Prepare to Propose

You want to give your future-fiancée the best proposal possible, so be sure to take every aspect into consideration. For a simple guide to the best engagement, make sure you avoid these no-no’s!
DON’T try to memorize your proposal speech if you’re nervous.
If you’re a shaky public speaker, if you get easily tongue-tied under pressure, or if you’re just plain old nervous about making your proposal perfect, go ahead and write down your speech on note cards. Your fiancée will have a keepsake forever, and she’ll always be able to remember your exact words when you asked her to spend the rest of your lives together.

DON’T stall your proposal if you’re nervous.
If you’ve planned an elaborate evening for your proposal, but you’re anxious about stuttering through your proposal speech or drinking too much wine and forgetting everything you want to say, don’t put it off. You don’t have to wait until the right moment in the conversation or the first moment of silence during the fifth course. The night should revolve around your proposal, not the other way around. Go ahead and get down on one knee right away. You’ll probably have a much more fun and interesting evening once you’re engaged anyway!

DON’T wait until the last minute to prepare.
If you’ve known for months (or years) that you want to propose, then you should prepare for your proposal with as much dedication. There’s no rush to propose if the weather is poor or if you need extra time to save for an engagement ring. Taking additional time to perfect your proposal is nothing compared to a lifetime together, so a little extra effort should pay off. If your ring isn’t quite ready or if you’re feeling too indecisive about which ring to choose, don’t just propose without a ring. Instead, make a plan. Propose in or outside of a jewelry store or at a romantic location close by. Or, use a romantic stand-in ring, like a pebble, as penguins use to entice their prospective mates, or a ring-pop, until you can choose a ring together. However you plan to propose, show your future-wife that you’ve taken the time to make your proposal special.

DON’T talk about your proposal too much.
You should talk to your parents and your girlfriend’s parents before you propose, you may want to consult with her closest friends for advice, and you’ll most likely want to discuss it with your closest friends, but telling everyone about your intentions to propose could easily blow the surprise. For one thing, you should do your best to keep the proposal a secret from your girlfriend so that she can be genuinely and pleasantly surprised when you pop the question. For another thing, if you hype it up to everyone, you may get nervous under the pressure. For a third thing, the more people you confide in, the more outside opinions you’ll get, and that may not be helpful. You may end up getting confused or second-guessing your great original ideas. Keep it simple, sacred, secret, and on a need-to-know basis.

DON’T over-plan.
If you over-plan every aspect of your proposal, then you’ll rely too heavily on the details, and if something unexpected should occur, you might not be prepared for it. Instead, keep things simple and flexible. The simpler moments often unfold more romantically anyway.

DON’T abort the mission if there’s a glitch.
Remember that plans, as everything in life, are susceptible to last-minute changes and unexpected obstacles, and that’s ok. If you get stuck in traffic because there’s an accident on the freeway and you lose your table at the most romantic restaurant, don’t lose your cool. The important thing is that you want to marry your girlfriend, not what appetizers you eat beforehand, and she’ll recognize that.