriend and her preferences come into play. There are really two ways to propose – when you are totally alone, or when you have other people around. Proposing in front of friends and family can add an extra level of stress, but some women prefer to celebrate with their families. Other times, they might be fine with strangers being around, but would prefer to not have people they personally know. Other times, either you or her might prefer the moment to happen with just you two, and no other person around. So how do you know which one is preferred? You can ask, or ask one of your girlfriend’s friends to ask her for you.
7.) Which Knee do You Get On When Proposing
The short answer – it doesn’t really matter! You are probably going to be nervous, so trying to remember which knee to go down on is one thing that you don’t really need to worry about. Your girlfriend will not be paying attention, so go ahead and do whatever feels comfortable to you.
8.) What To Say When You are Proposing
The key here is to not over think it. When you are asking your girlfriend to marry you, you should stick with concepts as opposed to a rehearsed script. There seems to be a lot of pressure to say the perfect thing, but in all reality, you just need to make sure you tell your girl friend that you love her and ask her to marry you. That’s it!
9.) Keep It Simple
Too many people over complicate their proposals. The main goal of your proposal is to ask your girlfriend to marry you, and that’s it! Of course, we want to make it special, but by taking some of the tips above, you can implement things into your proposal that are special to you and that will stick with you throughout your whole life. Sometimes, simplicity is the best way.
10.) Be Flexible
Last, but certainly not least is to be flexible. Things aren’t going to go exactly as planned. Maybe she’s running late, maybe she wants to go get ice cream first, maybe a detail you wanted gets left out. But that’s ok. At the end of the day, you just want to make the shift from having a girlfriend to having a fiancée and that is going to happen regardless of whatever else is going on if you just ask.
Final Thoughts
I hope this article was helpful for you to be able to start planning your big moment. The biggest thing to remember is that the way that the moment will be the most memorable is to incorporate things that are meaningful to both of you. So go ahead and tie the ring to the dog’s collar, or take her out to your family’s lake house. I promise you that it will all be worth it.
Best wishes to you!
P.S. Looking for someone to capture your Fargo Proposal? Let’s Chat.
