Creative Proposal Ideas

To the potential grooms out there:  Proposing marriage to the woman you love can be an exciting, hopeful, yet agonizing experience.  Sometimes, you both have already talked about it, so you may be lucky enough to already know the answer to “the question”.  Maybe you haven’t talked about it, so it may come to your future spouse as a complete surprise.

In any event, women want their marriage proposals to be memorable.

So, I have put together some ideas on creative, cost-effective ways to propose that will be memorable for both of you.

Read on:

You want her to have the perfect ring, but you have no idea what she would really like:

• Blindfold her.  Put her in the car.  Tell her you have a surprise for her in store, and you need her complete cooperation…NO QUESTIONS ASKED! Drive her to your jewelry store of choice. Once in the store, remove her blindfold, get down on your knee, as her to marry you, then tell her to select the perfect engagement ring right there and then in the store.
• Enlist the help of her friends/family.  Ask someone to take her shopping for a “girls’ day out”.  Ask that person to guide her into a jewelry store, and start looking at engagement rings.  (If that someone is a single woman, she can do it under the guise of “someday, this is what I’d like for a ring”.  Believe me…I’ve done it with friends of mine.)  Ask your ‘helper’ to make notes in her mind of what your future bride looks at (styles, diamond shapes, sizes, colors, prices, names of jewelry stores where they can be found, corresponding websites if available).  Then get together secretly with her friend and get the information that way.  Believe me, her friend, being a woman, will already know the jargon and will enjoy being part of this surprise.  She’ll come back to you and say something like, “OK..she wants a .75 carat Marquis diamond six prong in a channel setting in 18K yellow gold, size 6, at Henry Wilson Jewelers.”  Better yet, go with her friend/family member back to the store at a later time, and have her show you what they chose.
• Go online, print up several different pictures of several types of rings.  Staple them together and put them in an envelope.  Take her to wherever you plan on popping the question.  Present her with the envelope, propose as she’s opening it, then ask her to pick out the picture that best represents her taste in engagement rings.  Then whisk her off to the jewelry store of her choice to make the purchase.  Tell her you didn’t go ahead and buy a ring, because you wanted to be sure that she gets exactly what she wants.  Trust me…she won’t be angry.
• If you’ve purchased jewelry for her in the past, or she’s shown you what kinds of jewelry she likes, you can use that as a guide.  This is especially true if you’ve bought her non-engagement rings.  You’ll at least know if she likes yellow vs. white gold, small and dainty vs. large and showy.  It’s no guarantee, but it might work.  If you’re not sure what size ring she wears, try to sneak into her jewelry box, find a ring, then use a pen/pencil to trace the inside of the opening on a piece of paper and take it with you to the store.

OK..you HAVE the ring, now onto creative, memorable ways to propose…

• Go to a party store or any store that sells wedding paraphernalia.  Purchase an inexpensive plastic bride and groom, or an inexpensive bachelorette party veil, something like that, and put it in a picnic basket without her knowing it. Take her on a picnic.  When she opens the basket, she’ll find the item.  Ask her to marry you, give her the ring that you’ll have in your pocket.  Plus, she’ll have a memento of the day you got engaged to keep forever.
• Make a cell phone video of you asking her to marry you.  Save it for a time when you are ready to ask her.  (Use your own imagination as far as the time, place, etc.)  Discreetly send her the video on her phone (make sure she has her phone on).  For example, if in a restaurant, slip away to the bar or men’s room, send it, then get back to her ASAP so you can be there when she gets it.
• Go to the florist.  Get her some flowers.  Ask the florist to tie the ring to the bouquet with ribbon.  Present her the flowers with the ring dangling on the ribbon as you ask her to marry you.
• Go to a print website.  I, personally, like www.Vistaprint.com.  Order a yard sign, banner, something to that affect.  You can create your own, personalize it.  Google on images wedding related things.  You can use downloaded images in your creation.  Use your own discretion as to when and where you will present her with your sign asking her to marry you.  For example, put it in the front yard and be there before she gets home from wherever she is, so you’re there when she sees it.
• Slip the ring into a romantic greeting card, write your own proposal inside, and place it in the envelope.  Mix it in with the daily mail that you bring into her residence.  Be there when she finds it and propose.
• Create a proposal invitation on your computer.  It could say something like, “I, John, request the honor of your presence in my life for the rest of our lives.  Will you marry me?”  Give it to her at a place and time of your choosing.  My personal favorite would be to make arrangements at your favorite restaurant ahead of time.  Go there, and talk to the staff.  Ask them to place the invitation inside her menu, leaving it with them ahead of time.  Most restaurants will be happy to oblige.  When she opens the menu…voila!  Your proposal awaits her!
• Buy a personalized item.  For example, personalized, “Will you marry me?” candles can be purchased at this website.

Give it to her then give her the ring.

Just GOOGLE “personalized will you marry me? gifts”.  Tons of sites will come up offering a variety of options.

VIP Floral offers personalized roses.  Maybe a little pricey, but isn’t she worth it?  Give them to her yourself, or have them delivered to a restaurant and placed on your reserved table ahead of time…the possibilities are endless!

These are just a few ideas on creative, memorable ways to propose that fit every budget.  It’s not the price that matters….it’s the planning and effort that goes into the presentation that counts!

I hope you find these ideas helpful.

Author: The Party Hound

Our favorite imaginary dog, 'The Partyhound', didn't write this blog post, as you probably guessed. We like to think he's a smart pooch, but he's not that smart!! 'The Partyhound' simply represents one or more of Partyhound Media's creative staff of researchers, journalists, writers, photographers, and cinematographers. These are actual real live people who are excited to share their thoughts with you. If you'd like to learn more about joining our staff, please throw us a bone! Email: ted@partyhound.com.