Seven billion people in this world and you found the one whose soul compliments yours. You’ve already done the hard part. This next step might be nerve-wracking, but hang in there, I’m here to help. I’ve got some proposal planning tips to help take the stress away and get you one step closer to forever together.
I am adamant that the only important thing on a wedding day is that you and your person get married, and I feel the same way about a proposal. The only important thing is that you are agreeing to share the rest of your lives together. Everything else that happens is just a bonus. But just as we plan and prep for a wedding day, there’s a few things you can do to make sure your proposal is everything either of you ever dreamed of.
Are You Ready?
Honestly, I’m sure this goes without saying, but make sure you are on the same page. If you’re about to pop the question and you genuinely don’t know if the answer will be yes, take a step back and have some more deep and meaningful conversations first. You can come back to planning when you’re ready.
What Does Your Partner Want?
You don’t have to explicitly ask what your partner wants, but it also doesn’t hurt if you do. Does she want to have her nails done and be dressed up? Should her friends and family be present? Does she want a casual night at home, just the two of you? You know her well enough by now to know how intimate she wants these big moments to be and I’m sure you can tell if she wants to be all done up or if she cares if she’s in sweatpants. But if you don’t know, ask! You’ve already established that this is where your relationship is headed, so ask what she wants that next step to look like. What does her dream proposal look like?
Speaking of what does she want: does she want the proposal to be photographed or videoed? This is a once in a lifetime day and being able to go back and relive the moment is a luxury that we have thanks to easy access to photo and video cameras. If you want to go the professional route, be sure to research and hire a photographer or videographer as soon as possible.
Figure Out Where
Now for the true planning part. You’ve already asked her what her dream looks like, so maybe she told you she wants you to propose in her parent’s backyard with all of your friends and family there. You can skip this part then. But if she didn’t tell you, start thinking about the locations that are highlights of your love story. Where were you when you first met? Where was your first date? Do you have a go-to hiking trail or a beautiful scenic spot that you’ve never been to but keep talking about seeing together? Pick a location and roll with it.
Decide When
There are so many factors to deciding when the right time to get engaged is, but since we are assuming that you are on the same page about getting married I am also going to assume that you’ve discussed *when* you want to get married. If not, bookmark this page and come back after you do. Again, maybe she already told you she wants to get engaged under the mistletoe at Christmastime – listen to her and do that.
Planning a wedding takes time. The average engagement is 12-18 months. She wants to get married in the fall? Plan to propose between April and October. Is your dating anniversary coming up? What a special day to pop the question! Pick a date and then make sure she stays available for that date. Either tell her you have a date planned, or have her friends make plans with her if you don’t want her to know.
If you hired a professional photographer or videographer, consult them on the time of day in relation to the location you chose.
Plan What To Say
You’ve planned this far, don’t wing the last part. You don’t want to be fumbling over your words. Pro Proposal Tip: tell her your favorite things about her and how she has brought out the best in you. Then, when you actually propose, use the word marry (or a close synonym). Don’t leave room for misinterpretation.
Remember What Matters
At the beginning of this post I said that the one thing that truly matters is that you are marrying your other half. The most important of my proposal planning tips is to remember that fact. If you ask and she says yes, the day was a success. Everything else can go wrong and it won’t matter. Everything else can go right and it’s just icing on the cake.
So get out there and do the dang thing! Get to officially planning your forever together. It’s worth it, I promise.
Bonus Tip: Hire Me
A little straight forward, but this is my blog post after-all. I specialize in wedding photography, and proposal photography is part of those services! I have been involved at all levels of proposal planning – from helping decide exactly where and when down to being told all of the details and just showing up to photograph. In the past I have hidden away and sneakily captured proposals and I have directed photoshoots as if they were for a different purpose to keep the proposal a surprise. No matter your plan, I can help! Inquire here to get the process started.
Were these proposal planning tips helpful? Send them on to someone else you know who is thinking about proposing (or someone who needs the hint)!