Dr. Romance on how to propose:
1. Keep It Simple – Don’t make your proposal plans too elaborate. The more complicated the proposal plan, the more likely something will go wrong. Make it a private moment, just between the two of you. You can save the buzz for the engagement announcement. If you guessed wrong about your partner’s will, you will be disappointed, but at least you will not be publicly embarrassed.
2. Talk about it ahead of time, in general terms: don’t make a proposal to a partner who may not be ready to make a decision. Instead, ask questions several weeks in advance, such as “What do you think about marriage?” “If we were ever married, would you want to have children?” and “Do you think we could one day make a marriage work?” The positive answers to these questions are your green light to ask.
3. Ask from the heart. Tell a little story about how you realized that you want to share your life with your partner, and then add “So will you marry me?” in the end.
4. It is traditional to have an engagement ring, but you should not choose everything yourself; your partner may have something completely different in mind. Before the proposal, during the “talk about it beforehand” stage, stop by the jewelry stores when you are at the mall and ask “What engagement ring do you like?” In this way, you can find out what he likes. However, do not go overboard, no matter what the jewelry seller says about the salary for several months. Ask someone you respect if you are not sure what you can afford. It’s also okay to choose the ring and buy it together, but save the actual proposal for a surprise.
5. For the actual proposal, find a setting that is meaningful to you as a couple. If you’ve had a great time at the zoo, take your recipient there to propose. If you both like rock climbing, climb your favorite rock and when you get to the top ask the question. If you have a favorite restaurant or even a bowling alley, that is the place to use. The local park where you jog or always go talk is great. It is more important that the place is meaningful, memorable and relatively private, than it is complicated or expensive.
6. If you set it up carefully, you should be rewarded with a “yes” and a big kiss. Once that happens, you can take her out to dinner or go out together to tell the parents.
© 2020 Tina B. Tessina adapted from: Dr. Romance’s Guide to Finding Love Today https://tinyurl.com/jwjnk666