We have seen it in movies, we have heard about stories and some of us have been blessed enough to actually experience all the emotions associated with being in love and proposing or being proposed to. You look at the elderly couple walking down the street, hand in hand, just like they did 20 years ago. This type of love is rare but still found.

When proposing there is a couple of things that have to be kept in mind for example:

When will it be the right moment to propose? What type of ring does my girlfriend like? What ring size does your partner wear? Would she/he prefer that I ask her parent’s permission first? How will your own parents react? How am I going to propose? Going down on one knee or popping it into a wine glass as in the movies? Where am I going to propose? At a party or at a restaurant? Are we old enough to take this step? Has your partner finished studying? How does your partner feel about getting engaged?

The choice is completely yours but remember that this opportunity usually only comes once, make full use of it and try to plan it to precision. Consider each question above and make sure that you can answer it without hesitation.

Keep in mind that the journey you are about to embark on, might not be as easy as you thought it was. Money, commitment, passion, timing, new responsibility, moving in together, steady jobs, compatibility, parents, proper housing, higher self-discipline and marriage are active factors that need to be considered, without them the chances are that the relationship / engagement will fail.

In the end it all comes down to the love you share and your ability to care for your future hubby or wife. Share in the challenges that you might face and keep in mind what the payoff will be. Stay strong through this process and transition and everything will work out for you.

God bless on your journey towards engagement and marriage. Stay romantic and keep on caring. Thank you for reading.

You may be shocked to find out that better than 3/4 of women today are disappointed in the proposal they get, and you don’t want to disappoint her when you are asking her to spend the rest of life with you. Creating a special moment ensures that you both have wonderful memories of this precious time for years to come. Need a bit of help? Well, here are some great proposal ideas to consider using. Use them and you are pretty much guaranteed an emphatic “YES” from the love of your life.

Message in a Bottle Proposal

If you are looking for romantic and unique proposal ideas, a message in a bottle proposal is a wonderful idea to try. It’s simple, romantic and fun.

Preparation: Before you go get an antique bottle, use some parchment paper, and write your proposal on it (make sure you are original and romantic with the wording). Bury the bottle in the sand in an easy to locate spot.

Invite your love to go on a walk along the beach with you. Assuming all the preparation has been done, go walk with your love. Notice the bottle top sticking up and have her help you dig it up. Let her open the bottle and read your proposal. Romantically request her hand in marriage while you are kneeling on one knee with a ring in your hand. She’ll remember the moment forever, and she’ll have the bottle and proposal on parchment to keep as a memory of this important day in your lives.

Evening Picnic Dinner Proposal

Another of the many great proposal ideas out there is an evening picnic dinner proposal.

Preparation: Get a small generator and a lot of mini white lights. Find a beautiful and remote spot for a picnic, such as a private spot on the beach or a nice area in the mountains. Set up the generator and decorate it with all the white lights. Set up a small table and chairs, and have it ready for a picnic dinner.

Take her out to the dinner spot around sunset, sit her down at the table, and have a nice dinner and wine for her to eat. As the sun goes down, tell her you have a surprise for her. Go turn on the generator and let all the lights come on and dazzle her. It will take her breath away. Go to her and kneel with one knee and explain to her that she is the light in your world. Lovingly ask her to marry you.

Relaxing Getaway Proposal

More than likely your girlfriend is a busy woman. She could use a relaxing getaway and this is one of many great proposal ideas as well.

Preparation: decide on a place to go. Choose enjoyable activities that reduce stress and enable relaxation. (You will want to do this after you know she has a particular day off.)

Take her away for a day. Arrange for her to have a day off work, surprise her, and whisk her away. Make sure she does absolutely nothing. Take her to a nice resort or hotel. Let her enjoy the day in the pool, sipping nice drinks, and feed her a delicious dinner. Bring her to the hot tub in the evening to relax. When she is relaxed and you see the stress start slipping away, get on one knee and ask her to marry you. Inform her that you would enjoy pampering her for the rest of your lives.

Seashell Proposal

If you live near the beach, the seashell proposal is one of the best proposal ideas to consider.

