The time has come. You just know it is the right time. You are going to ask the woman of your dreams to marry you. You want to spend the rest of your life together, and to announce to the rest of the world: this is the woman for you. But before the big day, you have to propose. Since you have never done this before, how do you do this very important rite of passage? Well, we’ve got some advice! Here’s a quick guide on getting you ready for one of the most memorable moments of your life!
Timing is key
As with many other things in life, timing is very important in knowing how to propose to a girl. Too early in the relationship and she might feel rushed. This might scare her for a bit. On the other hand, if you wait too late in a relationship, she will be wondering what is taking you so long and may wonder if you’re serious about the relationship at all. In a strong relationship, you will know when the right time has come.
Know yourself
Proposing to the love of your life is not the time to take on a new persona. Realistically think about your own character traits. Are you generally an informal guy? Does the thought of wearing a tux and kneeling down on one knee seem a bit too contrived to you? Your soon-to-be fiancé loves you for who you are and probably would not expect nor want that sort of proposal. Take her to one of your favorite spots so that you both feel comfortable. Plan what you are going to say beforehand, relax, and go for it! She will appreciate your honest simplicity of the proposal.
In public–Or not
We have all seen those public proposals where the woman’s name appears on the gigantic electronic scoreboard at stadiums or arenas. Creative, yes? Maybe for the first time. Now, not so creative. And then there’s the proposal involving the ring presented in a dish at the fancy restaurant. By the time you are ready to propose, you should know your partner well enough to know if she would prefer to be proposed in front of thousands of sports fans looking up at the Jumbotron scoreboard, in a restaurant with the bemused waitstaff watching or perhaps in a more private place. You should know her personality and not risk public humiliation for her if she is not comfortable with that sort of proposal.
Be prepared
Think about all the details. Of course, you have thought and thought about this very special rite of passage. You don’t want anything to go wrong. If you plan on giving her an engagement ring when you propose, make sure you know her ring size. That can be tricky to find out, so you can always give her a card inviting her to go with you to a jeweler’s where she can help choose exactly what she wants. It would not be the optimal situation if you were to give her a ring which was the wrong size. If you are proposing without the ring, make sure you have all the details worked out before. Preparation is very important for this special occasion. Know where you want to go, what you want to wear (since you probably want to take pictures of this event), and determine if the date you have chosen may conflict with other things happening that day or evening. Public holidays may mean that that the secluded beach where you had planned asking her to marry you may be filled with screaming kids, picnic-ing families, beer-chugging frat guys and competing for boom boxes. Not exactly the romantic scene you had in mind!
