Tips for Proposing
Deciding to propose marriage is a huge, life-changing decision and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Once you have made the decision that you want to ask your girlfriend to marry you, its time to start thinking about the proposal itself. It really is all about how well you know your girlfriend and what is right for the both of you as a couple.
We have all seen the big grand gesture style proposals in movies, but it is important to remember that while some women probably would love this, many others would be horrified at the thought of other people being present at such a private moment in their life. It really is all about knowing what she wants; if she is the grand gesture type then by all means go for that. However if your girlfriend is the more private sort of person then pick something that more personal and special to you both.
Being proposed to is something that your girlfriend will remember for the rest of her life so you want it to be special. However special doesn’t necessarily mean over the top, perhaps proposing in your favourite restaurant after a nice meal is something she would appreciate far more than some big gesture. As long as she knows that you have put some thought into your proposal, and done your best to make her feel special she will be happy.
Would your girlfriend like to choose her own ring? This is a very important question and one that is difficult to answer, you just have to use your best judgement, and after all you should know your girlfriend pretty well if you are thinking about marriage so you should have a fair idea of what she would want. It is traditional to propose to a woman with a ring, but no one said it had to be the ring. You could purchase a cheap ring to use for your proposal, and then take your bride to be ring shopping soon after. It might seem like just a ring to you, but this is the second most important piece of jewellery that your bride to be will own, so if you are going to choose it yourself then make sure you know her likes and dislikes so you can pick something she will love.
If you need to tell a few people about your proposal to pull it off for some reason that’s fine, but make sure you swear them to secrecy and tell as few people as you need to. Telling people that you have just gotten engaged is also a special moment for couples and you don’t want to spoil the surprise unless you absolutely have to. Of course if you or your girlfriend are very traditional you may wish to ask her family’s permission before you pop the question. If this is something that is important to you, or you know would be important to your girlfriend then you should do it, but please ask them not to ruin the surprise.
Remember that this is an important moment for you as much as it is for your girlfriend and you are bound to be nervous. Try to keep calm while planning your proposal, after all if you want your girlfriend to be surprised you don’t want her to get on to you because you are acting all nervous around her. Avoid planning your proposal at a time when you are particularly stressed out at work or with other things in your life. Such an important question deserves your undivided attention, so you don’t want to be distracted by other things when planning your proposal.
Popping the question is a stressful situation for anyone; don’t worry if you don’t think you have said all the right things. As long as you make your feelings clear to your girlfriend, in a way that is special to you both she is sure to love it. You don’t need grand gestures, just something that means a lot to the two of you, something that you will remember for years to come and a story you will enjoy telling over and over through out your marriage.
