This weekend (on my birthday) one of my clients will be proposing to his girlfriend. I can’t tell you where or how, but it is a beautiful and simple proposal.

So I thought I would share a proposal video with you instead, it’s a long one I pre-warn you and simple it is not! This was orchestrated by ‘Mobbed’ a Fox TV series in the US which puts a hidden-camera spin on the “flash mob” concept. Host Mandel and hundreds of strangers help special guests plan extraordinary surprises for friends, family members, loved ones or co-workers.

In this episode they plan an elaborate proposal, enjoy!

As today is leap year I thought I would share a marriage proposal that I just adored – ok so it’s a man to a woman, but even so it is so romantic and you know I love a bit of romance!

If you are thinking about proposing how can you do so in a memorable way and how can you start preparing for your wedding? Be imaginative when proposing, the cinema and a meal might be sufficient for some men but if not show your man how creative you can be. Before we start do have a read on i-village for their advice on how to propose – I found this article rather amusing! 

My first piece of advice is only propose if you think he is going to say yes, if you have approached the subject of marriage before and he grumbles he doesn’t see the point or changes the subject, think carefully as he’s probably trying to tell you something in the way that men do, by not telling you!

Assuming you’re confident he will be delighted, here are my top 5 tips 

1. Remember the proposal should be suited to your boyfriends likes/dislikes, not what YOU think is romantic. If you’re unsure why not sign up for my marriage proposal service
2. Be honest about your feelings, why do you want to marry him? Tell him but don’t just say ‘you mean so much to me’, go into WHY you are entrusting your heart into his hands.
3. Add a bit of humour by wearing something red as a token of the ‘red petticoat’ tradition.
4. Have a gift for your hopefully fiancé, assuming he wont want a ring what about a watch? In fact that’s what I gave my husband when we got engaged (no he asked me!)
5. Give him a chance to say yes and make sure you are somewhere he can concentrate on you, not on the train on the way home from work or when he’s trying to navigate the M25 traffic

 Some easy and simple ideas

1. Arrange a photo shoot with a photographer, have some natural shots to emphasise why your man loves you, perhaps in locations that have meaning to you both? You could either have them enlarged or combine some shots in a small album, the last shot could be of you holding a sign say ‘Will you marry me?’
2. If there is a remote spot you like to go to, perhaps for country walks or picnics, think about arranging a treasure hunt. When you arrive at the location hand him an envelope giving him a clue as to where he goes next, make sure this has been beautifully printed or with calligraphy. Keep leaving clues, perhaps some of his items from home OR pictures of you together highlighting your history. The last clue would lead him to you where you are standing by a picnic rug, blankets, cushions and of course champagne picnic. Keep this last bit simple; ask him to marry you – honestly and clearly. 
3. Finally we all know the way to a man heart is through his stomach so how about this gorgeous proposal cake from GC Couture Cakes?  Priced at only £25 it won’t break the bank either. Yes I know it’s designed for the man to ask the lady but I’m sure if you ask an alternative can be made!

Once your man has said yes don’t forget it takes hours to organise a wedding so if this all sounds like too much hard work call a wedding planner  to assist you!

I saw the above title on Historic UK  it well it seemed rather appropriate for this post!

Wednesday, 29th February 2012 is leap year day when, by ancient tradition, women can propose to men. But how did it all start? What is the folk lore and traditions? I’ve done some trailing and this is what I have found……………

HOW IT ALL STARTED

Well no one seems to know for sure, there are a variety of opinions.

According to wikipedia  a 1288 law by Queen Margaret of Scotland (then age five and living in Norway), required that fines be levied if a marriage proposal was refused by the man; compensation ranged from a kiss to £1 to a silk gown, in order to soften the blow.[9] In some places the tradition was tightened to restricting female proposals to the modern leap day, February 29, or to the medieval (bissextile) leap day, February 24

BUT according to others, the leap year proposal can be traced to St. Patrick in the early 5th century when St. Bridget, head of a nunnery, went to St. Patrick, then the bishop of Ireland, for help insisting women should have the right to proposal to suitable suitors. St. Patrick was sympathetic and understanding and decreed that women be permitted to do the proposing one year out of four. This new “open season on bachelors” soon began to take place during Leap Year, another quadrennial event, and so it has been since. Supposedly Bridget then proceeded to ask St. Patrick the big question herself. He gently refused, and to soothe her hurt feelings, gave her a kiss and a silk gown. Henceforth, men would be obliged to make some sort of payment for refusing a woman’s offer.

OR is it simply that the 29th February had no recognition in English law thus a break in tradition was acceptable on this one day only

Whatever the origin of this tradition it remains today

DID YOU KNOW?

During the Middle Ages, if a woman intended to propose to a man, she had to give him some warning. She was required by law to let a red petticoat show beneath her dress.

If any man said NO he would have to buy his loved one a new silk dress!

Keep an eye out next week for my modern day proposal ideas for leap year 2012

Credits/Sources

wikipedia

Leapyearday

Antique Trader

If you are planning on proposing to your girlfriend then here are our top tips:

• Have the ring – read our previous post on selecting the right ring
• Prepare – you wouldn’t dream of doing a company presentation without preparing beforehand so give the same preparation for the proposal. Create a plan that includes how you will propose, where you will proposal, the time and even what you will wear. Not forgetting the actually delivery of ‘will you marry me?’
• Her Likes - remember you are trying to evoke a beautiful memory for years to come of the proposal so make sure you know what she likes. Listen to her; has she ever mentioned a place she would like to go? Maybe there is a place you go as a couple, the beach, woods, restaurant – is this a suitable setting for the proposal.
• Private - will she be happy with a public proposal with friends and family or do you think she is more private, it’s important to ensure she is within her comfort zone.
• Tradition - is she traditional? If so she will probably want you to ask her fathers permission to marry her first. Do this in person if possible and of course assuming he says yes, brief him on when you hope to propose and ask him to keep it confidential for now.
• Memories - think about asking a videographer or photographer to record the moment, especially her surprise and hopefully a delighted YES! Or if budget is tight ask a trusted friend or family member to record the moment for you ensuring they are sworn to secrecy.
• Imagination - don’t just book a restaurant and pop the question, put some thought into the process and personalise. Think about why you want to marry her, what makes her special? If you can show you truly know her and have listened to what she likes/dislikes she will love you all over again.
• The little touches Remember a girl loves the little touches so if you are unsure how to make the proposal individual speak to a trusted female friend for her opinion.

And finally if you need some help consider our marriage proposal service which starts at just £95

Don’t propose without it as a girl won’t feel engaged unless that ring is on her finger. If you are planning on popping the question in the New Year but have yet to buy the ring, here are our top tips:

Before you even set foot in a jewellery shop you need to have an idea of what metal she likes, does she prefer gold, white gold or platinum? Most girls have a preference and will only wear one type of metal so make sure you know what that is!

Once you know the metal type you need to know what gemstone, does she like one big showy diamond or a cluster of smaller ones? Perhaps she doesn’t want a diamond at all and prefers a different gemstone like sapphires? When choosing the stone thinking about how it is set in the ring and how this fits with your girlfriends life, i.e family, her job etc.

Next comes the design, does she like vintage, gothic, contemporary jewellery? What does she normally wear? When looking at friends engagement rings take note of her opinion, trust me every girl has an opinion on another girl’s engagement ring. Likewise if there is a celebrity engagement in the news listen to her view on the ring, this will help immensely when choosing the design. And finally prior to purchasing see if she has any other rings she wears to gage the size.