The Ultimate Marriage Proposal Idea Checklist (2023) | Diamond Mansion

THE ULTIMATEMARRIAGE
PROPOSALIDEA CHECKLIST

NO FLASH MOB NEEDED

INTRODUCTION

WHY THIS GUIDE?

Here at Diamond Mansion, we not only want to you find the perfect engagement ring or wedding band for that someone special. We want to help you with all aspects of this special time in your life. That's why we created what we think to be is the most extensive guide on planning the perfect marriage proposal. We've talked to others and scoured the net to find the best tips and ideas for your big day.

This guide is especially for those of you who aren't into "flash mobs" or over the top (and we think a little corny) gestures like renting a blimp and flying it over the baseball game with a "will you marry me Jessica?" banner. No. This guide is for a "normal", don't-post-it-to-YouTube but memorable engagement. Classy, special, romantic.

Before digging in, remember: your bride to be is going to be most impressed by how you personalize your proposal. We obviously don't have a window into the little quirks that make your relationship special, so take these ideas as starting points!

PLAN AROUND YOUR

BRIDE TO BE'S PERSONALITY

No matter where or when you propose, or what your ring is like. You're going to absolutely need to cater to your girlfriend's personality. This does sound obvious, but often guys will plan too much around what they like. Here's some common traits we saw and some ideas for each.

Here are some of the main personality types to consider and some basic do's and don'ts.

SHY

Plan something private. She's not going to want a crowd of people around. Preferable choose a place that is quiet and intimate. If you want pictures, do it like this guy and hire a hidden photographer! Since this proposal might be just the two of you, if your girlfriend is also a game lover she might like this word game proposal idea. Very clever.

OUTDOORSY

If your bride to be is outdoorsy, that could mean a lot of things. Is she a hiker? Does she simply like to be out in nature? Or likes bird watching? You don't want to confuse these interests. Narrow down outdoorsy to something very specific. For example, Doris chose a waterfall that reminded his fiance of their first trip.

SPORTS FAN

Sporty doesn't mean you have to propose in front of thousands of screaming fans. Remember, we're giving ideas that don't involve over the top events. You can go towards a sports themed proposal like this super creative baseball themed proposal. He even had custom baseball cards made!

GEEK

If your bride is a geek you may want to incorporate some technology into your proposal. For example, you could make a special website with photos, videos, memories - and of course ask the question. This article on The Knot has some more great ideas for a tech. proposal (numbers 16-21).

FASHIONABLE

If your girl is fashionable, you definitely want to be dressed up and out on a very special occasion. No rock climbing proposals for you. Make sure you get photos!

GEEK

You're going to definitely want to involve the pets - or why not go horseback riding? Is she a dog lover? Here are some great dog proposal ideas! Or how about this butterfly proposal.

ARTISTIC

If your girlfriend is artistic she's probably going to want something creative and unique. So you may want to lean more on that side than overly romantic. Something thoughtful and personal may mean a whole lot more to her than glamour. For example, Ben hired some freelance writers and made this storybook to ask the big question. What a gesture!

PARTY GIRL

So your bride to be as a party girl, but you still might want to maintain a sense of intimacy when you propose. A good way to think of "party girl" is simply social. She probably likes to be around other people. You probably don't want to propose at a party, but what you could do is propose first while alone. Then surprise her with a party of friends or family afterwards, where you can then all celebrate together. For example, proposing at a restaurant, and then revealing friends and family in a private room. You could also do it someplace you can get on stage with a microphone and do it in front of an entire audience.

So again, hopefully that gets you thinking about your bride to be specifically and catering the proposal towards her personality and interests. Let's get into some specific ideas!

PRO TIP

If you are still unsure of the best gesture, pick up a copy of The Love Languages. You'll learn about how your girl best feels loved. Definitely work that into the proposal!

MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

PLACES IDEAS

The setting can be everything. We wanted to give you some ideas and resources for types of places you can propose. Remember to consider your girlfriend's personality and interests! No matter where you live, you can find places like these just about anywhere.

The beach at sunset

A romantic walk along the ocean.
Some people might not like the sandy beach, but there's also romantic ocean walks like this CliffWalk in Newport, RI.

In the park with a picnic lunch.

A mountaintop or hilltop overlooking the city

A romantic restaurant

Rent a room in a highrise hotel overlooking the city.

