So you’re worried about proposing, are you? Well, that’s natural. Even the most well thought out and planned proposal can go wrong if you don’t stick to a few key rules. Even if you’re planning the simplest of proposals, you can trip over your words or spill the champagne or miss your cue from a friend.

Don’t let that keep you from going all out. Here are a mix of Do’s and Don’ts to keep in mind when popping the question.

Do… Ask for a woman’s perspective.

I understand. You want this to be the biggest surprise of your sweetie’s day, but don’t you want to make sure you’ve planned it accordingly? Asking your mom, her mom, a sister, a cousin, a friend, a coworker, a stranger can help you really make sure you have gotten a female’s perspective. You don’t want to plan this grand proposal, only to realize after executing it that you made it more about you than her, do you? No. If you’re nervous about someone blabbing it to your significant other, ask someone at work or a long distance friend/family member of yours; ask someone that you know has no way of getting the news to her, and someone who will be happy to keep the secret!

Don’t… Jump outside your comfort zone.

Yes. It’s very cool to propose while skydiving and have people holding signs below, or go scuba diving and propose under water, or fly a plane and propose while doing it… but if none of these things are you, or her, then don’t do them. It’s ok to step outside your comfort zone a little (do a dance when you’ve never really done one and she loves to dance), just keep in mind what would mean the most to her as well as you, not just what you think is “cool”.

Do…Pick a location.

Even if the location is your living room, it’s important to know where you’re going to propose. You don’t want to decide last minute that you’re going to propose outside only to slip on some ice, rather than being prepared that the ground may be slippery. Yes, it’s true, sometimes a spur-of-the-moment proposal can be romantic and end up being timely, but just always keep in mind your top places that you’re comfortable with for your proposal. If you’re planning something big, then location is more than key.

Don’t…Throw out cliche proposals.

Proposing on a jumbotron or by putting her ring in champagne isn’t for everyone, but if your girl has always talked about being proposed to on the beach or at a certain restaurant, don’t throw it out because you don’t think it’s special enough. While making a completely unique proposal is a wonderful goal, it will be unique no matter what because it’s between the two of you and your relationship, something no one else can imitate no matter what.

Do…Get it on camera.

These days, with all the social media outlets, and in general, with wanting to keep memories tangible, it’s important to catch this moment on camera. Whether it’s recorded with a video or still shots is up to you, or even if you don’t get a picture until right after because you want it private. No matter how you are proposing, find a way to capture the proposal. Part of me really wishes I had my husband’s proposal on video, even if I was a snotty sobbing mess during it.

Emily

Photo Credit: iStockPhoto