Hey friends! We spend so much of our time blogging to our sweet brides, and today we wanted to share a little bit of advice for our grooms… or, our soon-to-be grooms! 🙂 One of our very favorite times of the year is just around the corner, and that is engagement season! Since that means there are a whole bunch of guys preparing to get down on one knee, we wanted to share a little bit of advice for the guys as they plan their proposal. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
01. Ask her dad
We’re not even going to elaborate here, dudes… this should probably be a given! 😉 Be sure to get permission from your girlfriend’s father or another appropriate close family member before moving on with the planning process!
02. Pick out the ring!
Maybe you’ve been ring-shopping together, or maybe you’ve just looked at a few photos of rings on Pinterest together. Either way, use what your girlfriend has hinted at and what you’ve discussed together as your basis for the final decision on a ring. Taking her mom or sister shopping with you is also a great idea, and it is super special for them to be involved in this big decision!
03. Pick a date
Proposals can take a little while to plan, so be sure to pick a date that is far enough in advance for you to be able to plan every last detail, to have those you love present, and to book a photographer and videographer! Once you have the date, it’s a good idea to make sure your girlfriend is available on the date as you get closer to then, also. 😉 (Don’t be afraid to enlist a family member or friend’s help in ensuring this!)
04. Contact a photographer & videographer
Trust us… you will want a photographer and potentially also a videographer present for your proposal… and so will your soon-to-be fiancée! 😉 Contact a photographer to be sure they are available on the date you have selected, discuss pricing, and enlist their help in planning the timing and logistics of your proposal. Be sure to also visit the proposal site at some point with your photographer so that you guys can decide where you will propose, which direction you’ll face, and where the photographer will hide… this is key in ensuring your photographer will be able to capture incredible images of you two!
Also, listen to your photographer’s advice on the timing of your proposal. For instance, proposing at noon on a sunny day at the beach would make it difficult for your photographer to capture beautiful proposal shots! 😉 Your photographer will likely want to take a few sweet portraits of you two after you propose, too, so be sure to build a little bit of time for that into your proposal plan!
05. Plan the proposal
Now, it’s time to plan your actual proposal! Here are just a few things to keep in mind as you plan:
– Consider all of the logistics… from timing to location to transportation! For instance, how will your girlfriend arrive at the proposal site? Will a friend drive her, or will she be with you already?
– There are certain popular things to incorporate into a proposal these days, and if your girl loves those things, then by all means go for it. But also try to think deeper into what would make the proposal truly meaningful for you guys. Consider favorite dates you’ve had, meaningful locations to you as a couple, things your girlfriend loves, and build a proposal around things like that.
– Think about writing notes or letters to your girlfriend for her to read after you propose. It’s incredibly special to get to read how your guy planned on asking you to spend the rest of your life with him! (Luke wrote journals to his future wife for years and gave them to me when he proposed, and it was one of my favorite parts of that proposal day!)
– Consider whether you guys would rather have the proposal be a private moment between the two of you or if you’d like other people hiding and watching from a distance. This is totally a personal preference for you guys as a couple!
– Think through what you guys will do after you propose! For instance, will you celebrate with loved ones at a surprise party? Will you have a picnic or dinner reservation ready?
06. Specifically plan the logistics of how you will surprise her
Girls have a sixth sense about this kind of stuff, guys… so, especially if your girlfriend is particularly hard to surprise, make sure you really think through every possible scenario and how you will surprise your girl! This is the only time in your entire relationship where tricking her and lying to her about what’s going on is usually okay. 😉 Do your best to make sure she doesn’t suspect anything… and especially make sure that ring stays hidden somewhere safe!!
Do you have more tips for planning the perfect proposal? We want to hear them! Leave us a comment below and help other soon-to-be-grooms out! 🙂
Xoxo!
Caitlin and Luke
