How to Surprise Her on Valentine’s Day

While Valentine’s Day is a prime day to propose– that’s also the problem. Because its such a romantic day where proposals are quite popular, it’s harder make the proposal a huge surprise. After all, she is already expecting you to be romantic that day regardless of whether or not she’s expecting a proposal (just FYI, some girls DO expect a proposal on Valentine’s Day). You don’t just want to make it easy for her or give her something she expects, right? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. Here are some ways to make sure your Valentine’s Day proposal happens when she least expects it.

1. While Dancing

When I saw this video, I couldn’t believe how smooth this guy was. Not only do a lot of girls enjoy dancing and would probably enjoy it as a date on Valentine’s Day, but he seamlessly worked his proposal in after a smooth spin move. (Check out minute 1:30!). So take your girl dancing if that’s her thing or get a dance class together and work with the instructor ahead of time to show you how to do a cool move to lead into the proposal. She’ll never see it coming.

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2. At Her Work

Think about it. She already expects your amazing Valentine’s Day dinner plans later in the evening, so why not catch her completely off guard while she’s at work? This guy did just that. He hired some musicians to make a fake singing telegram (it’s a guitarist, singer and a tuba player). At the very end of the song he comes in and starts singing to her himself. She was completely blown away by that surprise and was happy as can be. Imagine her head exploding as he pulled out the ring. She definitely had no clue it was happening then. Speed ahead to minute 4:00 to see how it went down.

3. Propose at midnight, the night before

Most people will be making plans for their incredible, romantic dates in the evening, so maybe to really get an edge on the proposal scene it would be best to start earlier. MUCH earlier. Many people already propose at midnight for the start of the New Year– why not have a late night date the day before Valentine’s Day, and as soon as the clock chimes midnight, pop the question! Not only will she be surprised but now you can enjoy every minute of Valentine’s Day this year as fiances (and she’ll think that’s super romantic!).

 

 

How NOT to Propose on Valentine’s Day

It’s easy to get caught up in the moment as Valentine’s day quickly approaches. But before you get carried away, make sure you are using your head a little more than your heart when it comes to proposing to the love of your life on the day of love. Here are some ways to avoid popping the question. You’ll thank us for this later.

1. Do NOT put the ring in her drink or food

It may seem like a cute idea, and you may even think you can point it out to her before she takes a big bite or gulp and literally consume your precious diamond ring. But don’t trust your reflexes. There have been girls who have either swallowed or broken teeth on diamond rings they didn’t realize were in their food. Nothing is romantic about having to get your stomach pumped (or WORSE) on the day you ask her to be your wife.  Just see how it turned out for this couple. He hid it in her Wendy’s Frosty. Bad move.

2. Don’t Propose to HIM in an Extreme Way

It’s one thing to be confident enough to propose to your man rather than waiting for him to take the plunge. But it’s another thing entirely to do it in a CRAZY, flashy way that could embarrass him in a large setting.  According to an article in The Guardian, a woman planned her proposal on Valentine’s Day and it went HORRIBLY wrong. She stripped down to her lingerie and hid inside of a big, hallow cake that was wheeled out to the middle of a full restaurant. She popped out with tons of confetti and proposed to her man right then and there. His response? He got up without saying a word and left. Talk about an awkward moment when you have to be wheeled out of the restaurant, in your underwear, standing in a cake… ouch.

3. Don’t Be Unsure About Her Answer

If you’re not sure whether or not your lady love will say “YES!” to a proposal at this moment in time, proposing on Valentine’s Day may not be the best option for you. It’s possible to feel out a potential partner’s feelings on marriage (and especially marriage to you) without giving away the details of when or how a proposal will go down. If you propose without an inkling of whether or not she wants to spend her life with you, you may be in for a very disappoint holiday. Plus, she may feel like the proposal is more forced than organic and that you’re just doing it because it’s Valentine’s Day. Make sure you take the necessary steps before proposing on Valentine’s Day so the moment will be enjoyed by both of you.

Nikki

How to propose with chocolate

Chocolates are an iconic part of Valentine’s Day. And, if your lady love is like most of the women of the world, chocolate is also something she probably loves just as much as you. So why not work chocolate into your proposal in such a clever way, she’ll HAVE to say “YES!”

1. Life is Like a Box of Chocolates

Who doesn’t like an assortment of chocolates? Get one of those big chocolate hearts and remove enough chocolates to make enough room for the ring (if you’re lucky, it’ll only take removing one). Rewrap it so it looks like it was never opened. When she gets it, she’ll think it’s a cute, typical Valentine’s Day gift and not have her hopes up. So, when she opens it– BOY! Won’t she be surprised. I guess Forest Gump was right. You’ll never know what you’ll get.

