5 Things To Do Before You Pop The Question
When you’re head over heels in love with the person you have been dating for weeks/months/years, the time will inevitably come when you decide to pop the question.
And by popping the question, we obviously don’t mean…
“Can you put the kettle on?”
or…
“Have you seen the TV remote?”
The question we are referring to, of course, is…
“Will you marry me?”
This will be an important question for you, especially if you have strong feelings for the person in question. But before you get down on one knee and propose to your partner in a beautiful fashion, there are a few things you might want to do first.
1: Look for signs of love
You know you love her, but are you sure she loves you? You might be infatuated with your partner, but it’s important to know that she feels the same about you. After all, you don’t want to buy a ring, get down on one knee, and receive a shocked or any other negative reaction when you ask her to marry you. So, look for signs that indicate she does love you, and perhaps speak to your mutual friends for their opinions too. And when you’re confident that she is as infatuated about you as you are about her, consider the next point.
2: Make sure you’re on the same page
You might be on the same page in the book called ‘love,’ but what about the book called ‘family,’ or the book called ‘future’? Okay, so these aren’t physical books (we assume), but you get the point. You need to be on the same page where hopes and dream are concerned. If you want kids and she doesn’t, that might cause problems later. And if your other ideas of a future are far different to hers, you can expect arguments and tension when you get married.
Compromises can be made, of course, especially when love is at the centre of your relationship. But there will be some things that matter to you both, and if compromises can’t be made, it’s better to know before a marriage proposal happens. So, talk to your partner and get things out in the open. Hopefully, you will be on the same page about the things that matter, and that should give you the confidence to pop the question.
3: Talk to her parents
Okay, so this is a little old-fashioned and it’s not compulsory. But to stay on their good side, you might want to let them know you are planning to propose. Hopefully, they will welcome the prospect (and you) with open arms and give you their blessing. The alternative could be a slammed door and a less than polite hand gesture to you, of course, but here’s hoping it will be a positive experience. Check out these do’s and don’ts for some advice on the matter.
4: Buy the ring
Yes, she might be happy with a ring pull from a Coke can or the last remnant from your bag of Hula Hoops if you’re low on funds, but if you can do better than that, you really should. You don’t have to bankrupt yourself, of course, so work within your budget. Find out what jewellery she likes to get an idea of the kind of ring she might like, and if possible, sneakily borrow a ring from her collection so you can take it to jewellers to find the right size. If you do buy a ring that isn’t the right size, you can still get it resized later. Still, it’s better you know in advance as you will then have something to put on her finger when you’re making the proposal.
5: Plan your proposal
How you propose to your partner is up to you. After all, you should know what she will and won’t like. But you can still look for inspiration online by searching for proposal ideas, and you can collect ideas from people you know too. When you know how you’re going to propose, plan for the occasion. This might mean rehearsing your proposal speech in front of the mirror a few times before the moment actually arrives. And if you’re planning anything extravagant, you will need to work hard to get every element of the proposal right. Of course, if you do screw up, she should still say ‘yes’ if she loves you. She might even find any mistakes you make funny. But as it’s a special moment for her, do what you can to get things right.
