Today, wedding proposals have elevated to Hollywood-inspired and Kleenex required moments shared across a plethora of reposts. No matter how extravagant or intimate the wedding proposal may be, it boils down to 7 important rules. With the help of Karen and Kimberly, professional proposal planners in Toronto and Vancouver at Luxe Proposals, they share their most important tips before taking the big step.
Photo Credit Kim James Photography
1. Site Visit – Just because it looks good on Google, doesn’t mean it will be inviting in person. Often times, beautifully shot locations will surprise you.
“There was a time where we found a darling gazebo online. When we did a site visit, it ended up being in someone’s backyard.” Karen laughs. “That probably wasn’t going to work.”
The key is to design your proposal around the venue space. Questions to think about are: does it have beams for you to hang photos from it? Are there outlets for lights? How easy is it to access? This will ensure you will use the space to its full advantage.
Photo Credit Amish Solanki
2. Who should know? – This goes beyond telling anyone that is susceptible to spilling your secret. Today’s biggest surprise giveaway is none other than Snapchat from friends who may be a part of the proposal. Always ensure your entire party is aware of the time of the proposal.
Why? Kimberly shares, “There are too many cases where family members might ask her “how it went” before it happens, or the host at a restaurant reveals there is party of 15 waiting for the couple.”
Photo Credit Luxe Proposals
3. Photographer – Most proposals happen within a span of 1 minute. For the bride, 1 minute breezes by because she’s still trying to process what is happening. Kimberly suggests to get a photographer that’s experienced in capturing paparazzi-style proposals, and one who owns a long lens. That way, they can hide from a distance and capture the proposal discreetly.
Photo Credit MANGO Studios
4. How to make her dress up – If you’re getting a photographer, this is next on the list. No matter how beautiful you think she is in 3-day old hair and XL sweatpants, she’s going to appreciate that you gave her a heads-up. The trick to getting her to dress up is inviting her to a work gala or a charity fundraiser.
“If you invite her to a third-party event with a dress code, she wouldn’t be as comfortable defying rules that are implemented by someone she doesn’t know.” Karen reveals. “For me, I love my sweatpants. It would be tough getting me out of it, unless my boss asked me to.”
Photo Credit Hong Photography
5. Hiding the Ring – A no-brainer, right? Ring boxes are commonly hidden in the jean or front jacket pockets. This small detail could risk revealing the whole surprise. “Don’t do it!” Karen exclaims. “The safest place is to put the ring box inside the jacket breast pocket. If she loves hugs and poking you, make sure she won’t accidentally graze the box.”
Photo Credit Matdivad Photography
7. Winging the speech – This is pretty darn cute, but if you’re not a naturally expressive person, there is an 80% chance that you might forget and stumble on the speech.
The two women share their experience where some fellows were so nervous, they didn’t get on their knees nor finished their sentence, “Will You?”, one guy said. If you want to speak from the heart, consider coming up with a base idea and reciting it quickly in your head 2-3 times. Always say your speech before you show the ring, or she will barely concentrate on what you’re saying.
Photo Credit Christine Pienaar Photography
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[…] Pulling off the perfect proposal is not easy – there are a thousand things to consider leading up to the big moment. Has anyone ever said no? How do you avoid screwing it up? After almost 100 wedding proposals under our belt, we’re sharing 6 fool-proof tips so that you don’t mess it up. As seen on Eligible Magazine. […]