15 Surprise Proposal Ideas

Posted on October 11, 2014 by Mary Hood | 0 Comments

Planning a proposal can make even the coolest of us sweat. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve known your beloved or even if you think you know exactly how he or she will respond, you’re probably feeling a bit of pressure to make the event incredibly special.

Before exploring all the ways you can surprise your sweetheart, rest assured that asking to spend the rest of your lives together is incredibly special—however you decide to ask, stay calm, and don’t forget to breathe.

Now without further ado, let’s get creative!

The Grand Gesture. Whether public or private, she’ll never get tired of telling her friends about this breathtaking proposal.

• Take a trip to the beach and plan a scenic drive along the coastline. As the sun is setting, pull over at a viewpoint and mention that you must get her photo with the sunset. As she’s positioning herself, get down on one knee. Follow up with a romantic dinner and walk on the beach.

• Send him on a treasure hunt. Leave clues in all of your favorite couple spots around town. The final clue should lead to the location of your first date—or where you first met. Be waiting with a ring.
• Spell it out. Arrange twigs on freshly fallen snow in your backyard while she’s away. When she gets home, say you’d like to build a snowman together and lead her to the backyard.
• Alternatively, spell it out in the sand. In the evening, set up a small fire on the shore (may sure this is legal at your beach). Ask him to gather more twigs. While he's collecting them, write your proposal around the fire.

Put It on Paper.  A proposal in a love letter epitomizes classic romance.

• Write a love letter detailing all of the ways your girlfriend is special to you. Conclude the letter with, “for these reasons, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” (Or something to that effect.) For a surprise element, you can leave the letter in her underwear drawer or tuck it in the novel she’s currently reading.
• Turn your proposal into a poem. Don’t worry about making it rhyme, just be sincere. Tell him it’s a memo you’d like his help proofreading. Hand him the paper, and when he's done reading, present him with a ring. 
• Leave little notes with sweet messages around the house. Hand him the last one with your marriage proposal inside.
• Include a proposal letter in a huge bouquet of flowers. Have them delivered to her office shortly before she gets off work on a Friday. Meet her outside the office building with a ring. Celebrate with a night out on the town. 

Sleeping Beauty. Greet the morning in a way she’ll never forget.

• Bring him breakfast in bed. Place the ring on a strawberry or other pretty fruit. When he sees it, get on one knee.
• While your girlfriend is sleeping, carefully slip the ring on her finger. It may take her a minute to realize it’s on after waking up. When she does, get ready to propose.
• While your boyfriend is sleeping, stealthily take his phone and rewrite the alarm message to say, “Will you marry me?,” or “What’s under the pillow?” (The ring, of course!) 

Say It with Food. The way to a man's heart is through chocolate, coffee…all of the above?

• Plan to take your boyfriend to his favorite restaurant. Call ahead of time and request that your proposal be spelled out on a plate. There’s no dessert better than chocolate sauce reading, “Marry Me?” 
• Go on a picnic and hide the ring box at the bottom of the basket. When it’s time for dessert, mention that you’ll get a brownie for her. Hand her the ring box wrapped in a napkin. 
• Is his favorite beverage dark and aromatic? Have your proposal written at the bottom of a coffee cup. Custom mugs are available on Etsy.
• Hide the ring in a box of chocolates or pastel French macarons. She’ll never think of her favorite treat the same!

Photos: Talie, Makena Zayle Gadient, Pimthida, Flood, Heather Joan—all via Flickr  

Posted in creative, engagement, proposal

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