Proposal Ideas

One of the biggest moments in a person's life is when they get engaged. Here is a list from Crownover Jewelers of 30 ways to pop the question and make your proposal a memorable experience.

1. Not sure what type of ring to buy her? If you're having trouble picking out your engagement ring, buy ANY piece of jewelry and have it inscribed with "Marry Me". This is an easy idea to combine with any of the other ideas here, and she'll always have the piece of jewelry from the night you proposed as an extra special memory. Plus, she'll get to pick out a ring she loves!

2. Plan a Scavenger Hunt of memories. Take her to the place that you met, the place you went on your first date, and several more places that are special to you. Leave clues along the way to decipher with her. When you arrive at the last place on the list and propose, she'll be so overcome with happy memories of your relationship together, how will she say no? Though time-consuming, this inexpensive proposal idea is sure to win her heart!

3. Have a tree or stone engraved with something like "Marry me?" or "Jim and Susan" or anything else clever you can think of. Make sure the tree or stone is in a special place, even somewhere public. Take her to that place and when she looks at the engraving, she'll be sure to look right back at you, and you'll be on your knees proposing!

4. Take her on a Hot Air Balloon ride and pop the question during the flight. If your girl likes heights, she'll be sure to find this romantic. Plan a picnic after the ride for the two of you to celebrate!

5. If your girlfriend is looking for a job, put an ad in the classifieds for a job opening with all the qualifications your girlfriend has. Point it out to her, and then get her friends in on it to make sure she goes in for an interview. Be there waiting for her! Tell her that the job is filled, but that a fiance position just opened up, if she's interested. Have something special set up at the interview, and this could be the most creative proposal ever!

8. Play sports together? Have the marriage proposal written on the ball, or perhaps home plate! Proposing during a favorite hobby or game can make the proposal very personal. There are endless ways to take something you do together all the time and make it extra special!

9. Plan a special day at the park or beach! Near the end of your day filled with fun, take out a flying kite with "Will you marry me?" written on the bottom. As the kite flies up into the sky, she'll read the message and turn to see you on your knees with the ring!

10. Create a path by using rose petals from the front door to her bedroom. Fill the room with roses and candles. Sprinkle rose petals over the bed and lay in wait for her with the ring in your hand. This is sure to win her heart. Rose petal paths are also great to combine with many other proposal ideas.

11. If your sweetheart is into rock climbing, bungee jumping, etc. you could propose during the event! Dangerous things will heighten your senses and get your blood flowing. You could make it extra special by having the message written on the ground (if you were bungee jumping or sky diving) or on the top of a special area if you were rock climbing. The surge of emotion is sure to be very memorable!

12. Do you have a special song? Hire someone to play your special song, and make sure your loved one will "just happen" to be around at the time the person begins to play. Try a moonlit square, a flower garden, or the shore of a lake. Stroll up the path and propose while she listens to your song!

13. Make her birthday extra special by giving her a bundle of balloons, each filled with a special message about how much you love her and how much you want her to have a special birthday. Make her pop them to get the messages! Then present her with a cake topped with "Will you marry me?" and the beautiful engagement ring you picked out!

14. Get office/co-workers in on it (hers or yours)! There are many things you can do with the help of a few friends! Have co-workers tell her she has to go on a business trip and appear in her hotel room! If you have a friend that is a policeman or firefighter, there are numerous jokes you can set up if you're looking for a funny proposal. Have them "arrest" you and when she comes to bail you out, you'll know that you're meant for each other! Don't hesitate - ask her to marry you right there!

17. Hire a skywriter to write "Will you Marry Me" or rent a plane to carry a banner behind it. Have the plane write or fly over the most special place you can think of. Have a romantic dinner/evening planned, then take her to that place and ask her to marry you after she looks up at the sky.

18. Send her a care package filled with little notes about how much you love her, goodies like her favorite drinks and candies, and photos of memories from your relationship. Make sure she'll be home that day, and wait outside until the mailman brings it to her. Give her a few minutes, then drop by and surprise her by going to one knee and popping the question!

19. Planning on moving in together? Sneak over to the house/apartment and write or hide a special message somewhere. You could even write a special poem about how you not only wanted to settle into your new place with her, you wanted to spend the rest of your life with her, too! Then take her there, pretending it's the first time you've been there since you bought it/signed the lease and see how surprised she is when she finds the message you left for her!

20. Hide your marriage proposal inside of a special Christmas ornament or gift. Christmas time is filled with cozy, romantic moments and is a great time to start a new family! This is a great proposal to combine with the scavenger hunt - put the first clue in your gift!

21. Planning to get a puppy or kitten together? Have the marriage proposal engraved on the dog or kitten's tag and hang it from the collar. She'll already be excited about the puppy or kitten, and she'll be even more surprised when she reads the collar to find out it's name and instead finds the proposal!

22. After she goes on a trip, pick her up at the airport with a sign that says, "Will you marry me" then get down on one knee right in the baggage claim. She'll already be so happy to see you, she'll probably say yes right away!

23. Is autumn her favorite time of year? Get the owners of a corn maze in on your proposal! Take her on a special trip through the corn maze and have a special picnic set up at the end. Propose to her after telling her how you want her to be with you through all the twists and turns of your life! You could even put little notes or reminders of special memories in places throughout the maze for an extra special touch.

24. Have a friend drop the proposal from a tall building. Take her on a nice walk, do a little shopping, have a romantic lunch! Imagine her surprise when all of a sudden a small box is parachuting down to the ground! Chase after it with her and imagine her surprise when she finds your marriage proposal inside!

25. Make a bet with her, about something you know the outcome of. This requires some setup, but could be an amazing memory. Tell her that if you win, she has to do whatever you wants, and if she wins, you have to do whatever she wants. Make sure you win! When it's over, ask her to marry you. Say something like "What I really want is to spend the rest of my life with you!" What a shocker!

26. Take her to a garden or park with a wishing well. After a special romantic day together, toss a coin into the pond or fountain. When she asks what you wished for, say "I'll tell you if it comes true," then get down on one knee and ask her to marry you. What a sweet memory!

27. Are you season ticket holders for your favorite team? Get some friends and have them write letters spelling out "Will you marry me?" on their shirts or chests. If you can, have it announced during half time, and even flashed over the billboard. Make sure your friends make themselves obvious! If she isn't shy, she'll love it and will always remember it!

28. Taking a vacation soon? Ask her while you're there! If you are going to the beach, try writing "Will you marry me?" in the sand, or placing the proposal message in a bottle and "accidentally" finding it washed up on shore. When she opens it, she'll definitely be surprised!