Written by Menswear Style in Tips & Advice on the 11th February 2019

Has your relationship blossomed to the stage of knowing you want to propose? Firstly - congratulations! Even though this is an exciting time, and even if you’re certain you’re both on the same page for a ‘yes’ response, it can still be an intimidating situation. We understand you want this to be exceptionally special, but don’t fret, we’re here to settle those nerves and help you plan the perfect engagement proposal. Do you both have a strong mutual passion or interest? The key way to make this engagement proposal special for you both - and different from any other - is to have the theme of your shared love running all the way through.

So where to start? 

Carry out all of your official pre-proposal checks to get yourself organised and up to date first. Have ‘the chat’ with their parents, save up a little bit of money, do your research into the engagement ring and buy it or get a temporary one and take them shopping after the proposal to choose their own. Once you’ve ticked all of these tasks off your 'to-do list' you can get your teeth into the exciting part - planning the proposal itself.

Make it personal! 

Here’s where that theme comes into play. If you can find a way to thread it throughout your proposal it will be remembered forever for exactly the right reasons. First, identify whether their personality means they’d love an extravagant occasion surrounded by loved ones or an intimate moment between the two of you. Once you’ve pinpointed that, you’ll be able to imagine your possible scenarios. Whether you’ve chosen grand or intimate, you’ll always need a ring box. This is the ideal opportunity to make something unique and homemade for your chosen ring. Why not beautifully decorate a heart shaped box to match your theme? For example, if your shared passion is travel, find a roll of world map paper and cover the box with it. To go the extra mile, use pins and string to mark all the places you have to travelled together. Handmade by you, personal and romantic. Ticks all the boxes! 

Location, location, location 

Next you need to work out where you want to pop the question. Keep threading your theme all the way through. For example, let’s stick with the example of travel here. Identify where your favourite place to travel together has been and suddenly there are a myriad of possibilities available to you. If that place is Italy, for instance, you could choose a beautiful and authentic Italian restaurant. If you want to keep it intimate you could book a table for two in a quiet corner and inform the staff of your intentions so they make the experience as special as possible from start to finish. For a higher level of extravagance, hire out the whole restaurant and gather friends and family. Propose on your own surrounded by candles in the middle of the empty restaurant with music playing to match your theme and call your loved ones in after the happiest moment of your lives so far. It’s a ready-made engagement party - win-win! Or if you know they would adore a grand gesture (and you have the budget to fit), organise a surprise with themed clues on your journey to the airport. Hand over the tickets to your destination when you arrive at the departures gate - as they’re busy looking at where you’re jetting off to, get down on one knee and present your gorgeous handmade ring box.

Think about the overall picture 

We’re cross referencing with the ‘time to get personal’ section here but this is important if you want to make your engagement proposal a remarkable occasion. Think about the overall picture and of all the ways in which you could include your theme - you don’t need to go overboard but those extra touches could make your moment all the more special. For example, if your theme lends itself to wearing a particular outfit then plan for that, you will look incredible if you make the effort and it will distinguish your proposal from the rest. You could even consider creating a jigsaw, quiz or game to tie in with your theme and use that to propose with; as they piece together each part of the puzzle the excitement will build and your big question will be revealed.

We show you have to plan the perfect engagement proposal with tips on Proposal Locations and Personal proposals.