45 Perfect Ways to Propose

1. Pop the question at the location where you had your first date
2. Plan a treasure hunt with the clues leading her to a note that asks her to marry you
3. At the movie theater with your proposal on the big screen
4. Following a romantic dinner – have the waiter bring out her favorite dessert and the proposal written out around the plate
5. Write out “Marry Me” in the sand at the beach
6. Ride a hot air balloon and as you take off, have the staff below unroll a banner with your proposal
7. Bring her one rose each night for 11 nights. On the 12^th night, give her a rose, with a card inside that asks you to marry her. Then get on one knee and put the engagement ring on her finger.
8. If you attend a place of worship walk up with her to the altar following a service. With the pastor, priest or rabbi there (and in on the surprise) tell her you want to stand at this location with her when you become husband and wife. Then get on one knee and propose!
9. Treat her to a decadent breakfast at a five-star hotel, and tell her that you couldn’t wait until evening to ask her to marry you.
10. In a horse-drawn carriage around Central Park (or other popular tourist sites in your area)
11. Plant your proposal as a message in a bottle and partially cover it with sand on the beach.
12. If you are both avid skiers or snowboarders, propose at the top of the black diamond run.
13. At a Chinese restaurant, with the fortune in the cookie asking her to marry you.
14. In a box of M&Ms with “marry me” printed on the candy
15. Flying together? Let the flight attendants know ahead of time, then tell your girlfriend you are going up front to get some water. Then, have the pilot or attendant make an announcement: “Hello everyone. We have a special guest on board today, (your girlfriend’s name here) sitting in seat C, row 11. Then, you’ll come out from hiding, get on the microphone, and tell her how much you love her, then propose 30,000 feet in the sky! Have the crew pass around bubbly (7-Up will do) and celebrate with everyone on board.
16. On Christmas Eve, in front of the tree.
17. In front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle at Disneyland
18. At the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, over a glass of champagne at the top floor lounge at sunset.
19. During a gondola ride: Venice, Italy, Naples in Long Beach, California, or at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. All romantic!
20. When your favorite singer or band is in town, propose just before your favorite song is sung.
21. New Year’s Eve, at a party with all your friends and family.
22. Propose at a concert at Hollywood Bowl. Don’t forget the picnic and a bottle of bubbly!
23. If you are both golfers, have a ball imprinted with “marry me”. Give her the ball to put on the tee, but have her “inspect” it first. Then, open the golf ball-shaped ring box when you get down on bended knee.
24. Arrange to go on air with her favorite radio DJ, and have her listen on her way to work when you propose.
25. Have a wine tasting party at your house, with all the bottles covered up. Then, have her unwrap the bottles and have her tell everyone what type of wine they were drinking, and one of the bottles will have a label that reads “Will you marry me?”
26. Hire a friend to take photos of you both just for fun. Then, surprise her by getting down on one knee and proposing. You’ll have photos you’ll both cherish forever.
27. On the big screen at your favorite sporting event.
28. Take the tram ride from Palm Springs to Idyllwild and propose on the way up
29. During the water show in front of Bellagio in Las Vegas
30. Go to your favorite karaoke place and sing your favorite love song. Then, as the song ends, ask her to come up to the front, then propose in front of everyone!
31. Carefully open a box of Cracker Jacks, steam open the prize packet and place the real engagement ring in and re-glue packet and box. Casually give her the box of Cracker Jacks during a movie and watch closely as she opens the prize.
32. U2 fans? Propose at Joshua Tree National Park
33. Pop the question during “Say You Love Me” at any Phantom of the Opera production
34. Create a “proposal” web site, then turn it into your “engagement announcement” after she says yes.
35. Have a professional videographer follow you for an hour, under the premise that he or she is earning credits towards a film degree and needs to get footage at the park or on a beach. As the camera is taping a casual conversation, start to talk about your love for her, read a poem, and then get down on one knee and propose. You’ll have this precious moment caught on film, to share with your family & friends.
36. Take out a small ad in the newspaper, in a section she always reads, and write out your proposal. (Good idea to have a talented friend help with design.)
37. Hide her ring in a bouquet of flowers, with the note providing a clue that there is something unique about this arrangement.
38. Hire a car service that has classic cars such as vintage Rolls Royces, and drive around to romantic areas for an hour. Have the driver stop at a place that holds special meaning and propose. Then, spend the second hour of your elegant drive cuddling and enjoying your first hour as an engaged couple!
39. Propose in the lounge of a romantic restaurant over a champagne toast. The next big surprise will come when you are seated at your table, and you pre-arranged to have her closest friends and family members there to celebrate in the engagement dinner.
40. Write your own proposal poem, and put it in a book that has her favorite poetry.
41. Hide her engagement ring in a box of delicious chocolates!
42. Work with a local community cable network to film a 30 second proposal that they’ll broadcast for a small donation on the leased access channel in your community. (Sometimes they charge only $100 or so and they’ll run your “television spot” multiple times for everyone to see again and again.)
43. Spell out your proposal during a mock-game of Scrabble
44. Have the engagement ring store place the ring you selected in a case, with her name and “Will you marry me?” on the tag. Then, invite her to the store “just to look” and have the associate walk you to the case with this special proposal, followed by champagne and cake.
45. Make her guess: for her birthday, give her a giant box, wrapped up. Have smaller boxes within each big box, so she has to unwrap multiple boxes before getting to the small box that contains the ring.