Proposing to your girlfriend will likely be one of your life’s most nerve-wracking experiences, no matter how ready you are that she will say yes. Whether you’re planning to take a traditional or a more unique approach to your engagement, you’re going to want to have things mapped out as much as possible to ensure it will be a perfect experience for you both. Here are some tried-and-true ideas for a flawless proposal.
Scavenger Hunt: Turn your proposal into a mini adventure by hiding the ring somewhere in your apartment or home and having your girlfriend follow a set of clues that will lead her to the diamond. If you think this tactic will tip off your intended, you may consider getting your friends in on the scheme to pretend like it’s a group activity. But for those of you who think your girl wouldn’t dare expect a ring, a private scavenger hunt will be a fun and intimate way to really emphasize the surprise. Draw a map and let the romantic adventure begin.
Romantic Dinner: While it may sound cliché, sometimes an intimate dinner is the perfect time to spring the proposal, especially for couples who value romance and privacy. The best way to go about this approach is to keep it out of the restaurants. Set up a cozy space at your home, in a park, or some other private space, and consider cooking the meal yourself. This will demonstrate your sincerity and lend an added sense of romance to the occasion. If you’re a terrible cook, then order some gourmet food from a high-rated local restaurant or have the evening catered.
On Vacation: If you and your significant other have the opportunity for a fun, romantic getaway during the time frame that you want to propose, then make some travel arrangements and hold out for that perfect setting. Proposing on a vacation is an excellent way to make sure both you and your girlfriend are relaxed and have some alone time together to bask in the glory and excitement of your engagement before getting back to the real world.
During a Mutual Hobby: Do you and your honey love to run marathons together? Maybe chess, photography, or bowling is more your thing? If your love is based on a mutual respect for a hobby or activity, consider building your proposal around the pastime that brought you together. Pop the question at the end of a run, tournament, or weekend photo drive. It will really make her think that you care about the relationship and that you love to spend time with her. Knowing that you and she can share many years of fun times together coupled with the excitement of the activity coupled with the reminder of all the things that bind your relationship together are sure to sweep her off her feet.
In the Great Outdoors: There’s nothing more inspiring than getting outside and appreciating the natural beauty at your fingertips. Turn a mountain hike or a riverside stroll into a momentous activity by proposing to your girlfriend in the great outdoors. Maybe you make it a day trip just outside of town or maybe you go all out with a week-long trek through the deep woods. Once again, you and your spouse-to-be will be relaxed and in-tune to both yourselves, your surroundings, and your relationship, making your proposal all the more memorable.
Over a Holiday: Think you could use a Christmas away from your family dramas and your Aunt Edna’s fruit cake? Convince your girlfriend that the two of you need a holiday on your own and spend some quality time curled up by the fire. Cook a romantic Christmas or Thanksgiving feast together and start some of your own traditions. You’ll both be so relaxed by a holiday without the traditional pressures that it will be the perfect time to surprise her with a ring. This time spent together will set in her mind and the thought of spending even more holidays with you will set in her mind. This is truly one of the most romantic times to propose to your sweetheart.
Recreate Your First Date: Of course, it seems like forever ago that you and your girlfriend were a couple of awkward strangers trying to navigate the ins and outs of the first date experience. But something about that date worked, and, let’s face it, it’s most likely the one date in your courtship that you’re both destined to remember forever. So why not go back to that place where you were both aflutter with nerves and excitement? Recreating your first date lends a sense of history to your relationship and allows you both to be nostalgic and proud of how far you’ve come while being excited for the future ahead.
Go Fishing: Whether or not your girl is in to angling over still waters, one creative way to propose is to get her out on a boat with a fishing pole in hand. Tie the ring (securely!) to the end of her pole and tell her you think she has a nibble. When she reels in her “fish,” you pop the question. It may sound a little cheesy on paper, but chances are your significant other isn’t a fisherwoman, and therefore she will be totally blown away and caught off guard to catch both a diamond and a fiancé. Also this shows your creativeness and a bit of your spontaneous spirit. Women love a man who is fun and spontaneous.
Under the Stars: Make your proposal as dreamy as possible by asking for your girlfriend’s hand in marriage under a clear night sky. Pick a rural spot and suggest a nighttime picnic or if you’re lucky enough to live near an observatory ask her if she would like to view some constellations. Perhaps you could even look into renting out part of the observatory out for some added privacy. What woman doesn’t love to get swept of her feet under the stars. Pop the question under the stars and create some shooting stars of your own.
The Classic: It’s been done a million times before, but combining your engagement ring with a glass of champagne is a classic and romantic way to pop the question. If you’re willing to be super vigilant, consider the old-time ritual of putting the ring in her champagne. Otherwise, tie it around the stem of her glass. It may not be the most original way to propose but it certainly is a very classy thing to do. What better way to celebrate your engagement than to drink up right after you here the words you want to hear. She will have a engagement to remember and that she will love to tell for years to come. So why not drink up and share your love with the love of your life and accent it with a bottle of the bubbly!
Airplane Banner: OK, so you’ve seen it in a million movies, but it doesn’t mean that your girlfriend still wouldn’t be completely floored to get proposed to via a huge airplane banner in the sky. Or get fancy and hire a sky writer to spell it out in smoke. This isn’t the most romantic way to propose but it is certainly a fun way to do it. Picture this, you and your special lady swimming in the ocean and having a great day just spending time with each other and catching some rays. The clock strikes noon and here comes your plane. You tell her to look up to the sky and she sees your perfect proposal and you and she get to spend the rest of your lives together. Sound like this is up your alley?
At the Movies: Are you and your honey total film buffs? Maybe going to the movies is a weekly ritual? Well one way to propose would be to capitalize on the resources at hand. Look into renting out a movie theater and recording your own personal video proposal to play on the big screen. Or go all out and create your own personal drive-in movie theater in your backyard. Either way if you two love to spend time together and enjoy a good film this could be the perfect way to tell your honey that you’re ready to take the next step in life together!
Fortune Cookie: Fortune Cookies, with their future-telling messages, are a cute and unique way to orchestrate a proposal. Order in some Chinese food or go out to your favorite local dive and substitute your personalized fortune cookie for the restaurant version after the meal. You can order your own cookies with your custom messagebaked in or make your own cookies and bake in both the message and the ring. If you do decide to bake the message and the ring in together you better hope she isn’t an eat first read later kind of lady. Nonetheless this is a very cute and fun way to propose.
Give her Big Sign: Signs are everywhere in this world, so why not use some to your advantage? Consider a proposal on a well-placed billboard, perhaps near your favorite shopping spot. Or, if you’re a sporty couple with a particular love for a particular team, take her to a game and pop the question on the jumbotron. Some women have stated that this might not be the most favorable way to propose but it is certainly done enough. On the bright side of the idea she will know that you want everyone to know that you love her and want to be with her for as long as you both shall live. This public display of affection is one that she will appreciate and remember forever.
Puzzle Proposal: Maybe you and your girlfriend enjoy nothing more than a good jigsaw on a Saturday night or maybe you are just looking for a unique way to grab her attention. With some of the software on the market, you can create your own jigsaw puzzle with a custom message and even include an image by simply uploading your favorite picture. This method of proposal is both cute and creative and fun. Who doesn’t like spending some down time and putting together a good puzzle. She will know that you put a lot of thought into how you chose to propose when she gets the the end of this puzzle!
