Proposal Ideas

I just love this time of year. Snowflakes float through the air on a regular basis, Christmas lights twinkle through windows, and presents are neatly wrapped under the treat. It's also ENGAGEMENT SEASON! There's so much love in the air, it's no wonder so many proposals happen between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day. If you've been lucky enough to find the love of your life, you might be planning on asking your significant other to marry you. You've got a heart full of love, maybe you already have the ring...do you have your proposal plan? No pressure, friends, but chances are that if your significant other feels the same way about you, he or she has been imagining you dropping down on one knee. Trust me, the ideas in their head are pretty epic. Your perfect proposal doesn't need to be crafted by wedding fairies to make everything just right (although a little help from professionals, like a photographer and florist, are highly recommended!). Here are some proposal ideas and tips to keep in mind as you get closer to asking the most important question of your life:

Proposal Ideas:

1. Setting up candles and rose petals are a classic romantic gesture that is sure to impress your significant other. Bonus points if you set it up in a place that's special to the two of you (like the home you bought together, or your favorite restaurant or park) with photos of the two of you, or love notes you've written during your relationship so far. 

2. Use your furry friends (or for an extra-special proposal, adopt a furbaby!) to propose. Create collar tags or a sign that say "Will you marry me/Daddy/Mommy?" This idea totally works if you have real human children together, too! Design your own onesie to pop the question.

3. Set up a scavenger hunt to last the whole day, with the final clue leading to you on one knee with a ring. Your significant other may suspect what you're doing, but the anticipation will only build with each clue.

4. Recreate your first date, or simply bring your significant other to the location of your first date. It's a really sweet way to bring your relationship so far full-circle.

5. Whether you two love to hunt together, go running, play board games, etc, your shared favorite activity will be forever sweeter if you propose doing what you two love most.

6. If you're planning to propose during the winter months, set up a sprig of mistletoe to catch your sweetie under. Share a kiss, propose, and share an even bigger kiss!

7. If you live in Northeast Wisconsin, head to the Green Bay Botanical Gardens in winter for the Garden of Lights light show. Snuggle up close with your honey, share a cup of hot cocoa, and ask the big question among the twinkle lights. The Botanical Gardens has been so popular for proposals in the past few years, they've set up a special spot with lights that now say "Will You Marry Me?" This year's display is adorable, I've seen it!

8. Wisconsin winters are exceptionally pretty. Snow covers the evergreen trees and fields, blanketing the area in quiet. Take your love for a walk and pop the question in the snow. 

9. A planned weekend getaway is appreciated any time of year! Whisk your significant other away to a romantic B&B or campground or hotel, spend time connecting and focusing on one another, and propose while the lovey-dovey feelings are high.

10. If you two have a vacation planned in the near future, pack the bling in your suitcase, stowed somewhere secret that your sweetie won't find. If you two plan on taking an epic hike, or dining somewhere fantastic, or visiting a famous vista, bring the ring along. Won't that be a vacation to remember?

11. Tell your significant other that you've won a couple's photo session. Clue your photographer in as to what your plans are so they are sure not to miss this special moment. Pick a picture-perfect location, whether it's among gorgeous fall colors, or the Green Bay Botanical Gardens, or in your backyard. Your significant other will love having documentation of the moment you proposed. 

12. Cover the walls of a room in your house with photos of the two of you. Place yourself in the middle on one knee with the ring so when your loved one comes home, they're shocked by the sweet gesture.

13. Lambeau Field makes a fantastic backdrop for asking such a huge question. Whether you attend a game together and make a sign to hold up that asks, or you drop to one knee in front of the iconic stadium, any Packer fan will be swept off his or her feet.

14. Door County is full of charming shops, cute hotels and B&Bs, and gorgeous landscapes. In the spring, the orchards are covered in cherry and apple blossoms, followed by their colorful fruits in the weeks and months that follow. In the summer, the beaches are sunny and bright. In the fall, the cliffs are covered with stunning fall colors. In the winter, the off-season brings a quiet calm and an excuse to snuggle in front of the fire at your hotel. No matter which season and scene you choose, Door County is full of romance.

Since it's currently winter in Wisconsin, here are a few more seasonal ideas for you:

15. Schedule a private sleigh ride or horse-drawn carriage ride. It's sure to get any romantic's heart pumping, and your significant other will be moved by the thought put into it. 

16. Start a new tradition (or make an existing tradition sweeter) by going to a tree farm to cut down your Christmas tree. Place the ring on one of the trees and say you've found one that's already decorated or has the perfect ornament already. When he or she walks over and finds the ring, drop down on one knee!

17. Arrange Christmas lights outside your house to spell out "Will you marry me?". Tell them you want them to inspect your light-hanging job. Have someone hiding to flip the switch, revealing your question.

18. New Year's Eve is a great time to celebrate. You're most likely dressed to the nines and already in a celebratory mood with champagne in hand. Tell them you can't go another year without knowing if they'll spend the rest of their life with you. *mic drop*

Proposal tips

1. Hire a photographer to stay discreet and hidden to capture this amazing moment. You won't regret having beautiful images of your proposal, and you'll be able to take a few engagement photos right then and there! If you're going the "I-won-a-photo-session" route, be sure to clue the photographer in on what you plan to do.

2. Avoid holding the ring over open water or over a big ledge in case nerves get the best of you or your significant other knocks it out of your hand in excitement.

3. Avoid putting the ring in food, where someone could choke on it, or placing it somewhere public where it could get taken (unless you have someone keeping an eye on it).

4. If you two are close with your families, tell your families and close friends what you plan to do. Arrange for them all to meet at a bar/restaurant/other location while you're proposing so you can all celebrate together afterwards.

5. Finally, don't stress out over this too much. Remember that the main point of proposing is that you're going to ask the love of your life to spend forever with you. Chances are, you know if they're going to say yes or not. The important thing is the devotion and promise you are offering, not how you offer it.

Is there a proposal in your future? Bring KLEM Studios along for the ride! Proposals are one of my favorite events to photograph. Ask me about how you can get a FREE proposal photo session. Good luck to all you lovebirds that are going to be doing the asking! I would love to know how you asked and how your significant other reacted. Were they surprised? Did they cry? Comment below with your story!

Sending you love and luck,
Kate