The top of a high rise building, like this Boston idea

The place you first met

On a boat on the ocean

A gondola ride
you don't have to go to Venice, for instance Las Vegas has this Venetian Gondola ride as does Newport Beach California.

A horse carriage ride

A waterfall

Ice skating

In a hot air balloon

Horseback riding

A helicopter ride

At a carnival

Winter Proposal?
In front of the fire in a cozy winter cabin.

In a limo after a romantic date

At home
That's right, for some people the best place to propose is right at home! Here's a great resource on home proposal ideas.

HOLIDAY

MARRIAGE PROPOSALS

Holidays can be a great time to propose. It's a natural time to relax, be somewhere romantic, and create great memories. Just be careful with these. You don't want your bride to be to feel like they're getting shortchanged on the Holiday. In other words, do just as much as you would for Christmas etc in addition to your special proposal.

Valentines Day Proposal

Huffington Post has some really nice ideas.

Christmas Eve Proposal

Some ideas here.

New Year's Eve Proposal

The do's and don'ts of a New Year's engagement.

4th of July Proposal

Sometimes there's nothing quite as romantic as fireworks!

Halloween Proposal

Obviously not for everyone, but this holiday can lend itself to a fun time! Some ideas here.

Propose On Her Birthday

This is kind of like a Holiday, right? :) Here's a useful guide on the perfect birthday proposal.

UNCOMMON PLACES

TO RESEARCH MORE PROPOSAL IDEAS

Hopefully we've slightly overwhelmed you with proposal tips and ideas. But you still may want to dig further. These are some off the beaten path places to get more ideas, that not many people think of;

Pinterest has some great boards put together like this and like this.

PRO TIP: Does your girl have a Pinterest account? (Who are we kidding, every girl does right?). She's probably pinning things that are really important to her. This might be your best place yet to get proposal ideas.

The Reddit relationship forum can actually be a useful place to ask for advice. Like this person did here.

THE KNOT FORUMS

There's a nice community here!

YAHOO ANSWERS

Yahoo Answers actually has an active and helpful community in their Weddings section.

QUORA

For those of you who are not familiar, Quora is the well known question and answer site. Answers can be voted on, and generally everyone is really helpful and civil. Here's their marriage proposal topic.

CHECKLIST

FOR THE BIG DAY

You've narrowed down her personality and interests. Hopefully you've picked a fantastic location. But you don't want to forget the final touches that will make the day perfect!

MUSIC

This may depend on your location and setting too. But if you have the opportunity to bring along a little extra music for ambiance, definitely don't forget it!
Apple has a lot of wireless speakers that work with iPods and iPhones.
You may have a special song together - if so that would be the ideal music to play. If not, I suggest you spy on her music collection for ideas.
Still at a loss? Not music buffs? Here are 50 of the best love songs to get you started.

FOOD & DRINK

If you're proposal at a restaurant, this isn't a concern. But what about that beach or picnic proposal? Remember to pack these essentials;

Wine - you might know your girlfriend's wine preference, but if not here's a great wine guide to help you decide.
Gourmet Horderves - here's a helpful Pinterest board with some easy ideas.
Food - this obviously may depend on where you propose. Here 25 romantic picnic food ideas!
The extras - don't forget wine glasses, a cooler, napkins, cutlery. You may just want to pick up a picnic set like this affordable one from Baxter.

PHOTOS & VIDEO

As mentioned above, you can consider hiring a photographer to be there to capture the special moment. They could be hidden to not give it away!

You may want to consider having someone there to catch a video. This could be easier of course if you're including friends or family who can do this for you, but just don't forget it! By the way, here's how you can make a secret video with your iPhone.

RING

Of course! The most important part. You may already have a ring chosen if you are this far into the process. If not, Diamond Mansion has an extensive guide for everything you need to know about Diamonds. You may always contact us directly too - we are here to help with any ring questions you might have.

FLOWERS

While roses may be the staple romantic flower, that might be the best to go with. Here's a list of the top ten romantic flowers to choose from that she will love.

GOOD LUCK!

TO YOU

We know there is a LOT of information here. But this is a big day. An important event that will only happen once. And planning is going to make it a special one. So good luck.

Please drop us a comment if you have any proposal tips, or if you have already proposed
- let us know how it went!

INTRODUCTION