Whilst marriage proposals over a romantic dinner at an elegant restaurant can be very romantic they are not necessarily the most creative. Many people dream about the day that the person of their dreams proposes to them and hope that the day will be absolutely perfect in every way imaginable. One creative way to propose for a couple involved in a long distance relationship is to plan a surprise visit and set up a scavenger hunt. You could have a friend pick you up from the train station or airport so that your partner doesn’t know that you are coming to visit and have the friend give your partner instructions for the scavenger hunt. You could then hide a number of small surprises on the scavenger hunt and then hide at the final location poised to propose when your partner completes the game.

If your partner is an outdoor enthusiast they might appreciate a proposal during a camping trip. It’s a good idea to plan a quiet trip for just you and your partner at a picturesque or favourite location rather than with hordes of family or friends. Hide the ring in your sleeping bag to use in a surprise proposal. When it’s time to go to sleep after a long day of hiking and fishing, you could complain that there must be a rock or something underneath you. Then with some extravagance pull out the ring and make your proposal. This creative proposal also contains the element of surprise as a camping trip is not generally when they might be expecting a proposal.

If your partner is a sports fan then proposing at a sporting event might suit you and your partner. For this proposal idea you could either arrange to have your proposal broadcast over the public address system or displayed on the large screen. If you are feeling really adventurous, then you could also contact the team’s public relations department and try to make arrangements to make your proposal on the field at halftime. They might be willing to help you, especially if you are keen and regular fans to make your proposal on the pitch! One very creative proposal idea is to purchase a book of love poems. Leaving the first few pages intact you could then carve a heart into the remaining pages and sew the ring into the back of the book. You could suggest taking turns reading the poems on each page to each other ensuring that your partner turns the final complete page to reveal the heart and ring that were hidden inside. This proposal idea is not only creative but also incredibly romantic.

Having the DJ of your partner’s favourite radio programme ask them if they will marry you is another creative proposal idea. You will want to make sure that you are aware of the exact time that the DJ will be sending your message so that you are able to ensure that you and your partner are actually listening to the programme and are together when he makes the announcement. You could also arrange to have the DJ play a song that has a special meaning for you as a couple.

Still another creative way to propose is to hide the ring in an unexpected location. For example you could pretend to have a clogged sink and while you are working to fix the clog, you could reach into the sink and pull out the engagement ring. When your partner is nearby, you could seize the opportunity to pull out the ring you had hidden earlier and say something to the effect of, “No wonder the sink is clogged, I’ll have to find another place to store this ring, how about your finger?” This whimsical proposal is both light-hearted and creative. It is bound to cause laughter as well as the traditional tears associated with such romantic occasions and we all know that laughter is one of the things that binds us together.

A variation on the traditional proposal at an elegant restaurant could be to have the waiter bring out the ring with the bill. You could have a little good natured fun with your partner by going out of your way to drop hints that you would be proposing over dinner. If you can keep up the act and play the game then they will be expecting your proposal with each course.

After dessert you could tell them that you have something very important to ask and as she eagerly awaits your proposal, you could ask an inconsequential question about something completely irrelevant to your relationship. They will probably be furious at this point but their anger won’t last as the waiter arrives with the bill and the engagement ring and you let them know how much they mean to you. Do make sure that it is a restaurant that you know and trust! You don’t want the waiter disappearing with your ring!

A great proposal doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant. Many partners are more likely to cherish the memories of a proposal that was inexpensive but truly creative. The creativity is what makes the proposal so memorable and what makes it a great story to tell their friends.

She may say yes, but man! That is one mechanical and boring proposal. If you are truly in love, take the time to make your proposal memorable. This is a landmark moment in relationships and needs TLC.

Yeah, you can do the simple drop to one knee and blurt out the question bit. Just don’t forget to set the mood first. Your lady will appreciate you even more for taking the time to “set the stage” if you will.

If your lady is the sentimental kind, why not put together various things that will remind her of the various events in your relationship. For example, why not put all the stuff in a box and go through the contents with her. You can have a “remember when” afternoon with each of you identifying the napkin you wrote her number on, the card from the first bouquet of flowers you sent her, and so on.. Make sure to carefully conceal one more item in the box that you will bring out. Of course, the last item is the ring. Now’s the time to say the lines you’ve been rehearsing.

Too tame you say? Why not take it up a step? Take her on a tour of your favorite places. Make it a day out. Start in your favorite restaurant, do the things throughout the day that you enjoyed most while getting to know each other (try to choose the most romantic ones). How about ending your day by recreating your first dinner date? Pop the question after dessert.

