Figuring Out How to Propose

Joe and Penny chose to shop together for their ring. “I was especially happy that we picked it out together,” Penny says. “I’m picky about jewelry. I was specific about wanting something simple and Joe took my feelings into consideration.”

Keith did something a little different. He had a family diamond that he was going to give to Jessica, but he did ask her advice when it came to design. “She told me early on that she liked antique jewelry,” he says. All he had to do was find the right setting.

Crafting the Perfect Marriage Proposal

Every great proposal has a special combination of romance, timing and surprise. An easy way to achieve these objectives in the first 30 days is to craft the proposal around an important place or event in your relationship. “Incorporate something that is meaningful to you as a couple,” Michaels suggests. “If you like to hike, do it on a beautiful vista view in the mountains. If you like to travel, do it on a trip.” Michaels says he knows of one couple who loved Scrabble, and the boyfriend proposed using a Scrabble board. “It’s all about what works for you. It’s the easiest thing you can think of and probably the best thing for her. It shows you care enough to think about what is important in your relationship.”

Since an antique ring was so important to Jessica, Keith planned a day trip to upstate New York for them to go ring shopping. But, he had already had the ring produced. “I told her I knew a short cut and pulled over into a clearing as the sun was setting,” he says. He asked her to get out of the car and proposed. She said yes.