If you’re reading this then congratulations! You’ve found someone to put up with you spend the rest of your life with; that’s the hard part done, all you have to do now is pop the question! In a world dominated by social media we get to see proposals all the time – public proposals, elaborate proposals, proposals involving planes, sporting events, graffiti, flash mobs; one man put a hidden message in the Washington Post crossword, another employed some dolphins to help, and one even faked his own death!
But what if you prefer something a bit more private and personal? The trend for smaller, intimate weddings shows that not everyone wants a big extravagant wedding, with more and more people choosing to get married in their own back garden. And in a survey by a jewellery company, 67% of people said they preferred a private proposal somewhere personal and meaningful to them and their partner.
Nothing is more personal and private than your own home; it’s our safe space and it can be a much more intimate experience which allows you to feel all the emotions without any distractions. Not everyone feels comfortable with a grand gesture in front of a lot of friends/family/complete strangers. Even George Clooney proposed to his wife on a date night at home, after making pasta for dinner he’d asked her to pass him something out of a drawer that he’d hidden the ring in.
So here at The Insurance Emporium we thought that if it’s good enough for Clooney, then it’s good enough for us, so here are 10 at home proposal ideas!
1. BREAKFAST IN BED
This is a really simple idea; your partner will be out of the way, tucked up in bed, while you cook them their favourite breakfast. Then you can deliver it to them on a tray decorated with flowers, fresh fruit and a glass of prosecco/a mimosa/bellini and, of course, the ring. You could even make a cappuccino with ‘marry me’ in a stencilled message on the foam on top in cocoa powder.
2. SPELL IT OUT
Neon signs are everywhere right now, so you could have a ‘Will you marry me?’ sign ready for when your partner walks through the door. You could also use balloons, bunting or paper lanterns. Or you could be more subtle, and have it spelt out in smaller letters, or on a small chalk or letter board and wait to see how long it is before they notice it.
3. SCAVENGER HUNT
You could have a lot of fun with this one and leave a series of cryptic clues around the house and garden, maybe photos or items that are meaningful to you both; something hidden in a favourite book, or a reference to where you had your first kiss. The final clue can lead to you waiting with the ring, or with a letter expressing your love.
4. SPA NIGHT
You could create an at-home spa – think bubble bath, candles, face masks, relaxing music, maybe even a massage. You could have the ring floating on a little tray in the bath, or hidden in the pocket of a new fluffy bath robe; you can even buy bath bombs with a ring hidden inside that will be revealed once the bath bomb dissolves – it’s a nice surprise and as you’d then give them the proper ring afterwards, there’s no chance of losing the actual ring down the plughole.
5. INVOLVE YOUR PETS
Picture this; your dog or cat runs up to your partner with a ring tied around their collar, or with ‘Marry me!’ engraved on their collar tag. Your dog could carry the ring in a basket around their neck, or just a note with the proposal on; this could be the perfect dry-run for your dog being your ring bearer at the wedding. Of course, anything involving animals has the tendency to go horribly wrong, but as pet owners you’ll be used to that, and it makes it more memorable…
6. BE A FORTUNE TELLER
You can arrange a personalised fortune cookie with a note inside with your proposal on. This can turn a relaxed, cosy night in your pyjamas into something really fun and memorable. You get your favourite Chinese takeaway as usual, swap their fortune cookie then, as they start to open it, get down on one knee with the ring and do the deed. Simple yet effective.
7. PICNIC
All you need is a blanket, your favourite food and something to drink and after enjoying the food you can hand them the ring, or give them something with it inside, and pop the question. You could do this indoors or out; for added romance you could do it in the evening and do some stargazing, or if it’s too cloudy, have some fairy lights and lanterns set up around the picnic blanket.
8. CREATE A MEMORY TRAIL
You could decorate a room, or hallway, or even incorporate the whole house with photos, memorabilia etc, maybe tickets from a concert/film/show you went to, or a receipt or programme; festival wrist bands, plane tickets etc. Again, you could use fairy lights or candles – they always make any situation more romantic. You could even put together a playlist of songs that are meaningful to you both. The final step could be you waiting with the ring.
9. COOK A NICE MEAL
Well if it worked for George…It could be just a simple meal, no pressure, or you could recreate their favourite meal from their favourite restaurant, you could even cook it together and pop the question while you’re cooking. You could spell it out in the ingredients (write ‘marry me’ in flour on a worktop, spell it out in peas!) We’d advise against hiding the ring in the food though, as nothing kills romance like ringing around emergency dentists on a Saturday night because of a cracked tooth, and neither do you want to have to wait for it to make a ‘reappearance’ after it’s been accidentally swallowed!
10. INVOLVE FAMILY AND FRIENDS
An at-home proposal doesn’t have to be just the two of you, you could invite family and friends round for a special meal if you feel your partner would like this. You could keep it a surprise for everyone or get them involved – they could hold up cards with letters on spelling out ‘will you marry me?’ or they could have t-shirts with a letter on the back that they all reveal at the same time. You could really use your imagination with this one.
There’s no such thing as the perfect proposal; each couple is different. Nobody knows your partner better than you do and while popping the question at home might not be what everyone thinks of when they think of a marriage proposal, it’s a very simple, fuss-free way to do it without any pressure.
Once you’ve popped the question (and they’ve said yes!), then you can start thinking about the big day – and how much it’s going to cost. Following on from an at-home proposal, you may want the day itself to be low-key, and it is possible to have a wedding on a budget without breaking the bank. Again, it’s about making it special to you as a couple.
Whatever kind of wedding you go for, it can still be quite stressful to organise, and one way to reduce the stress a little is to consider wedding insurance. You can choose from 6 policy types, with increasing levels of cover that you can tweak with optional benefits, so your special day can be as unique as you are (remember to check the policy wording as while wedding rings are covered, engagement rings aren’t). Give us a call, or visit the website today for a free, no-strings quote.
This blog is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by or affiliated with any brands or external websites mentioned in this content.
All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. We make no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. We will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. We will not be liable for any loss, injury, or damage arising from the display or use of this information. This policy is subject to change at any time.
We offer a variety of cover levels, so please check the policy cover suits your needs before purchasing. For your protection, please ensure you read the Insurance Product Information Document (IPID) and policy wording, for information on policy exclusions and limitations.
