Proposing is a big deal no matter who you are and 
in fact is actually one of the single biggest deals
of your life.
It’s a big deal of course because you’ll be asking the woman
(or man) you love to marry you, and promising to spend the
rest of your life with them. Which is a long time…
It’s scary because there’s a chance your loved one may say no,
because you’ll be spending a lot of money, and because you’ll
be taking a gamble on love and hoping that you’ll have a happy
life together once you’re bound together by law.
But at the same time proposing is also a big logistical challenge and that’s what you often forget. There’s a lot to consider here if you hope to buy a ring that your partner is going to like, if you want to go through with all the regular traditions, if you want to make the proposal a magical moment and if you want to keep it all secret at the same time. That’s a tall order for anyone, and it involves a lot of organisation. To help you organise and feel secure having done so, here are some of the common things that get forgotten in all the fuss…
The Insurance
No matter what your stance normally is on insuring phones and the like, when you spend as much as you do on an engagement ring insurance is really a no-brainer. This will cost a good few hundred dollars on top of the cost of the ring itself, so make sure you’ve taken that into account.
Will it Fit?
The next thing you need to consider is whether or not your ring is going to fit on the finger of your partner. That means you need to get their finger measured, or perhaps steal a ring of theirs from their jewellery box without them noticing. Otherwise it can be an awkward moment when it doesn’t fit on during your big proposal.
Hiding the Ring
Once you have bought the ring, you now need to try and keep it hidden so that your partner doesn’t find it. This is another challenge of course, and one that can be a little difficult if they often sort through your drawers – so why not give it to a friend or a relative to look after until then. It’s particularly difficult if you want to take the ring on holiday in order to propose as there’s a chance of your bag being sorted through. To avoid this problem, try taking the ring in your wallet, in a hidden compartment, inside a button bag.
 |
 |
Shopping Alone
Before that you’re going to have to come up with a good excuse to get away so that you can shop for a ring. Not a problem if you’re often a part, but if you’re one of those couples who do everything together it can be a bit more tricky. Again you will need an alibi, and it’s worth shopping somewhere other than your local town just in case someone sees you and it ends up creating an awkward story.
Getting the Parents Alone
If you want to do the whole proposal properly then you’re going to need to ask the parents for permission. This is a scary event in itself, but what’s also very challenging is just trying to get them on their own to ask – particularly if they don’t live nearby. If you can get help from a sister though or a cousin of your partner, then you can arrange for them to be in and then swing by one evening to ask when you have a good alibi.
Oh, the Deceit
One of the hardest parts of proposing is simply all the skulking around behind your partner’s back which can be stressful and actually quite lonely. Things will happen that you would normally want to talk about, and you’re generally going to have to get used to lying until you pop the question. Having someone to confide in can help a great deal, so find a friend who understands and pour your heart out! It’s going to be a logistical nightmare so having someone to talk to will be useful. But at the end it will all be worth it!
The author of this post, Karen Fernandes, is a freelance blogger who enjoys sharing her ideas and experiences online. Her hobbies include knitting and crochet. You can follow her on Twitter for more information.