How to Propose Marriage to Your Boyfriend
If you're getting a little impatient waiting for your serious boyfriend to pop the question, you may want to take matters into your own hands and ask him to marry you. If you know that your boyfriend wants to marry you, but he just hasn't gotten around to it, or if you hate the idea of tradition, go ahead and do the asking. It takes a bold woman to buck tradition, and you can expect naysayers, but if you do it right, your boyfriend may be flattered, and even relieved that the proposal pressure is off him.
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Instructions
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Consider the status of your relationship. No matter who is proposing, if one party is not ready, the proposal could turn out to be a disaster. Before getting engaged, the two of you should have already been discussing marriage, merging your lives together and the future. Consider proposing only if you have talked openly about these things with your partner and you are positive that he is ready to get married.
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Know your man. If you know that your boyfriend is more of a traditional kind of guy, he may be disappointed and even offended that you are the one doing the proposing. He may feel like you are stealing his job in a way or trying to make a statement about disregarding gender roles. Only proceed if you know your guy doesn't care about what tradition says. If he's the kind of guy who doesn't think twice about doing non-traditional work, he may be surprised, but should be thrilled and happy about being proposed to if he's ready to get married.
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Buy a ring or symbolic jewelry for the both of you. Men don't usually wear engagement rings, and he may not feel comfortable wearing one if you are not. If you don't want to get him a ring or if you think that he will want to get a ring for you later, you can get another form of symbolic jewelry. Choose something you know he will like and be proud to wear, whether its matching engraved bracelets or even dog tags.
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Choose a proposal based on his personality. Since you are the one doing the asking, you have to choose a proposal based on what he would want, not what you want. Choose a low-key proposal with just the two of you if he is a quiet kind of guy or if he might feel a little weird about being proposed to. Propose at home on an anniversary or in a secluded spot in a park the two of you frequent. Simply speak from the heart about how you feel and ask him. On the other hand, if he's the life of the party, loves attention and likes to do things in a big way, go all out for the proposal. Propose at a special event with all his family and friends around, hire a crop plane to write it in the sky, or ask him on the jumbo tron at a professional basketball game.
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Tips & Warnings
If he says yes but seems disappointed that he didn't get to ask you, let him know that he can still do so, affirming that he wants to marry you just as much as you want to marry him.
No matter where you choose to propose, remember that your words are far more important than the words or the set-up.
References
Resources
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