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Top 10 Romantic Marriage Proposal Ideas

by Sally
Last updated on August 22, 2023
mens engagement rings

You got the girl, and now it’s time to plan the romantic proposal of her dreams. But, before you can plan anything, you have to figure out how you’re going to propose. You’ve probably been tossing in your bed wondering how to make it a perfect proposal for both of you. Well look no further; we’ve got some of the most romantic proposal ideas, sure to set her heart skipping! 

The story of how you propose to your partner will be told over and over for years to come, so if there was ever a time to go all out, this is it! Your whole life has led up to this moment, so let’s make sure it is something special for both of you. 

We pulled together ten of the best, out-of-the-box proposal ideas to get you started. With these ideas as inspiration, you’ll be on your way to executing a romantic proposal that will sweep her off her feet.

Let’s e-slope

If your girl can’t get enough of the slopes, this is a great way to pop the question — especially during the winter (when your locations to propose might be more limited). 

Plan a trip to her favorite ski resort, and recruit some of the staff (or good friends) to help you write “Will You Marry Me?” in the snow along the lift’s path.

Get your girl on the lift, and when you pass by the message, point it out. Have the engagement ring ready, and once she figures out what’s going on, ask her if she’ll be yours forever. Just make sure she doesn’t fall off the lift from excitement!

The trip of a lifetime

If your significant other constantly talks about a place she’d love to travel, why not make two of her dreams come true at once?

Whether it’s a city out of state or the beautiful countryside away from home, surprise her with a dream vacation to a location she’s been dying to visit. Spend the first few days exploring the area with her and secretly scope out romantic locations. Once you’ve found the spot, insist you revisit it before the end of the vacation.

This proposal will likely have incredible scenery, and you’ll get major bonus points if you’re able to find someone to capture the moment. You may be able to arrange a shoot with a local photographer. If not, and to save on costs, a fellow traveler would probably be happy to help.

Sandy toes, salty kisses

The beach at sunset is one of the most romantic scenes for a proposal. You just can’t beat the natural enchantment of the sunset colors, the sound of the waves, and the endless blue ocean.

If you want to take a beach proposal to the next level, nothing ups the romance factor like candlelight… lots of candlelight.

With the help of a few friends, use tall LED candles to create a large heart in the sand. Stand in the middle of the heart, roses in hand, and have a friend bring her down to the beach.

When she walks up, she’ll see you standing surrounded by candles with the ocean, sunset, and breeze creating the most beautiful scenery. It will be a magical moment she’ll never forget.

Be “wine” forever

Picture this: It’s a sunny day in the middle of a vineyard. You find the perfect spot of shade and cozy up on a blanket to share a bottle of wine with the girl of your dreams.

It’s a pretty idyllic scene, and for the girl who loves wine, it’s the perfect setting for the proposal of her dreams.

You can get pretty creative with this idea by adding a unique touch. You can hide the diamond ring amongst the items in the picnic basket for her to find. Or, you can tie the ring around the neck of the wine bottle — just make sure you don’t lose it.

But, with the beauty of a vineyard and the right bottle of wine, it won’t take a lot of “extras” to make the moment amazing.

A real-life Fairytale

Did you know you can rent a castle? A quick Google search brings up several sites that will allow you to rent a real castle in Europe. Talk about a memorable proposal idea!

Proposing in a castle is inherently romantic, so it won’t take much to make this one extra amazing. But, if you want to go the extra mile…

Place rose petals in the shape of a heart and light candles (the more, the merrier) in the spot you plan to meet. Be ready and wait for her to arrive at the arranged time, down on one knee, and the ring in hand.

There’s only one way this proposal will end: happily ever after.

A picnic for two

Sometimes when it comes to an engagement proposal, simplicity can be the way to go. However, the benefit of proposing on a picnic is you can make it as elaborate, or as simple, as you want.

Get your favorite blanket and put together a picnic basket that has wine, cheeses, crackers, chocolate, strawberries, and bruschetta to really hit the romantic night off to a great start. To show how much she means to you, you could also cook or prepare her favorite meal.  

You could even find a secluded picnic with a view, where you can be enjoying each other’s company and propose when the time is right. Add some romantic music with a plethora of pillows and blankets to help you both feel relaxed, enjoying each other, the food, and the view.

In front of a huge crowd

Make sure you are certain that she wants this to happen in front of a group before planning a proposal where there are people around, you wouldn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable. 

You could recruit her family, her friends, or a group of strangers to pull off your awesome proposal! Find a way to get on the kiss cam at her favorite baseball game, have dinner surrounded by loved ones, create a flash mob while you two are walking down the street! 

The possibilities are endless when it comes to proposing in front of a crowd. Just find out what things are important to her and incorporate it into your proposal.

On a hike

If you are an outdoorsy couple who loves adventure, popping the question on a scenic hike is the perfect proposal idea. The beauty of this is that you get both privacy and a gorgeous setting. 

Depending on where the hike is, you can propose on top of a mountaintop, at a lake, or in a grove of trees. You can find hikes around you or even go on a trip to venture some hike you both have been planning to experience for some time. You can ask what  dream hikes are or if there’s a hike she has really been wanting to go on. It’s not a bad idea to go on the hike beforehand and set up Christmas lights, pictures, or rose petals on the ground, so you know the place where it will happen and make it even more meaningful.

In the air

What is on her bucket list? Has she always wanted to go skydiving or ride in a hot air balloon? If so, you could prepare a trip to ride in a hot air balloon early in the morning and propose in the sky with the clouds! If it’s skydiving, you could ask your special someone to marry you after you jumped out of a plane, or even write out, “Will you marry me?” somewhere that can only be seen from above.  

This will really make her feel out of this world and on cloud nine when you propose to her after a thrilling adventure above and will really take her breath away if it’s a surprise proposal.

Fireworks

Whether it’s on the Fourth of July, News Years, or while lighting your own fireworks, nothing will make sparks fly more than proposing with fireworks in the air and in both of your hearts. 

It could be cold outside or the middle of summer, but either way you should hold her close as you experience the lights illuminating the sky, just how she illuminated your life and sparked your heart. And now it’ll burn for her forever. 

Your love and devotion will be symbolized through the fireworks in your monologue, building up to you pulling out the ring.

When love is involved, it’s always romantic

Proposals are romantic no matter when, where, or how they happen. It’s the love between two people that brings the magic to wherever you propose. The most important thing is that it’s special and something you’ll both treasure for the rest of your lives. And with what you’ve learned today, you now have plenty of marriage proposal ideas to start your planning! 

With the ring of her dreams made of ethical lab created diamonds and your well-thought-out plan, it’s guaranteed to be a perfect and romantic proposal!