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 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.

I’m so incredibly excited about the launch of not only my new website but also a new service called ‘marriage proposals’. If you havent done so yet do pop over to the new website, I’d love to hear your comments. My new blog is being tweaked and I hope to launch this in the New Year.