2. Take her to a Literal “Candy Land”

If your lady LOVES chocolate, then she’ll love a weekend getaway to Hershey Park in Hershey, PA. A theme park completely dedicated to chocolate, she won’t even know where to look! Here you’ll have tons of opportunities to propose, like at the top of a roller coaster, right before the picture is taken at the Hershey Factory Tour Ride, or if you want to be REALLY romantic— on top of the “Kissing Tower” (which is shaped like a Hershey Kiss). There’s nothing quite like indulging your inner child to make a girl really appreciate how awesome you are.

3. Craft Her a Chocolate Card

There are many personalized chocolate companies who can literally whip up a custom-made chocolate creation for you. “Will You Marry Me” would look stunning on a chocolate card or plaque. Talk about a gift she’ll never forget! Only problem is….do you eat it after the proposal? Check out custom chocolate places like Sweet Impressions  to see what can be done with chocolate.

Nikki

Photo Credit: Arabia Weddings

3 Unique Ways to Propose on Valentine’s Day

With less than a month to go before the big Valentine’s Day, it’s time to start thinking about how to execute the best and most romantic proposal ever to occur on the big 2/14. But how do you make sure your proposal is NOT cliche? Here are some easy ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

1. Forget going out for dinner! Cook for her!

Let’s face it. Everyone and their lover will be out that night, waiting in long lines to get into the best and yummiest restaurants in town. Why do the norm when you could make your dinner extra special by trying your hand at the culinary arts? She’ll definitely appreciate your effort. Not really the cook? Order fancy take out and set the mood with candles, flowers, and the whole she-bang! Nothing sets the mood for a heartfelt proposal like a quiet setting with just the two of you.

2. Forget the over-the-top build-up! Catch her off guard!

Valentine’s Day is known for over-the-top declarations of love.  So, why not take it 180 degrees in the opposite direction? Take this guy for instance. The day starts simply enough and you find out early on in the video that he got her gift certificates for miniature golf. Totally UN-ROMANTIC. But then fast forward and he starts serenading her before popping the question at minute 7:20.

3. Don’t try to hard! Do something fun!

Fanciness can only go so far. Why not do something fun like a scavenger hunt or some other kind of fun game to set the tone for your proposal. Take this guy, for example. He sets up a dart board with heart shape balloons on it. When she pops the balloons, she sees the secret message: “Will You Marry Me!”

Olivia Wilde’s Engagement Ring

It’s while in Rome on the set of her upcoming movie The Third Person that  Olivia Wilde showed the world her engagement ring. She is now engaged to Saturday Night Live star Jason Sudeikis!

Image via UsWeekly

According to People, Olivia Wilde’s big round cut diamond is an antique.

Image via Justjared.com

Looking for a similar engagement ring style?

Frederic Sage

A NYE Talent Show Proposal

If you’ve been on Youtube recently, you may have noticed that a lot of New Year’s Eve proposals for 2013 are slowly trickling into cyberspace. There are so many cute ones, and as you can imagine, a lot of them take place right at midnight while out with friends and/or family.

Well, this proposal is different.

Apparently a church decided to have some family fun for the congregation and held a talent show on New Year’s Eve. It was set up like “America’s Got Talent” with judges who rated each performer. Well the MC comes out and announces that they had a cancellation but luckily they filled the slot with a last minute performer.

Instead, a guy comes out and proposes on stage to his girlfriend in front of the entire church and her entire family. It was very cute! Plus, the judges gave them a perfect 10 for their “performance.”

Check it out below!

Nikki

An Under Water Proposal

Apparently proposing under water is all the rage! It’s definitely unique. The guy in the picture decided to get really creative for the New Year with his proposal. He wanted his proposal to be a moment she’d never forget so he proposed UNDER WATER while they went on a diving trip. With laminated signs for her to read under water, he was able to surprise her beyond belief!

What’s even better is that he worked her love of Aladdin in the proposal. He held up a sign that said “Make a wish” and there was a little gold lamp just like the one from the story. Then he popped the question! Granting wishes under water is definitely a unique proposal.

This other couple also enjoyed an underwater proposal while diving among rays and other tropical fish. It was definitely one of those scenes you only see in a movie and definitely beautiful. Check out her reaction in the video below!

Nikki

Top 5 Most Dangerous Proposals

Sometimes grooms-to-be get a little over ambitious with their proposals. Maybe it’s the pressure out there to be the most creative or the most original proposal on the interwebs that’s causing these men to risk life and limb to ask the woman of their dreams to be their wife. But trust us, guys. She’d rather have you alive.

But regardless of whether or not it’s a good idea to be the Indiana Jones of marriage proposals, we thought we could share the top 5 most dangerous proposals we’ve seen.

