10 Steps for the Perfect Proposal

Congrats! You have finally met your person or as Phoebe Buffet from our favorite sitcom Friends puts it, your lobster. So, your next step is to get engaged! Does anyone else get the butterfly feeling when you hear the word engaged? Just me? Okay. 

Proposals can be scary, I mean, you’re asking someone to commit to you for the rest of your life! However, they are also so beautiful. To help out our readers, we have created a checklist of the things you need to do to ensure a hiccup-free proposal. 

1. Drop a hint

I think it’s fair to say that most people want to be completely surprised by their proposal and when we say drop a hint, we don’t mean tell them you are thinking of proposing soon, rather, put a feeler out to see where your partner is at. A lot of relationships talk about marriage prior to getting engaged. So, if you are thinking that you are finally ready to pop the question, make sure your partner is on the same page. 

2. Talk to their family!

This is a big one and it obviously depends on the relationship your partner has with their family but in most cases, this is a given. You are not only marrying your partner but their family as well, so make sure you start off on a good note! 

Photo by Jose Martinez on Unsplash

3. Size them fingers 

In order to find the perfect engagement ring you need to know the size of their ring finger. Some people just flat out ask which is totally okay! If you are trying to be discreet - you can always find a ring that they have and take it to a jeweler to ask their size OR ask their close family and friends if they know (they probably do ;)). 

4. Budget

This is an important step which I think is overlooked a lot. You need to decide how much you are willing to spend on a ring and the actual proposal itself. This really depends on you and your relationship! Some stick to the “Three months salary rule” (if you make 2k a month you are supposed to spend 6k on a ring), but that is a little outdated in my opinion! Others don’t expect much. Here is what I think - this is an incredibly significant purchase as your partner is likely to wear this the rest of their life. So if there is ever a time to splurge it’s now but don’t go into debt trying to get the perfect ring. Save! 

As for the proposal itself - you know your relationship and what the expectations are. Some people want extravagant proposals to Paris, others want their family involved, some people want it just the two of you in your living room! The point is - this is YOUR proposal. Do it the way that fits your relationship best! 

5. Pick out the perfect ring! 

Okay - this is one of the harder parts. However, you know your partner better than anyone and if you feel like their BFF Sarah knows it better, bring her with you! You gotta choose color, cut, design, stone etc. Some like traditional while others like vintage. Platinum is super in right now! Check their Pinterest board for ideas. They likely have something pinned that’ll help you decide! 

6. Plan the proposal.

Things to think about here include: 

• Who is all going to be a part of it? Is it just the two of you, are family members involved, etc. 

• You need to pick a date and time! Is this date of importance? If not, that’s okay because it will become important after that night! Think about the kind of proposal you want to decide the date. If you want an outdoor proposal, maybe January isn’t the best (but you can always bundle up - just plan ahead!). 

• Think about the decor. A lot of people want an instagrammable moment for their proposal so make it cute! Even if you plan to do it in your living room - make sure you clean up and have some lights or candles burning! Our Proposal Party Box is the perfect box for a seamless proposal. It comes with candles, rose petals, foil heart balloons, and GIANT 40” ‘Marry Me’ Balloons!

Photo by Jordan Whitfield on Unsplash

 

7. Hire a photographer. 

I’m being serious. People want their moment captured! Even if you don’t hire a professional photographer - make sure you have someone hiding in the bushes to capture the moment where they say YES! 

8. Prepare your speech. 

If you have the words, say them! We LOOOOOVE hearing cute speeches of your undying love. Nonetheless, I’ve heard that some people plan a speech and constantly rehearse it but when the time comes - they lose it. That’s okay! The words “Will you marry me?” will definitely suffice.

9. Pop the question!

With all of these items on your checklist. You are sure to have a great proposal! Just get down on a knee, pop the question, and start the next chapter.

10. Celebrate! 

WOOOOOOOOO! They said yes! Now it’s time to get your party hats because we are celebrating!