Despite all the stress and nerves that comes with proposing marriage, it’s something that you’ll never forget and that you should try and enjoy as much as possible. I know this is easier said than done, but most of the aggravation when planning a proposal comes from not having a plan or knowing what needs to be done.

To help fix this problem at least a little bit, here is a brief summary of what you can do to prepare a successful engagement proposal. For even more great proposal related information, sign up for Marriage Proposal Advice Article Series and receive a free copy of The Pre-Proposal Guide in the process.

Where to Begin

The very first thing you need to do, before getting into any kind of proposal planning is be certain that your girlfriend is the one for you. Sometimes the excitement of getting engaged will distract from making sure you’re sure about who it is you want to marry.

Chances are if you’ve been dating her for a substantial amount of time, and are thinking about marriage, you are probably certain she’s the one. However, such an important and life-changing decision should not be made lightly, so even if you think you’re sure, think it over again carefully.

My free report, The Pre-Proposal Guide: 21 Things You Must Know Before You Propose will help you determine if she’s the right girl for you by bringing many important, but often overlooked, factors to your attention. It’s not meant to scare you, rather it’s intended to prevent you from doing anything before you’re ready.

Once you’ve made the decision that you’re sure about marrying your girlfriend, you are ready to start planning the proposal. The first step is to decide when you want to propose. More about getting the timing right can be found below, so for now we’ll just leave it at deciding on a date for your proposal.

With a date in mind you can move on to the proposal idea itself. What type of proposal do you want to have? What type would your girlfriend like best? For instance, a common technique is to propose over dinner at a restaurant, or on a beach during a romantic stroll. On the other hand, some men prefer to be more extravagant or creative with their approach. Whichever way you decide to propose, this is when the decision should be made.

What to Include

After you’ve decided the method you want to use to propose, you can start coming up with smaller details that will make your engagement proposal stand out from all the others. The most effective way to come up with these details is to brainstorm and write everything down that comes to you. As you continue this process, you’ll notice the opportunity to build on small ideas and elaborate to make them solid parts of your proposal.

Some of the things to consider when brainstorming are ways you can create a mood or atmosphere at your proposal location. For instance, can the place be decorated or does it already have the necessary surroundings? You can also look into including things like flowers or other romantic displays that she’ll enjoy. This doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive, just let you mind work and see what kinds of things you come up with.

Another idea to consider is how you can incorporate some sort of symbolic or sentimental touch to the proposal. Doing so will make your engagement special to her and will be what separates it from the typical proposal. Don’t be afraid to go against what’s common and add some of your personality to make it meaningful to your relationship.

One thing that will definitely be appreciated by her is some sort of reference to memorable times and events that the two of you shared. For example, including movie ticket stubs from your first date would work well. The most important thing to remember here is to use this opportunity to make your proposal as personal to your girlfriend and your relationship as you possibly can. This will make it original and memorable.

Proper Timing

Timing is very important when you propose. There are many different situations where timing can apply, so it’s important to be aware of them all.

For instance, how ready your relationship is for an engagement is one aspect of timing. Another is the time of year and how that relays into wedding planning and preparation. A third example is the timing of how your proposal will mesh with her life. If she’s extremely busy and preoccupied with something else, proposing may be seen as a burden or be less enjoyable if she’s stressed.

You can’t wait for the timing to be perfect or else it never will be, but you can take it into consideration and make adjustments whenever possible. This small, seemingly minor forethought can be the difference between an engagement she’s thrilled about and one that is just ok. If she’s not in the right mindset to be proposed to, it will lose it’s effectiveness. It’s as simple as that.

Preparing for the Proposal Day

After you’ve got an all the details decided, you’ll want to get a plan together so you know exactly how you want things to work out. How detailed you are in your planning is up to you, but for something this important it’s best to err on the side of caution and plan as much as possible.

No detail is too small when you outline your proposal, so be sure to include all the touches you came up with earlier. It’s a good idea to know when and how each will be incorporated so you’ll know exactly what to do on the day you propose. Think of this plan as a script for the show you’ll be putting on on proposal day.

Of course, with any show comes the need for rehearsal and this is no different. If you hope to put on a memorable performance you’ll want to do a few walk-thru’s first. In some cases a mental walk-thru will be good enough, but you should do whatever you feel comfortable with. It may seem silly, but you will be nervous on the day you propose and it can be easy to panic if you haven’t gone through it a few times beforehand.

Executing the Proposal

When the day of the proposal arrives you will probably be nervous. That’s normal and unavoidable, however, your planning will have you as prepared as you can possibly be. For this reason, you will be able to control your nerves, knowing that you are ready to propose.

All the work will have been completed by now, so you will really have nothing to worry about. You worked out all the bugs and adjusted your plans accordingly and all that’s left is to follow your script.

During the execution it’s very important that you keep your emotions under control as much as possible because you don’t want to tip your girlfriend off that you’re up to something. Act as normal as possible and follow the plan. If you do that everything will take care of itself.

Have the Celebration Ready

As part of your planning it’s important that you account for what you will do after you’ve asked her and she’s accepted (hopefully). Will you be continuing your romantic evening together or would you both rather spend time celebrating with friends?

Whichever celebration style you think is best, be sure to have something ready because you’ll both be excited and going home with nothing to do will be the last thing you want to do. Since she knows nothing of your proposal intentions, planning the after-celebration is your responsibility. It doesn’t have to be a wild ruckus, but you should have something you can do to celebrate your big day.

Congratulations You’re Engaged!

Although a lot goes into making your engagement successful and memorable, it’s really not as intimidating as many guys think. Following the steps outlined here can give you a great start toward planning the perfect marriage proposal.

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