Hey you!
Since you clicked on this article, let’s start by congratulating you for finding love, for finding a life partner and for finding the person who’ll truly be yours for the rest of your life. You may have been high school sweethearts, have met in college or through a mutual friend or as the modern way goes, you both swiped right and now, here you are.
Doing your research on how to plan the perfect marriage proposal is key and you’ve come to the right place!
We are confident you’ve got what it takes to pop the question in the most memorable way and we’ve got your back to make your long-awaited moment run as smoothly as possible. We’ve put together 8 steps to guide you towards your perfect proposal, summarizing a few things that you should ideally consider before going down on one knee.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
1. Determine your budget
This is a crucial step, as a lot of costs going into a proposal are too often forgotten (it ain’t just the ring!)
Here, you would ideally want to arrive at a ballpark figure of what you would be able to spend on the proposal. The budget will vary according to the kind of setting you want the engagement to take place in and the way you wish to propose. We have had people wanting to keep it simple and propose to their loved one with a picnic in the park or in their own backyard and we’ve also had people wanting the proposal to be a grand coordinated gesture with dance, music and people all around.
So, it’s really up to what you want and what you think your partner would like. Accordingly, you’ll have to include the cost of all the arrangements that you’re planning to make, including any people you may hire as photographers or musicians, the costs of flowers, decor, food and beverage that you’re going to need and of course, the famous engagement ring.
2. Purchase a ring
When it comes to engagement rings, the options are endless. Do you know what your partner’s preferred metal, stones, color, cut and style are? Once you know these preferences and have set a clear budget for yourself in step one, you can go ahead and make the big purchase! Some additional advice would be to shop for your ring a few weeks or a few months in advance, especially if you are thinking of creating a custom piece. Still unsure of the perfect style? Try to glance at their instagram or Pinterest board in case they have a specific model saved in their favorites. Best friends who you can trust can also show you the right direction, but watch out so they don’t spill the beans! You wouldn’t want the experience of asking your partner to marry you to be ruined by an early reveal.
If you know your partner is picky and you would like to let them choose the ring, you can always propose with an empty box from their favorite jewelry store. Just make sure to set up a private appointment following up your big question!
3. Consider asking for your partner’s parents’ blessing
Although way less frequent nowadays, asking for a blessing may be part of your journey. We agree that having a conversation with the people who matter is important. Depending on your situation, you should feel whether you need to ask for your partner’s hand in marriage and if you do, then who do you need to speak to. Asking to marry someone is kind of a big deal, especially if your partner belongs to a traditional family. Different families have different structures and you should be sensitive towards the kind of structure your partner’s family has. The last thing you want is to start your happily ever after on the wrong foot!
4. Make it personal
The perfect marriage proposal does not have to be on a romantic vacation or at the fanciest restaurant in town if that doesn’t represent your partner and you. The way you propose should speak of your journey and should resonate with the both of you. There are small clues that you can pay attention to that would guide you to your perfect proposal, like during weekends, does your partner prefer to have a warm, cozy night in or an adventurous night out? Are they more shy and reserved or love the attention and are the life of the party?
Here are some additional ways you can make it extra special, by incorporating small details that are unique to your couple. For example you could run a playlist of songs that marked your relationship in the background or you could have quotes from your favorite movies written on small notes. Maybe bring them to the place you two met, had your first kiss or said “I love you” for the first time to each other. There are multiple ways by which you can make your proposal personal and creative!
5. Assemble a team
If you’ve read this far, we know that there are probably a hundred different thoughts running through your mind as to how to select the right place, date and time, on top of having the music play perfectly on cue, setting up all the arrangements and decor and making sure all fits within budget.
Our suggestion? Doing this alone can rapidly get overwhelming, so try asking some key people in your life for a hand, but make sure they are trustworthy and reliable. Getting the perfect picture or having the right step up is important – you won’t be doing this twice! So delegate some tasks to people who can deliver. If no specific names come to mind or if you are too nervous about the potential mishaps that could happen, consider turning to the pros to make this milestone all the more memorable and worry-free! At The I Do Club, we understand that this isn’t just a big moment for your partner, but a really important moment for you as well, so we want you to be calm, collected and excited without letting the worries of planning and coordinating a marriage proposal get to you. We got your back!
6. Determine the distraction plan
The key to a smooth proposal is for your partner to not suspect a thing! Therefore, you need to come up with a smart and plausible excuse to get your partner out of the house and away, doing something that’ll keep them distracted. These distractions can be in the form of a surprise spa day (pampering included!), a fake celebration or even a friends’ night out if you’ve asked your partner’s bff for a hand. As long as the cover is subtle, it should do the trick!
7. Put the plan into action
Practice your speech because the big day is coming up!
Once you’ve got all the elements stated above under control, you are ready to execute your master plan. Try to stay relaxed and composed, and remember, as Alexander Graham Bell once said: preparation is the key to success.
If you’ve put enough time and effort into your planning, or even better, you’ve let professionals help you with their magic touch – you shouldn’t worry.
From now on, make sure you savor every minute of the day (even the nerve wracking part!) as this magical moment between your partner and yourself will only happen once – and trust the experts! – will be over in a flash!
8. Celebrate and share the good news
You don’t necessarily have to plan a full-fledged engagement party, but why not find a way to celebrate this important moment of your life – you deserve it!
For example, you may want to have a small gathering including both of your friends & family to cheer for this exciting news after the event.
And after an intimate celebration, what about sharing the news with… the rest of the world!
Did you know?
In this digital age, more than 64% of millennials share their engagement on social media within a few hours of the proposal! #isaidyes
But, to each their own. So, if you or your partner prefer to share the news with your close circle only, that’s completely okay. If you both want to keep this news to yourselves for a while, we don’t blame you! It’s fun to savor the bliss!
In the end, it is your day and you get to create your own story. Just like there’s only one couple like you and your partner, there will only be one proposal like the one you will share! Uniqueness is what makes it awesome and whatever it is that you choose, the experts at The I Do Club will be here to guide you every step of the way and make this an unforgettable marriage proposal.
