Do’s and Don’ts of Proposing During the Holidays

The holidays are around the corner, and you might be contemplating popping the big question to your significant other. Really? Proposing during the holidays? Maybe the idea of dropping on bended knee in front of the tree or under the mistletoe sounds like the sweetest most swoon-worthy proposal idea to commemorate a festive holiday engagement.

You would be wrong. Yes, yes, the mistletoe kiss and sweet ring presentation under the tree are cute ideas. But they have been done before. Many, many times. This is the biggest moment of your lives, not a pre-written holiday card trapped in a made-for-television holiday movie. Think bigger. Think better.

Don’t fall for the obvious ideas when presenting the ring during the holiday season. Think outside the pretty ribbon-tied gift-wrapped box and plan an epic engagement that will be worthy of becoming a viral internet sensation.

Start planning now, because the clock is ticking. While no one can create the perfect proposal for you (that’s cheating!), there are a few ways to help inspire a bit of festive vision.  Let’s call these little tidbits the “Do’s and Don’ts” of holiday proposals.

Do…find out if the future betrothed likes public attention. This helps determine if the proposal should be quietly private and intimate or full-on crazy public.

Do…plan the date well in advance. Many couples have to bounce around between families during the holiday season and one or the other might need to travel out of town. Make arrangements accordingly.

Do…figure out which holiday to theme the engagement around. Each holiday offers unique ways to create a memorable engagement. Figure out if the engagement is going to be the gift of Christmas, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah, or if this will be the event that begins the New Year with a bang.

Do…set a budget. The ring is an expensive present. So set a budget for the engagement. An epic engagement doesn’t require a massive budget, it simply requires imagination. Regardless, don’t go overboard financially, so be sure to set a spending limit.

Do…capture the memories. Make sure you take photos!

Do…take a few hints. Some ideas have suffered from holiday overuse and have become cliché. Some have never been discovered. Here are a few holiday clues to get the vision focused…mix and match and make them your own:  skiing under the stars, a sleigh ride with blankets, Santa delivering presents (the ring is last), hidden in a gingerbread house, tie the ring to the hidden pickle ornament, propose at a midnight church service, frozen in ice, and Elves (get crazy with this one).

Don’t…plan a stereotypical proposal. Spare the mistletoe. If you want to propose in front of family during the holiday, make sure the future fiancé is up for family involvement. Nothing is worse than the betrothed being caught off guard in the wrong way.

Don’t…bury the ring in a snowball. Yes, this might sound like a fun festive idea. But rings get lost easily. If you want to hide a ring, hide it in an object…or freeze it in clear ice so it’s visible.

Don’t…wait until the last minute to plan the proposal. No one really has nerves of steel during an engagement. The proposal makes even the toughest of men mushy, so please plan ahead. Last minute musings don’t always pan out well.

Don’t…tell the wrong friends. Some proposals require help. To integrate friends or family in a proposal idea, you have to feel absolutely confident that they won’t let something slip. Choose partners in the proposal properly.

The holidays are one of the most popular times for wedding proposals. According to The Knot, December is the most popular month to get engaged. Holiday proposals are magical and meaningful…just make sure you make the proposal your own. Whether the ring is presented during Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or as the ball drops on New Year’s, a proposal during the holiday season ensures that the engagement will be filled with festive Brilliance.