Creative Ways to Propose Marriage

So you've done the research, bought the engagement ring, and you're sitting there proud of yourself for the leap you're about to make in life. You've got one small problem. How do you propose? Many men think it's not a big deal, but trust me, it is. When you propose to your girlfriend, after their friends and loved ones have paid their share of compliments to the newly engaged, their first question is always, "So, how did he do it?" This part is what separates the men from the boys, the romantic from the unromantic, and the thoughtful from the guys that don't want to exert any more energy than they already have when they signed the check to pay for the ring. This is a story she'll be telling the rest of her life, even to her grandchildren, so it's best to do something that is memorable and sweet.

Where do you start? First of all, read my article "Things to Consider When Proposing Marriage to Your Girlfriend" so you can get a good idea of things not to do. Obviously, proposing to your girlfriend is a tremendous deal, and most of the time it needs to remain a secret therefore you don't want to ask around about advice on how to do it. I had this problem myself, so I turned to the Internet for ideas, however, there weren't any great sites that gave unique, creative ways to do it. The ideas were all generic, not personalized, and I've seen most of them done in a variety of movies. That's where this article comes in. I may not have a hundred ideas, but I certainly do have a few that are guaranteed to make your future bride smile and tell the story with great pride.

One great idea I thought of was recreating your first date. She'll appreciate the lengths you took for planning this and it's a nice way to revisit old times and see exactly how far the two of you have come along. On the date, be sure to tell her how glad you are that things worked out after that first date and that you couldn't picture things any other way.

A creative idea I ran across on the Internet involves taking out a full page ad in a section of a newspaper if you know she reads it regularly. Be sure to be there when you know she normally reads the paper so you can have the engagement ring ready. This is not only a creative way to propose but it provides your fiancée with a neat souvenir to frame reminding her of the day she was proposed to.

Halloween is not a bad idea. You could dress as an extravagant masked character and tell your girlfriend that you'll meet her at a friend's Halloween party. When you show up and she doesn't recognize you, you could catch her off guard and surprise her by dropping to one knee and proposing. The costumes make for a great photo opportunity as well as an interesting conversation piece. "Hey, did you hear Popeye and Wonder Woman got engaged?" I can hear it now.

The next idea I've heard a few times before but always remained a favorite of mine. You should take your girlfriend to see a nice romantic comedy. Make sure you arrive a little late where to lights are already off. At the end of the show, after the credits, the screen reads, "Will You Marry Me?" with your girlfriends name tagged on the end. When the lights come on, she'll see some of her friends scattered about the crowd and you can all share in the excitement.

Proposing in an unusual area is always memorable. This can be either a camping trip, safari in Africa, beaches in Waikiki, or any where else that is a departure from every day life. An original place will increase your chances at a special moment and for the rest of your life you can identify this special place as the place you got proposed.

If you lie in a dorm, condo, or apartment building then a neat marriage proposal would be to have your neighbors turn on or turn off their lights so that it spells out "Marry Me." This could also work with a high rise or office building. Take your sweetheart across the street for a surprise and do it right there on bended knee in the middle of the street!

A very unique, simple but loud idea is to go to a cook a nice dinner, open up some bubbly and afterward give your girlfriend a note with a little rhyme. The idea is to have a scavenger hunt with different locations scattered all across your house. At each location there is a different note with a clue leading to the next location. At the very end, she will find a balloon with a question mark drawn on the front. Hand her a needle, and when she pops it, you simply say, "You popped the question. Now I'm going to do the same." You proceed to get on bended knee and propose to her. Cheesy, I know, but it's creative nonetheless.

Well, there you go. Those are a few ways that you can propose to your girlfriend. Good luck!