1. The Kid Who Hid In the Ceiling
Yes, this young and in-love man decides to do something for his special girl while their at school. He sets up a table of rose petals and candles and even a crowd of their favorite friends (and supervising teacher, I assume). His plan? He’s going to descend from the ceiling (what teacher or faculty member would okay this decision?!) While the proposal looked fairly successful when he finally got down on one knee, getting there looked like someone was going to die. The boy BROKE the ceiling and knocked over the table with the LIT candles on them. Talk about fire hazard. If you’re going to plan something like this, maybe do a few test runs to see if it’ll work. Your lady will thank you for it.

2. The Man Who Jumped off a Building
We’ve shared this one with you all before, but it’s so EPIC that it must be shared again in this top 5 list. Plus this is a great example of a dangerous proposal planned RIGHT. The guy nonchalantly makes it look like he fell off of a building (apparently traumatizing the love of your life is a trend?). However, it ends really cute. He lands in a big inflatable safety pad (important: SAFETY FIRST) and has signs that say “Will You Marry Me!” Of course his lady had a good laugh once she realized he wasn’t dead.

3. The Guy Who Jumped Out of A Plane
Skydiving is fun and could even be a couple activity. This guy decided to surprise his soon-to-be fiancee by jumping out of a plane and holding up a banner that she could see from the ground. Was she surprised? Most definitely. Relieved he lived to see another day? You Betcha.

4. The Guy Who Set Himself On Fire
Yes, you read that correctly. This guy was so in love with his lady, his heart didn’t just burn with passion. It literally was set on fire. You have to see this one to believe it. The weirdest part though is that he set himself on fire AFTER she said, “Yes.”

5. The Guy Who Had a Sword Fight with his Wife-To-Be
This guy fought with his one true love in an epic sword fighting dual. Apparently it was choreographed,  but can you imagine if someone missed? Nothing like proposing while your lady is bleeding or missing an eye. Luckily everything went according to planned– evening her response!

Nikki

Best Boy Band Proposal

There have been a lot of great musical proposals in the past year, especially with lip syncing which seems to be the rising trend. But this proposal? Oh boy, does it take the cake when it comes to the adorable factor.

Apparently this lovely couple has been long distance for quite some time. She’s from Texas and he’s from Australia. This past Christmas, she visited his family for the first time in Australia and on Christmas Eve, the family has a tradition of watching a movie/slideshow of the past year. At the end of the video, he makes some confessions to his girl. The big one? That he was in a boy band called “Fancy.” He claimed that he had kept the secret from her because he wanted to make sure that she loved him for who he really was, but now he was ready to let her see one of his music videos.

The song was called “Abacus” (because he can count on her when he’s feeling tested). At the end of the song, in the lyrics, he makes a huge declaration of love and proposes in front of all the entire family. Check out the video below!

What’s even better, the song is not only super catchy and actually decently done, but he actually had it put on iTunes to hopefully raise money for the wedding by having people by the single. How sweet is that?

Nikki

Resolutions for the Newly (or almost) Engaged

As the first week the New Year presses on, it’s important to not only think about the awesome things surrounding proposals and engagements, but also your relationship. After all, if it wasn’t for the special thing between you and your guy, then there wouldn’t be a reason for the ring, right? Start your year off strong by resolving to these resolutions.

1. I will not covet other people’s rings/proposals
Whether you’re engaged yourself or still waiting for that moment, it’s easy to look at other people’s engagements and feel that green monster arise. Their ring bigger? Their proposal completely outlandish and hard to top? Just remind yourself that what really matters is the relationship and hopefully the upcoming marriage. Find things to like about your own proposal (or keep in mind when it finally does happen) and enjoy the uniqueness about it. After all, this guy isn’t proposing to anyone else but you. That has to count for something.

2. I will remember to insure my ring
Rings fall down drains, get stolen or just plain lost all the time. But when this symbol of love costs quite the bit of cash, it’s even more devastating when something happens to it. Do yourselves a favor and insure that ring either before the proposal or right after. Nothing’s worse than having an awesome ring disappear forever with no way to replace it.

3. I will take time to enjoy my relationship
With engagements comes parties, photo shoots and countless months of wedding planning. It’s easy to get caught up in all the excitement. But with all this new territory to uncover together also comes stress. Resolve to make time for each other, whether with little date nights or even a nice getaway. Focusing on the two of you is what’s important. Don’t lose sight of that.

4. I will tell Engagement101 all about my proposal when it happens
When that big moment happens, you’re going to want to tell the story a bazillion times! Let us join in the love and happiness by sharing your special moment with us too. Click here to send us all the adorable details and we may even feature you on our site or Facebook page!

What New Year’s Resolutions are you making?

Nikki

Photo Credit: BrandMill