St. Patrick’s Day Proposal Ideas

St. Patrick’s Day is closing in. If you have more on your agenda than just wearing green, it’s the perfect day to hone-in on the luck of the Irish. Here are three ideas for your perfect St. Patty’s Day proposal.

1. Lucky, lucky. Work on finding that which will bring you luck– a four leaf clover. Whether you find an actual one or make one with a craft, use the words to let her know just how lucky she makes you feel. “Will you make me the luckiest man alive and spend the rest of your life with me?”

2. End of the Rainbow. You can make a scavenger hunt or a literal rainbow-road (think Wizard of Oz, but bricks colored in chalk of all different colors) that leads her to a romantic, secluded spot with a ‘pot of gold’ at the end of it– you on one knee with the ring, of course!

3. Drink up, laddy. Embrace the way of the Irish and go out to your finest pub for a Guinness on tap. If your gal likes to be one of the guys, this is the perfect way to have a fun night out and make it even more special with the proposal of a lifetime. Whether you write it on her glass or just get down on one knee, this proposal won’t only come with a ring– but a well deserved beer to celebrate your engagement!

Emily

Photo Credit: Tumblr

Do’s and Don’ts of Involving Family in the Proposal

Proposing is a big decision, and how you do it will always be remembered. If you’re thinking of involving your family and your future fiancee’s family, here are four things to keep in mind before you do that.

1. Don’t leave anyone out. It’s tough today when there are so many families that are divided. Maybe there was a messy divorce on one side, or a divorce in general, or remarried parents. Whatever the case, this isn’t a time to leave someone out. You are about to start your lives together. Don’t leave her sister out just because they recently had a big fight, or her dad out because he just got remarried. Find a way to involve everyone.

Exception: If there is someone that your wife-to-be does not get along with, or has been estranged from for a very long time, you may want to ask around before inviting that person to be a part of it. You don’t want the moment to be ruined by your girlfriend getting upset (in a bad way).

2. Make sure they know the [gist of the] plan. When proposing and involving other people, the plan can get sticky. People can end up in the wrong place, or do something that they’re not supposed to. This is the time to be a control freak. Make sure they all know your plan, or enough of it where they won’t mess it up by saying something too soon or being in the wrong place. This is your moment with your significant other, so make sure everyone else follows your lead.

3. Take jokesters into account. Everyone has at least one in their family– the one who wants to be the center of attention and put his/her two-cents in to take some of the spotlight. If you are that person, you have nothing to worry about. However, if you aren’t– make sure you, or someone else, has a talk with that brother/cousin/parent/aunt so they know that this is your moment. If it stresses you out too much, try to find a way to give that person a moment of spotlight so he/she doesn’t have to steal it to get it.

4. Immediate or Extended? The big decision is deciding just how much family you want to involve. You can’t invite just one set of grandparents and not the other. Same goes for aunts/uncles/cousins/nieces/nephews… the list goes on. You have to choose immediate family or extended family, and if you choose extended you have to make sure that you don’t leave anyone out. You don’t want to invite one set of cousins and have another feel left out because they didn’t get the memo. So, if you go extended, make sure you have a way to get a hold of her entire family as well.

Have any more advice? Please comment and share!

Emily

Lada Gaga Engaged on Valentine’s Day!

I hope your day of love was filled with red roses and sweet-sayings, or a good tub of ice cream. However, yours probably wasn’t as good as Lady Gaga’s. She took to Instagram to show off her new engagement ring and share the news that she was engaged to Taylor Kinney.

Kinney and Gaga met in 2011 on the set of her music video “You and I”– where she sported her mother’s wedding gown in a few scenes. Perhaps this is a sign that the couple was destined to be.

But can we take a moment to drool over this huge, heart-shaped engagement ring??

Her caption appropriately read, “He gave me his heart on Valentine’s Day, and I said YES!”

Emily

Photo Credit: Paul Morigi/WireImage and Instagram

4 Things to Know Before Proposing

Thinking about proposing? There’s no better time than the present! Here are four things to make sure you know before you propose.

