Is marriage on your mind? She’ll be telling the story of how you proposed to friends and strangers for the rest of her life, so here are some great ideas to make sure it’s memorable.
Best Public Marriage Proposal:
- Send your girlfriend on a treasure hunt. Start with a clue at home, then send her on a tour of your favorite spots all over town. When she gets to the last hint, the prize should be you on one knee.
- Go out for a night of dancing, and ask the DJ or band leader to pass you the mic so that you can dedicate a song and propose on the dance floor.
- You can never go wrong with a sports game – her favorite team during the 7th inning stretch of a ballgame always makes an impression and a big surprse.
- Gather a bunch of your friends and family for a party. Have everyone in attendance put on a T-shirt bearing one of the letters in the phrase “Will You Marry Me?” When you walk in the room with your girlfriend, suggest a group picture and let the shirts speak for themselves.
Best At-Home Marriage Proposal:
- For a simple surprise, after she goes to bed, go to her jewelry box and replace her everyday ring with the engagement ring. She’ll be completely shocked in the morning when she goes to put on her regular ring.
- Draw a bath and place a floating candle in the middle with a ring inside. Make a path of roses leading to the tub. (And make sure the drain is well-plugged!)
- Speaking of paths, turn off all the lights in your apartment and make a trail of candles that leads to a circle of votives positioned around a ring.
- Tie a red velvet ribbon from one spot in your home to another. Attach little notes recalling perfect moments in your relationship along the way. You wait at the last stop, ring in hand.
Most Playful Marriage Proposal Ideas:
- Create your own crossword puzzle (it’s easy with this site) and be prepared to help her work it out over breakfast.
- Spell your proposal out in glow-in-the-dark star stickers on your ceiling. Get into bed, turn the lights off, and wait for the inevitable gasp.
- If your girlfriend is a teacher, sneak into her classroom before school starts and write your proposal on the blackboard. Stay hiding in the coat closet or right outside the room for the moment she arrives.
- Get a ring size chart and ask your girlfriend to look up her size. When she accuses you of ruining the surprise that you’re shopping for a ring, say, “Okay, try this one instead,” and show her that you’ve already shopped for a ring.
- During your annual Halloween prep, challenge her to a pumpkin-carving contest and carve the words “Marry Me” in your pumpkin.
- Write “Will You Marry Me?” on the underside of a kite and take flight one warm, breezy afternoon.
Best Summer Marriage Proposal Ideas:
- If you love to hit the beach, head down a few hours before her and write your proposal in the sand with large white rocks.
- Go to the beach and casually build a sandcastle (at a safe distance from the ocean!) and place the ring on the highest turret. Then invite her to admire your work. I would wait and make her turn away and place the ring gently. We do not need any accidents.
- Gather your families together for a summer barbecue and make it a family affair.
- Make your own message in a bottle. On the night before a beach day you’ve planned, write a love poem on a piece of parchment paper, roll it into an antique bottle with a cork, and bury it in a well-marked spot in the sand near your towels. Be sure you “find” the bottle as you dig together – and have the ring at the ready.
Have a unique proposal idea? Share it here. We would love to hear.