6 Fun and Unique Marriage Proposal Ideas

With the holiday season right around the corner, marriage proposals are going to be happening all over the world.  More couples get engaged at the holidays over any other time of the year and according to a survey conducted by The Knot, 16% of couples get engaged in December alone.  It’s a popular time of the year to get engaged because not only are people in the gift giving mood, but also the holidays make you think about family.  It makes you appreciate the family in your life and makes you want to start your own by marrying the one you love.  In addition, with Maine, Maryland and Washington recently joining Connecticut, Iowa, Washington, D.C., Vermont, New Hampshire, New York and Massachusetts who have legalized gay marriage, I’m sure there will be even more marriage proposals this holiday season.  On a side note, I’m really happy about the 3 states that legalized gay marriage and I hope California will follow suit.

For the guy or girl who is thinking about proposing to the love of their life, I wanted to share some fun and unique marriage proposal ideas.  The one important thing to keep in mind when you are planning your proposal is to make sure to ask yourself, “Is this something she/he would like?”  The proposal is not about you, but about expressing your love for your girlfriend/boyfriend.  What this means is, don’t take them to a baseball game and propose over the big screen if they don’t like baseball and don’t like that kind of public attention.  You’ll just make them uncomfortable. Plan something you know they would like.  This doesn’t mean you have to do something you hate just because she/he likes it, but make sure to pick something that would make them happy.  If you are feeling nervous or can’t come up with any ideas, don’t worry; I’m here to help.

6 Fun and Unique Marriage Proposal Ideas

1. Plan a date doing something they’ve always wanted to do, but never had a chance to do before.  Think skydiving, a helicopter ride, a hot air balloon ride, white water rafting, eating at French Laundry, a trip to Pompei, a road trip, seeing the sunrise at Haleakala, etc.

2. Hire a hidden photographer or videographer to record the proposal.  I wouldn’t suggest you have them with you all day, but just for the period right before, during and right after the proposal.  Have them tucked away so that your girlfriend/boyfriend won’t get suspicious.  It will capture the moment forever and will be something you can share at your wedding or just to keep for yourselves.

3. Propose without a ring and then take her/him to go pick one out together.  This is less traditional, but then you get to enjoy the process together. You can even design your own custom ring together.

4. Create a scavenger hunt or puzzle that takes them on an adventure with you at the end.

5. Consider proposing in the beginning of the day/evening/trip as opposed to the end so that you get to enjoy the rest of your time together celebrating as opposed to being nervous.

6. Get your friends or family (or their family) involved and either have them help you plan it or just be there after you do propose.  You don’t have to do it alone and sometimes it’s really nice to share the moment with the people closest to you.  This isn’t for everyone, but it can be a nice touch.

(Photo credit: Milou and Olin Photography)

So, there you go!  You now have 6 fun and unique marriage proposal ideas you can take and use or use as a starting point for your brainstorm.  Whatever you end up deciding, make sure your marriage proposal is personal and tailored to her/him.  I promise it will mean so much more to both of you.  Last but not least, unless they hate surprises, plan it well so that it truly is a surprise.  In my opinion, it’s always fun to get a happy surprise.