1. What type of proposal she wants. Love is in the air with Valentine’s Day and if you’re thinking now is the time, make sure that’s what she wants. Whether your girl wants an over-the-top proposal or a low-key-thing, you want to make sure you give in to her taste as much as your own. This is your moment, but you don’t want the spotlight to shine too brightly if she isn’t one who wants it. Does she want a flashmob? A friends/family party? A dinner for two? Do some research before you get down on one knee!

2. Ring Love. A woman has to wear that engagement ring for the rest of her life, or at least until there’s the possibility of an upgrade or something of the sort. Make sure you know what type of ring she wants, as well as the size. Does she want color, a halo-style, more than one stone? You want to know these things and get a ring that’s in your budget but is of her taste.

3. On the same page? If you’re proposing, I think this should be something you’ve already discussed. Not necessarily the, “We are both ready to get married RIGHT NOW,” convo, but one that’s along the lines of– you both want to get married, you’re both in love, and you both think this could be it. No, that’s not an easy subject to approach without giving away the game, but if you’re thinking of proposing, something tells me this had to have come up at some point or another.

4. The after-math. You may have talked about both wanting to get married, but have you talked about the other important stuff: location, kids, jobs, etc? You want to go in this together knowing the expectations on both sides, and talk about where you can compromise and where you can’t. It’s so important to know what the other wants out of your relationship, and you don’t want to get married, let along engaged, without knowing those things first.

Don’t let this rain on your parade, but rather prepare you for the weather!

Emily

$10,000 Romantic Marriage Proposal

Rand was determined to raise money to take out a Super Bowl ad and propose to his girlfriend, Geraldine, in a very public/romantic way. He created a website with the goal of raising $2.5 million dollars. Sadly, he only raised $10,000. It was a journey of ups and downs, because Rand then found a sponsor to help him out– who pulled out two weeks before the Super Bowl. Undaunted, Rand had to come up with a new plan.

Rand, instead, filmed a commercial at a station in Seattle and arranged for it to air during Geraldine’s favorite show around Valentine’s Day. Her reaction (1:30) is absolutely priceless.

I love how he had to make sure she was saying yes because she was way too excited. I’m pretty sure she was hyperventilating. But, I mean, who can blame her?

Emily

Video and photo Credit: OWN TV via YouTube.

Last Minute Valentine’s Day Proposal Ideas

So you’ve waited until last minute to plan your proposal. Don’t panic! Here are three (easy) last-minute ideas for proposing on the day of love.

1. Make her dinner. You may not be a cook, but there’s nothing more romantic than your significant other putting on that apron and picking up the spatula for a change. If you’re typically the one who cooks, go all out. Make her favorites, or something she’s said she’s always wanted to try. Save the best for last– a dessert with a proposal. And, of course, don’t forget the champagne!

2. Scrapbook it up. Thanks to Facebook and other social media, keeping track of your relationship has never been easier. Make her a scrapbook of movie stubs, notes, pictures, events– whatever you have the materials for– that represent your relationship and your love for her. Include moments that you may have nothing to go with, but you remember vividly. Give her the scrapbook, and on the last page have a “Look up” or “Will You Marry Me?” page with the ring attached– or you can be waiting on one knee with the ring. Either way, it’s sure to be a tear-jerking moment.

3. Flowers and Chocolates. I’m sorry, but these are never overrated in my book. Send her flowers at work or to her home if she doesn’t work weekends, and then bring the box of chocolates yourself for your plans. Go ahead and open the chocolates and take one for yourself, putting the ring in place of it. The only cliff-hanger with this is you have to make sure she opens that box of chocolates when you’re there! So, insist on having some dessert (bring drinks to go with it) and then you can be on one knee when she opens that sweet surprise.

Emily

Sweet Family Proposal

James wanted to propose to Tina involving their families, and came up with the perfect way. He drove her to a spot (not sure under what pretense), only to hike through some grass to a little area with his guitar. He told her he wanted to sing a song to her. All the while, their family is preparing to surprise her from behind.

