Guy Talk: What to Ask Yourself Before Making that Proposal

So one day, you met the girl of your dreams. Luckily, the two of you hit it off right away and eventually fell in love. And now that you’ve been together for a while, you’re ready to take your relationship to the next level by asking her to marry you. Congratulations, man!

But before buying your girl a diamond-encrusted engagement ring at your local jeweler and getting down on one knee, make sure you answer three questions first so you’ll get the only answer you want when you finally pop the question.

When should you propose?

First things first, when is actually the right time to ask your girl to marry you? Obviously, you should be at the point in your relationship when you’re madly in love with her and can’t imagine life without her. You also know her inside out and trust her completely. You accept not just her strengths but also her imperfections and little quirks.

When you’re together, you can sit in comfortable silence, with neither of you getting bored or awkward at all. But what could be the game-changer is your family and friends. If they also love your girl, then you’ll know she really is for keeps.

Okay, so you know you’re ready for marriage, but what about your girl? Is she ready too? Surely, you’ll know if she’s also madly in love with you, trusts you completely, and accepts you for who you are. But it wouldn’t hurt to try to feel her out first. Talk about the future and see if you figure prominently in her plans.

Maybe she’ll even drop a hint or two about wanting to get married and the number of kids she’d like to have. Or you can ask her family and friends. She probably talks to her mom, sister, or girlfriends about her dream wedding, with you as the man walking down the aisle with her.

Where should you propose?

When you finally know that you’re both ready to get married, then you can start planning the actual marriage proposal. Where should you pop the question? This can get tricky as there are a lot of options available for you. Better plan this carefully, then. The key is to always keep in mind that the proposal should be all about your girl. After all, she’s the one who holds the answer to your question.

So which location do you think your girl will love? For sure, some places witnessed milestones in your relationship, so consider one of these. The park bench on which you had your first kiss, for example, will become more memorable and meaningful if you also propose there.

Or maybe there’s this one place that your girl has always wanted to see. Take her to Molokai in Hawaii if that’s at the top of her must-see places list, and ask your question there. Of course, you can go to a very romantic location as well. You don’t actually have to go far for this one. Your home can be the most romantic place for your marriage proposal if you set it up right.

How should you propose?

After taking care of the when and the where, it’s time to focus on the last question—the how. So how will you ask your girl to marry you? Again, the marriage proposal has to be about your girl, so take into account her personality and preferences. For instance, if she’s outgoing, then there shouldn’t be any problem proposing to her in front of other people. But if not, it’ll be better if there’ll be the two of you when you pop the question.

From fun ideas like scavenger hunts and movie trailers to the traditional ones like romantic dinners and love poems, there are many great marriage proposal ideas. You can even make up one of your own to make your girl feel truly special.

But whichever way you want to pop the question, you should make sure your proposal has these important things:

• Element of surprise (which everyone swore to secrecy!)
• A great speech (remember to pour your heart out)
• The perfect engagement ring (it should be the right size and design)

Ask Yourself the Questions First

If you’re finally ready to ask your girl to spend the rest of her life with you, then go for it. But before getting down on one knee, you should ask yourself three questions first—when, where, and how you should propose. Answer them well, and you’ll surely have the best answer from your girl when you finally pop the question.