It seems that everyone proposes around this time of year. Statistics show that more marriage proposals happen between Thanksgiving Day and New Years day than happen any other time of the year. A whopping 33% of all marriage proposals happen this time of year! With so many potential grooms dropping to one knee this time of year, I’ve put together a dummy-proof Holiday Season Proposal “how-to” on what to remember before you pop the big question, holiday style.
Whether it’s on Christmas Day, Christmas Eve, or the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, grooms-to-be should keep this little list handy to make sure they get the perfect proposal:
Remember what she wants. You’ll be telling this story in far less detail than she will, and far less times, with far less interest. While the marriage is about give-and-take, the proposal should be about how you make her feel. No matter how much you love football, if she doesn’t share your affinity for the pigskin, don’t propose at a Bears game. Too often, I hear horror stories about women who wanted a small, intimate proposal, but instead get asked in front of a crowded restaurant full of people they don’t know. Ask yourself:
- Is her family important to her? Would she want her parents there to share in the ocassion?
- Is she a public or private person? Does she want to be singled out in front of a group of people?
- Does she want a traditional, surrounded-by-candles proposal, or is she hoping for something adventurous?
Help her remember the day. This is one of the most important days of her life. Make sure that it’s memorable, but also that it’s easily remembered. Whether or not you have a photographer hiding in the bushes to take photos or video of your meticulously-planned proposal or her emotional answer, make sure that you ahve some way to remember the day. Something as simple as writing down exactly how you asked her (we’ll get to that later) and taking as many photos as you can on your phone throughout the day will help her relive the experience and have something to show her friends when she talks about it.
She’ll remember things you won’t. The things that your fiancé will remember about the day will be different than the things you will. Consider this:
- Don’t propose right after she gets off work. She doesn’t want to see pictures of herself in her working clothes with greasy hair. Whether you surprise her or not, make sure she’s ready to be asked.
- Does she get cold easily? A hike to a picnic near a waterfall might be a romantic idea in May, but if she’s shivering and cold, she’ll be distracted. No one wants to show off their ring with blue fingers.
- The holidays can be a stressful time of year. If she is focused on holiday gifts she hasn’t gotten, a meal she has to plan, and a road trip to her parents house, she won’t be able to focus on (or enjoy) the moment fully. Plan ahead.