What Not To Do When Proposing To Your Loved One

So, you have finally found the one. You’re head over heels in love, and you have come to the decision that it’s almost time to pop the question. Congratulations; we hope it goes well. Here is what not to do when proposing.

If you want to stay on her good side, and most importantly, if you want her to say “yes” after plucking up the courage to ask her to marry you, then you need to pull off the perfect proposal. What you don’t want to do is embarrass or annoy her, because before you know it, she might be running for the hills while you’re still trying to get up after bending your knee.

Here then are the things you should definitely not do when proposing to your (hopeful) wife-to-be.

#1: Don’t propose in front of a large audience

Don’t trust Hollywood! Sure, you might have seen a movie where the guy proposes to his girlfriend through a megaphone on a baseball field, or in the middle of town surrounded by a crowd of onlookers. While the girl might say ‘yes’ in those situations in the movies, the same might not be true in real life. You might embarrass her and make her feel as if she’s up on stage, and this might ruin the intimacy of the moment. And in the worst-case scenario, she might actually say “no”, either through embarrassment or because she’s not ready to commit, and that will make you look like a fool if you have the masses watching you. Be careful then. While some girls might appreciate the public spectacle of a marriage proposal, you need to be sure beforehand. If in doubt, don’t do it!!

#2: Don’t skimp on the ring

Don’t sweat it if you’re on a small budget. You don’t need to bankrupt yourself by buying a ring that is beautiful but mightily expensive. But what you also shouldn’t do is act like a cheapskate and propose to your girl with a ring that looks as if it has come out of a Christmas cracker! Shop around for a ring you can afford, and if need be, save up your money so you can buy her something you know she will adore. Tacori styles make women feel like princesses, for example. By buying her a decent ring, you are almost guaranteed to make her swoon before you, instead of repelling her with something that she might be too embarrassed to be seen with in public.

#3: Don’t hide the ring somewhere silly

Sure, you could ask the waiter in a restaurant to hide the ring in your girlfriend’s dessert, but what happens if she accidentally swallows it? You could tie the ring around the collar of her pet pooch in an attempt to surprise her on your daily dog walk, but what happens if the dog runs off into the distance and loses the ring in the process? Then there are these unbelievable places to hide a wedding ring, one of which is particularly gross! While there is no harm in being creative with your wedding proposal, you don’t want to do something that has the potential to go badly wrong. Think then, and when it comes to hiding the ring, consider the possible consequences within your ideas.

#4: Don’t blab about the proposal beforehand

A guaranteed way to spoil the surprise of a wedding proposal! The more people you tell about what you are planning to do, the more chance there is of your girlfriend finding out. Therefore, think carefully before telling your colleagues at work. Don’t speak to anybody within your friends and family that can’t keep secrets. And especially avoid speaking to any of your girlfriend’s friends and relatives about your plans. While they might not give away your secrets directly, they might still tell somebody else, and that person might tell somebody else, and so on and so on until yes, your girlfriend finds out your plans. Loose lips sink ships, or so the proverb goes, and in the context of this article, loose lips might also sink the element of surprise you are trying to pull off.

#5: Don’t forget to rehearse what you are going to say

Think about what you want to say to your girlfriend when you propose, make a note of the words you want to say, and then practice speaking them. You don’t have to be a poet, so you don’t necessarily need to say anything fancy, but you don’t want to get forget your words and get tongue-tied when you’re proposing to her, either. You see, you will probably be quite nervous when it comes time to propose to her, and the chances of you getting your words muddled up could be high. As you will appreciate, this won’t help your situation anyway! But if you have an idea of what you’re going to say and practice in advance, then even if you’re not word perfect on the day itself, you should still make less of a hash of the proposal when you’re stood (or kneeling) in front of her.

#6: Don’t give a boring wedding proposal

Don’t ask her to marry you out of the blue, perhaps when you’re mid-conversation about something else. And don’t do something else that, when people ask your girlfriend about how you proposed, causes her to say “I can’t remember” because it wasn’t particularly memorable. Do something creative, perhaps by using one of these unique wedding proposal ideas, or make it emotionally resonant, perhaps by proposing at the place where you shared your first kiss. You see, your wedding proposal should be a special moment, being memorable for all of the right reasons (and not because the dog ran away with the ring). Think about your girlfriend, then. Consider what she might enjoy and find meaningful, and then plan your proposal accordingly.

Finally

As with your wedding day, you want your girlfriend to say “I do” and not “I don’t” when proposing to her, so do all you can to get it right. She might still say “yes” despite your blunderous errors, but you still don’t want to run the risk of getting it wrong. Follow our suggestions then, and let us know if you have any other tips for any of our readers hoping to proposed to their loved ones soon.