It might be a generalisation, but there are so few exceptions to the rule that it feels justified, so here it is: women love proposals. Not just the act of proposing, per se, more about the medium in which the proposal occurs; how, where and, importantly, when.
There are 365 days in the year available for you to propose, but which are the most popular across the board?
Valentine’s Day
We all knew this was a big one. In the USA, approximately 10% of couples get engaged on February 14th, meaning that companies relying on the most romantic day of the year for their profits are making an absolute fortune.
A caveat for anyone considering St Valentine as their proposal chaperone: Valentine’s Day is massively commercialised and, ultimately, entirely predictable. It lacks uniqueness, and for a woman it can feel like her man is proposing just because he feels he has to in order to keep things romantic.
Christmas Day
Christmas is getting more and more popular because it enables grooms-to-be to include the rest of the family in the proposal. This one is well worth considering if your partner is very family oriented, because it shows that you want to be a part of her family, as well as with her.
Christmas also offers a variety of options for the proposal method, from the logical ‘ring-as-a-gift’ option, to the more unique recorded proposal on a new CD you’ve bought her, or playing a board game that requires her to solve a puzzle spelling out the words ‘Will You Marry Me?’
New Year’s Eve
The countdown to twelve just lends itself to the build up to a proposal. The new year becomes somewhat symbolic of a new beginning together, the point at which the past and the future collide, and everyone is in high spirits.
The only issue with this one is that if you’re at a New Year’s Eve party, it can be a little too public (unless she favours public proposals – you can usually judge by how outgoing she is). Alternatively, if you’re on your own, it can fall a little flat (again, unless she favours spending time alone with you).
February 29th
It only comes around once every four years, and it’s become a custom for women to take their turn to propose to their other halves, rather than the other way around. So ladies, if your man is taking his sweet time to make the move, this is the official day to turn everything on its head, and prove that you wear the pants.
Of course, it could be argued that women should be able to propose any day of the year, but for those who need the tiny push of permission, the ‘Leap Day’ is the time to do it.
Making It Special
Proposing on a popular day is a nice place to start, but if you want to be really successful and truly memorable, you have to pick a day with special meaning for her. Her birthday, for example, or perhaps following a big promotion. The best way is to make that day special yourself; make it memorable with how you propose. Never underestimate the value of being surprising – sometimes, it can be the difference between an average proposal and a timeless one.
What do you think is the most special day to propose? Be sure to comment in the section below.