Contributed Post: What Every Woman Wants From Her Marriage Proposal

As young girls, we often dream about our wedding day. It is one of the most important parts of our lives, as it is for men too. Plus, it means that our man has to get down on one knee and propose. The proposal is often as important to women as the wedding. Okay, that might not be the case exactly, but the proposal is very important. Any man that wants us to say yes has to do the perfect job. And, if they don’t, it makes us think twice about giving them an answer! But, what constitutes the perfect proposal? What is it that we want our men to do when they finally decide to put on a ring on our finger? Although every girl is different, there are a few things that we all want when it comes to the proposal. Here are just a few things to look out for when you BF pops the question.

A Proposal Sooner Rather Than Later

There is nothing more annoying than a man that bides his time in the proposal stakes. Okay, we are still young, and we still want to have fun. But, if we have been with a guy for some years, we need to think about the next stage in our relationship. We girls get it in the neck all the time about wanting our men to show more appreciation. Well, in this case, it is true. Whether it is a girl thing or a guy thing is unimportant. All we need to know is that we will be expecting a sign from you that you want to get wed. The last thing we want to have to do is propose ourselves because our guy is too lazy or too scared!

Surprise, Surprise

Even if we can see it coming, we want an element of surprise. After all, we don’t know it will happen until we have the ring on our finger. A proposal should always have an element of spontaneity for the bride-to-be as it makes it an even more momentous occasion. Plus, it makes for a great story to tell the girls! Any bride-to-be retelling the story doesn’t want to have to say how her man organized the entire thing as an event. We want it to come out of the blue so that we can enjoy the surprise element.

The Perfect Engagement Ring

We think of the engagement ring as a sign for the rest of our lives. A good ring is a good omen that everything will be fine, even if there are bumps in the road. A mediocre ring tells us that your guy’s heart wasn’t in the proposal, and you are both going through the motions. The trick is to help your other half find the ring without letting on what you are doing. Some people call it manipulative, but we just call it good sense. I would drop hints about quality ring dealers that I have spotted on the high street. For instance, I like the range and choice from Davidson & Licht when it comes to engagement rings. Not only is there lots of choice, but the quality is also very high. It is always a good idea to ask around for recommendations. If you have a friend that found the perfect ring, that is the best place to start. Also, take a look at their reputation. If there are legitimately bad reviews, consider finding another dealer. When you have everything in place, start to drop hints to your fella. Men aren’t as perceptive as us, but they aren’t idiots!

Friend’s Involvement

We won’t know until afterward, but every girl wishes their friend is there to help pick out the ring. The reason is that a best friend knows almost everything about what we want from the ring. Even if we have never talked about it, they have a sixth sense that comes from a close bond. In truth, it is like we are there picking it ourselves! As the saying goes, two heads are better than one. And when that second head is our bestie, it is one-hundred percent the case.

Parents’ Blessing

The parental blessing is becoming a bit of a fallacy in today’s culture. Men might ask the parents for their blessing, but not as much as they did in the past. For most women, that is a mistake. Okay, we might not decline a proposal just because our dad thinks we are marrying a jerk. Still, we want the proposal and the marriage to go smoothly. That is much more likely to happen if a guy gets the parents on his side first. Plus, they can help create the perfect engagement. If your man is creative, he will tell your parents and involve them in the process. Any girl would love a proposal surrounded by their loved ones.

A Personal Proposal

A girl might like a grand proposal or she might like a small, intimate affair - it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme. On balance, there is no right or wrong way to propose because everyone is different. What does matter is that yours is tailor made for you. If it happens as we imagine it in our heads, the occasion will have much more significance. The problem is that most guys don’t know what we think of with regards to the wedding. They have a hard enough time with the small details never mind a proposal! Again, this is where the best friend comes up trumps. Every best friend knows how we want our other half to propose. Honestly, a BFF makes the thought nowhere near as scary.

Why Do You Love Us?

There are four words that every girl wants to hear. In fact, we have to hear them for a marriage proposal. But, we also want to hear more than ‘will you marry me?’ We want to hear why they are down on their knees asking us to pledge our lives together. What makes us so special? What makes them want to take this next step? That information is very romantic, and it adds another element to the scenario. There is nothing like a heartfelt proposal to get the romantic juices flowing.

Short But Sweet

Saying that, we also don’t want them to be on their knees for ninety minutes. The best proposals are romantic and get to the point quite quickly. That isn’t to say that they mention it in passing over dinner. But, they shouldn’t draw out the process in any way. Plus, the longer that they speak, the more chance you have or making a mistake. Or is that just my other half? When they have fewer words to say, there is less that can go wrong. Hopefully, they won’t rush anything so that it is succinct and to plan.

Preparation

Speaking of a plan, preparation goes a long way. The four little words ‘will you marry me?’ aren’t much on paper. Any man could say those words now and say them perfectly. However, it is different when they have us in front of them and a wedding ring in their pocket. Those four words can suddenly seem like a different language. Personally, I would encourage my guy to practice before he got down on bended knee. Stumbling over his words isn’t going to ruin the night, not by a long shot. But, it will take away from the occasion.

Keep It A Secret

It is inevitable that a few people will know about the proposal, such as a friend and our parents. Still, that doesn’t mean that everyone needs to know. The great thing about a proposal, apart from getting married, is that we can tell everyone the good news. Whether we like it or not, we are all a little bit vain. For that reason, we all like to show off in front of our friends. And, they can’t be angry because it is our moment. What more could a girl want from life?!

Thoughts On The Wedding

Popular to contrary belief, we don’t want to plan everything ourselves. Yes, we do like to oversee the wedding so that it goes to plan. But, we also want a guy’s opinion because it is his big day too. And, it also shows us that they have been taking the wedding seriously. Some men do get engaged to keep their other halves off their back. A man that has his thoughts on the wedding is a guy that is ready to get wed. Some might even say that they are looking forward to the prospect!

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At the end of the day, it's important to acknowledge that everyone is different. What one woman might want in a proposal, another could absolutely despise! There really isn't a 'set formula' for this momentous occasion, but the tips above may at least set you on the right path.