Around 3:41, James finally tells Tina she needs to turn around. I love the face she gives him, because while the song pretty much spells out that he wants to marry her, it doesn’t make it “real” until she sees the sign their families are holding. Then he asks her to turn around again, and he’s down on one knee.

I love how simple this proposal was, and yet how much heart went into it. It just goes to show that proposals don’t have to be showy to get the point across. I mean, I’ll take my man playing guitar and singing for me any day over a flashmob.

Emily

Spring Sports Proposal Ideas

Spring isn’t quite in the full swing of things yet, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare! If you and your sweetie are fans of basketball (March Madness), baseball, or any other sports that may be blooming into season, here are three proposal ideas for you!

1. Make your bets. In football season, my family has this silly tradition of betting garden gnomes when rival teams play against each other (my sister and dad bet when the Packers play the Bears, and in 2014 my mom and husband bet when the Broncos played the Seahawks). So, when your teams are getting ready to play each other, why not make a bet on the game. Whether your team wins or loses, tell her you have a different prize in mind– and drop to one knee! Way to keep the sportsmanship positive. Do you root for the same team? Not a problem! After a big game, do the same thing!

2. Tickets to a game. Buy those maybe-too-expensive tickets for an amazing experience to see your (or more importantly: her) favorite team play. Whether you pay to have your proposal appear on the jumbotron or even do it on the field (or court or what have you), it will make it an experience to remember! Not a big-scene person? Propose in the stands low-key, or even right after the game somewhere. It will still be more than she’d ever expect!

3. Autograph, anyone? If you write her favorite player consistently/persistently, you’re bound to get a response at some point! However, this takes planning. Start this process now so as soon as you get that ball that says, “Say yes, Love–” or picture or whatever it is, with whatever message you may ask the player to write, you’ll be prepared to give it to her along with the ring!

Emily

Surprise Mascot Proposal

Beau was never a planner, according to Kimmy, so she had no idea that he had the surprise of a lifetime in store for her.

Beau is the tennis coach at a school in NC, and during the halftime of his school’s basketball game Kimmy’s name was supposedly drawn for the chance to win a prize at halftime by making a free-throw shot. Her first requirement, however, was to get the basketball from the mascot.

As you can see, Kimmy had no idea that the mascot (who started dancing to Bruno Mars’ Marry Me) was actually her boyfriend. Once he took of the head of the mascot and got down on one knee, you can tell Kimmy was positively shocked. But, as you watch the video, it’s clear she says yes.

After she accepts his proposal, another look of shock is seen before we see friends and family surround the newly engaged couple. Beau planned for 40 of their closest friends and family to be at the game to witness the proposal. I want to know how he kept them out of site, and how he got away with dressing up as the mascot without her knowing!

Emily

Six More Weeks of Winter Proposals

Well, Phil saw his shadow and that means we have six more weeks of winter to endure. So how do you take the weather (that you really wish would warm up) and make the best of it for your timely proposal? Here are three ideas!

1. Spring Cleaning. Surprise your lady by cleaning her apartment from top to bottom one day while she’s at work. Wash those dishes, mop the floors– do anything you can to give her a helping hand. One word of advice, though: don’t reorganize anything without asking. Once your done cleaning, top it off with a fresh bouquet of flowers and a heartfelt note. Hide when she come home, and emerge with your proposal.

2. Winter Bucket List. Maybe everything has been so busy that you two haven’t been able to do the iconic winter-wonderland dates that you always wanted. Make a “bucket list date” and do it all: go ice skating, build a snowman, snuggle up with hot chocolate– and at the end of the day, top it off with a proposal after the best day in the cold.

3. Indoor Spring Preview. Cover your or her apartment with all things spring: flowers, bright colors, a cut-out sun (maybe even a rain cloud?), and have a picnic planned for the middle of the floor with a blanket, wine, and, of course, the picnic basket. Have fun pretending your enjoying the warmer weather (make sure to be in your shorts and have her pick out a sun dress!) and tell her you can’t wait for the seasons to change, and how you’re looking forward to spending all seasons of your life with her. Cue proposal? Yes, indeed!

Emily