Choosing The Perfect Marriage Proposal
Wedding Planning Article by Lesley-Ann Graham

Now, gentlemen, here's the drill. You must first find the girl. No point in doing this without the woman of your dreams. Next you must acquire the ring, choose well. You must ask her out, drop to one knee and say, "Will you marry me?" With any luck, she'll say yes.

She may say yes, but man! That is one mechanical and boring proposal. If you are truly in love, take the time to make your proposal memorable. This is a landmark moment in relationships and needs TLC.

Yeah, you can do the simple drop to one knee and blurt out the question bit. Just don't forget to set the mood first. Your lady will appreciate you even more for taking the time to "set the stage" if you will.

If your lady is the sentimental kind, why not put together various things that will remind her of the various events in your relationship. For example, why not put all the stuff in a box and go through the contents with her. You can have a "remember when" afternoon with each of you identifying the napkin you wrote her number on, the card from the first bouquet of flowers you sent her, and so on.. Make sure to carefully conceal one more item in the box that you will bring out. Of course, the last item is the ring. Now's the time to say the lines you've been rehearsing.

Too tame you say? Why not take it up a step? Take her on a tour of your favorite places. Make it a day out. Start in your favorite restaurant, do the things throughout the day that you enjoyed most while getting to know each other (try to choose the most romantic ones). How about ending your day by recreating your first dinner date? Pop the question after dessert.

Not inclined to go out in the foul weather? No problem. How about creating a treasure hunt especially for her? Start by creating a note that may simply say something like follow the rainbow to find gold. Next lay her a trail of something she loves that she'll definitely follow (in this example, how about skittles). Put a few more notes in between that say how you feel like, "you color my world". Of course at the end of the trail when she opens the door, there you are, in perfect position and saying the loveliest phrase any women can hear.

Of course, you may just prefer to literally ride off into the sunset with her. Take her on a trip with to a place you've both wanted to go. As you watch the sun set, ask her to marry you.

It doesn't have to be anything too elaborate, but your lady will definitely appreciate the time and effort that you put into it. It'll also help you avoid funny incidents like losing the ring as she flips open her table napkin, if you think the deed through. In the end, it's still all about one question and the fervent hope that she'll say yes!

You'll find even more great ideas for making your wedding the magical occasion it should be in our Wedding Planning Toolkit. Don't be scared of the planning; help us guide you through creating the perfect wedding you always dreamed of...