Preparation: a bucket for shells; a beach blanket or towel. If the beach doesn’t have many shells, come prepared with lots of shells already in the bucket.

As you take a walk on the beach, pick up a lot of seashells along the way. Have her help you pick out beautiful shells to place in your bucket. Once you have a lot of shells, have her sit down on a blanket. Take the shells and write out your proposal. When you are done, get her and bring her to see your work. As she sees what you have written, get down and propose, then give her the ring. Take a camera to get a picture of the seashell proposal so you can remember it. Gather up the shells again after she says “yes,” and you can use the shells in your wedding or keep them to remember the special day by.

Diamond prices are determined first by adding the cost of the rough diamond, the cost of cutting the diamond, and all other costs necessary to turn the rough diamond into a marketable diamond. Depending on the importance of the diamond, an independent company may be called in to certify the grade of the diamond based on color, cut, clarity, and weight.

At this point, the diamond becomes more expensive each time it changes hands, until it finally reaches a retailer, where the price is raised a bit more. Before reaching the retailer, however, the diamond must travel from the mine, to the cutter and polisher, to the independent grading company, and then to the Primary market. Once it has reached the primary market, it will be purchased by diamond dealers and wholesalers, and from there it will be sold to retailers.

As you can see, the earlier you can purchase a diamond in the process, the lower the cost of the diamond will be – but not the value. The value is based on what the diamond will sell for in the market place – through a retailer.

If you own a diamond, and you have no idea how much it is worth, you can have it appraised, but the appraisal may not be accurate. You will be better off obtaining a certificate through GIA – Gemological Institute of America. With the information on this certificate, you can use a cutter’s guide to accurately determine what your diamond is worth.

There are also many diamond price calculators available. These can be found on the Internet, and many diamond dealers use these as well. You must realize, however, that before you can accurately price a diamond, without a Diamond Grade Report, you need to know quite a bit about diamonds, such as different cuts, clarity, color, and weight – and how each of those aspects adds to the value of a diamond, or decreases the value of the diamond as the case may be.

Again, you will be better off if you get a Diamond Grading Report on the diamond, and use that information to look up the price in one of the guides that the diamond cutting industry uses. This will give you the most accurate value of the diamond in your possession, or of the diamond you are considering purchasing.

There may be one predominant reason for the new rash of unusual marriage proposal ideas: like beautiful diamonds, the proposal is a way to tell your intended that you consider him or her the most special person in your life. Even in a tight world economy it is possible to create a memorable engagement experience that you will talk about fondly forever. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Unusual Places

First of all, remember that the traditional bended knee proposal can be performed anywhere. This means that the unique feature of your proposal may be in the choice of place. Anyone who frequents news pages on the internet has likely read stories of unique marriage proposals on mountain tops, world landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, and even skydive jumps.

The key here is the element of surprise. A proposal on a mountain hike is not expected, which is how a proposal should be. A proposal on a cruise ship is more likely, so if you are trying to create a bombshell, this may not work. Shopping is also a giveaway; if you’re out shopping and linger around jewelry stores looking at diamonds, it is just too much of a tip-off.

What You Say is Important–So Is How You Say It

If you want to leave an impression that will last forever, leave the standard “I love you” speech and poetry at home. There are many other ways to pop the question. Think about these general ideas when you are considering how to communicate:

These are just a few ideas, but they all center around what your partner likes to do. This is important for a memorable proposal, and is a recognition of his or her desires in life as well as your wish to be part of those.

The Ring

Although many couples pick out engagement rings together these days, some still prefer to choose for their partners. You can make an original proposal just by having an original ring or specially-cut diamonds. Progress in jewelry-making techniques has made handling gold and other metals much easier, and the diamonds these days are of many unusual shapes. Consider having a ring made that fits your intended’s style to the letter. For instance, if your partner is a geology buff, you might consider turquoise or lapis lazuli or local colored stones as an addition to the diamonds.

There are many ways to say “I want you to spend your life with me,” and if you carefully consider your partner’s tastes you will find the right way to say it. In any event, you are about to embark on the greatest journey you have ever been on; bon voyage!