Engagement & Wedding

Marriage Proposals: Top Five Dos and Don'ts

Popping the fabled question isn't an event that should be taken lightly. To pull it off just right, takes the soul searching of a poet and the meticulous planning of an engineer. While true love may conquer all, here are five common proposal pitfalls that can make the big moment less memorable…or worse yet, memorable for all the wrong reasons.


Proposing Without a Ring

Common Proposal Mistakes

Even though your bond goes beyond the material, proposing without an engagement ring communicates a lack of seriousness about the endeavor. A ring isn't just about the carats or the cost— it's a timeless, tangible representation of your love. Whatever your budget, dropping to one knee with a ring in tow shows the sincerity of your feelings. It tells her that marriage is something you've spent time reflecting on and planning for.


Ruining the Surprise

How to Buy the Perfect Engagement Ring

Marriage may be something you've discussed together for some time, but creating an element of surprise in the proposal is still important. She can have a strong idea that a proposal is on its way, but she doesn't have to know exactly when and how. Part of maintaining the charm is keeping your plans under wraps. The more people you share your plans with, the better chance they have of somehow getting back to her before the plans come to fruition, and that's no fun. She'll want to share the great news too, and letting every family member, friend and acquaintance know your intentions ahead of time denies her that pleasure.


Going In Without a Plan

There's a difference between making your proposal a surprise and proposing on a whim. While the spontaneously unbridled proposal may seem like sheer gold on paper, it comes with a big helping of risk. Sure, asking your girlfriend to spend the rest of her life with you shouldn't come across like a regimented sales pitch. But some semblance of order and thought shows your girlfriend just how important this moment is to you too. Pulling off the magic proposal takes some planning, whether it's making dinner reservations at that exclusive restaurant or knowing when to cue the pyrotechnics. Expressing your love from the heart is the most important part, but attention to detail can make the emotional impact all the greater.


Recycling a Tired Proposal Idea

Don't Forget the Engagement Ring

Dinner, candlelight and a single red rose alone aren't going to cut it during one of the most important moments of your lives together. Pulling a proposal script out of the last romantic comedy you sat through together doesn't scream thoughtful either. A creative, personalized and unforgettable proposal is one that really has to come from the heart. Take her to the site of your first date, play off an inside joke or conjure up a special moment together from the past. Using a classic proposal can work too, but put your own spin on it. Tailor every aspect to her and your relationship. That can mean getting creative with the ring too. Ross-Simons gives you the ability to design your own ring from a variety of diamonds and settings so that it perfectly reflects her tastes. She'll be touched you spent the time, not just the money, to make sure her ring is the perfect sparkling finale to the whole proposal experience.


Picking the Wrong Setting to Pop the Question

While it's a big moment for you too, make it about her. You may want shout your love from the mountaintops (or broadcast it to an entire city for that matter) but the stadium JumboTron or a banner attached to a flying plane might not be the proposal venue she always dreamed of. Many women will want a more intimate moment, while some may very well revel in the spotlight. Whatever the case may be, take your girlfriend's personality into account and pick a setting she'll be comfortable in.