If you’re ready to pop the question, you’re probably experiencing a lot of emotions right now. Among those is likely the fear that you’ll miss something important. We’re going to go through the checklist of things you need to do before you ask your significant other to spend the rest of your life with you.
The location
Carefully think through the location you have in mind and whether it fits what your partner would like. If they have motion sickness, a cruise might not be the best place to propose. Go through the scenario in your head, imagining what they would say and do. You probably know each other well enough now that you can generally predict how they will act and what they will say. When considering the location, think about:
- Weather
- Crowd Size
- Any outstanding social situations (such as COVID-19)
Engagement ring purchase
It’s not unheard of to pick a ring after the proposal, but carefully think of how your spouse would react to that. Having the ring during the proposal is the safe bet, but you’ll know better than anyone.
Tie the memory to something notable
There needs to be a deeper meaning in some aspect of the proposal so that your partner knows you put thought into it. It could be a location, their favorite song playing at the right time or on a certain day that’s meaningful to them. Think about the most important parts of their life and try to tie meaning to the proposal.
Set a romantic tone
You do not want to propose when the mood is off. If you’re both fighting about something or they’re in a terrible mood, had a recent accident or are otherwise down then you might want to wait.
Family approval
It’s typical to ask their family members for approval first. Particularly the mom and dad, but sometimes a brother or sister if they’re close to them as well. That can also raise the person’s perception of you by making them feel included
Don’t propose in front of people
Things such as reunion proposals and stadium proposals are very risky and can backfire pretty badly. We’re not saying to avoid it, just that we’d recommend most people to avoid it.
Keep it simple
The simpler it is, the fewer things can go wrong. Too many people try to make these wildly complicated (and stressful) proposals. This is a joyous moment, so if you’re doing calculus trying to figure out advanced weather patterns (I’m clearly not a meteorologist) then you might want to tone it down.