Not inclined to go out in the foul weather? No problem. How about creating a treasure hunt especially for her? Start by creating a note that may simply say something like follow the rainbow to find gold. Next lay her a trail of something she loves that she’ll definitely follow (in this example, how about skittles). Put a few more notes in between that say how you feel like, “you color my world”. Of course at the end of the trail when she opens the door, there you are, in perfect position and saying the loveliest phrase any women can hear.

Of course, you may just prefer to literally ride off into the sunset with her. Take her on a trip with to a place you’ve both wanted to go. As you watch the sun set, ask her to marry you.

It doesn’t have to be anything too elaborate, but your lady will definitely appreciate the time and effort that you put into it. It’ll also help you avoid funny incidents like losing the ring as she flips open her table napkin, if you think the deed through. In the end, it’s still all about one question and the fervent hope that she’ll say yes!

The following 5 tips are intended to guide you through your wedding planning as smoothly as possible:

1. DON’T GO OVER BUDGET!
We’ve seen it happen time and time again. Newly wed couples thing they have everything figured out to the penny. But when the wedding is over they’re left with unpaid bills and unexpected expenses. The solution? Don’t go over budget! Plan everything for your wedding in advance: the cost of the caterer, DJ, photographer, and any other vendors you intend to hire. A word of advice: Don’t invite your cousin’s sister’s husband’s brother if you can not afford to feed him and his family. Start with immediate family and close friends-continue from there. It’s really rude (and embarrassing) to dis-invite someone at the last minute (because you discovered you can’t afford it!).

2. ORDER WEDDING ATTIRE EARLY
Picture it: The Groom’s Best Man is wearing a tuxedo that’s three times too large for his body. The Bride’s Maid’s dress is so tight , she can barely breathe! These are horrific scenarios that actually do happen and need last minute resolutions. Don’t put yourself through this chaos. Get everyone fitted for their dresses and tuxedos as early as 6-8 months in advance. Ladies-don’t forget wedding accessories!

3. BOOK ACCOMODATIONS EARLY
In some tourist frequented cities, guest accommodations need to be set up to a year in advance! Call resorts/hotels and book a set amount of rooms for your guests on a specific date. Be certain to have enough rooms for all of your out-of-town guests. Shop around for several accommodations, as your guests may be on a budget too! Especially if they just paid to travel to your location.

4. GET A MARRIAGE LICENSE FROM YOUR OWN COUNTRY
If you’ve decided to have a destination wedding-don’t arrive at that destination without a marriage license. Most states have a 30-60 day turn-around rate with marriage licenses. It’s worth the wait. Why, you ask? Different countries have different marriage customs and requirements. Nevertheless, you should bring your new marriage license with you wherever you are going to marry. If you are re-marrying, bring your divorce papers as well.

5. BEAUTIFICATION CAN GET UGLY
Bad tans, allergic reactions to hair dye or other chemicals can be a nightmare. Don’t until the last minute to get a pre-wedding ‘make-over.’ Facials and waxing can also leave unwanted blotches, burns, and breakouts for those wedding photographs! Make all beautician appointments a week or two in advance. Part of good wedding planning is being the ‘early bird’ make sure everything is in place nice and early inthe planning stages.

Thus, it would come to no surprise that the Age of Information has prompted brides & grooms to hop online to plan what could be the biggest day of their entire lives. Particularly in the United States, where individualism & independence run strong, calling on a wedding planner or an agency to take care of all the details has fallen on the wayside.   Thanks to the web, planning a wedding doesn’t have to be an outsourced job anymore.

These days, the wealth of information available on the Internet has brides-to-be eagerly surfing for their wedding planning needs.  Every vendor is out there trying to reach out to potential customers, but with the resources so vast, it can be really difficult to find the ideal wedding vendor for your needs.

That’s where Strictly Weddings, a new site for Dallas weddings, takes a different approach to online wedding planning, by simplifying the search.  At Strictly Weddings they use a long list of specific criteria and tap into local wedding experts to pick the top three vendors for each of the 21 categories on the site.  The end result is an easier site to navigate and pick vendors, a vast difference from competitors like TheKnot.com & MyWedding.com, which feature hundreds of vendors all dying for your attention.   Strictly Weddings will soon open in Chicago, New York and LA, bringing its unique approach to a national scale.

Being that approximately $75 billion dollars are spent on weddings alone each year in the States, this is an industry that is certainly alive and well.  Plus, with the 21st century’s total embrace with social marketing, sharing ideas and advice has never been easier.  Wedding planning is no exception, and sites like Strictly Weddings show through their blog and “ask us” section that the online discussion between brides is a highly valued resource for coordinating a wedding.  After all, the best way to plan an event as important as a wedding is to learn from other’s mistakes, and hope for the best.