Proposing to your partner is a really special experience that you will hopefully only do once in your life. It is the chance to confess your love and ask for a lifelong commitment. While this will hopefully be one of the best moments you ever experience, the planning process can sometimes be stressful.
A proposal often comes with a lot of pressure, from extravagant displays of love in films and across social media, to pressure from close family, friends, and potentially even your partner or yourself. It is important to remember why you want to propose in the first place and keep your and your partner’s wants and needs at the heart of your plan.
The following tips will help you to plan this special moment while keeping your cool and allowing you to enjoy it.
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Plan in advance
Whether you have been swept up in a whirlwind romance or have been with your partner for a decade, a proposal cannot be rushed. Planning will allow for it to go much smoother and means you are mentally prepared.
If you plan on buying the engagement ring ahead of the proposal, you will need to allow plenty of time for this to arrive, along with anything else you might need.
Confide in others
Planning such a special event without confiding in anyone can become very isolating and stressful. Although this is about your partner, it is also important that you can enjoy it too. While it is nice for the engagement to be a complete surprise, letting just one trusted friend or family member in on your plan can really help to elevate some of the stress you may be feeling.
Once you have told someone, you can also use them as a soundboard for your ideas. It could be useful to talk to someone who has proposed to their own partner to gain some advice on dos and don’ts. Or you could opt to tell one of your partner’s close friends, who may be privy to information about the type of proposal they would like that they may not have shared with you.
Prepare a plan B
While your proposal will hopefully go off without a hitch, it is always wise to prepare a plan B just in case.
If you plan on proposing outdoors, what will you do if it rains? If your partner arrives late, will this impact the plan? Determining factors that could impact your plan and coming up with alternatives will allow for the day to go flawlessly.
Do a walk-through
Whether you know your proposal spot inside and out or it is new to you, if possible, the proposal should not be the first time you visit the location. Doing a quick walk-through beforehand will help identify any potential problems that may occur.
If you are planning to propose on holiday and are not able to do this, enquire into whether hotel staff or Air BnBs hosts can give you any insight or handy tips on memorable proposal spots.
