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Photo by Etta Photography via The Surprise Proposal of Bekk & Josh

I love a good marriage proposal video, in fact when I am miserable I can often be found in a corner Youtubing gorgeous proposal stories and having a good old sob in the corner.

My favourites are not always the biggest and grandest, instead, like msot things wedding, they are the ones that are personal. That are full of emotion and soul and that are magical just because they’re perfect for the two people involved.

Coming up with a heartfelt way to propose marriage can be hard- there are so many ideas and we put so much pressure on ourselves to get it just right. So today I’m sharing five tips for a heartfelt marriage proposal to help you create one that is uniquely yours.

Consider You & Your Beloved’s Personalities

What kind of people are you? Do you love being surrounded by family and friends? Are you inherently private? Do you love big and grand gestures, celebrating every birthday in luxury? Or are you happiest when you are eating your favourite takeaway at home?

How can you incorporate these very simple loves into your proposal? Can you order from your favourite takeaway restaurant and have a message written on the box? Can you create a luxe, grand dinner with candles and roses? What is it that really speaks to you about what you both love together?

Surprise marriage proposal

Photo by Stephanie and Mark – A Surprise Sunday Proposal

Think About What Is Important To You Both

Have you talked about a proposal before? Have one of you expressed how much you want your family there? Is it really important to you that your parents know and have blessed the intention beforehand? Is it important to you that it happens when you are alone?

How can you make sure you include these important factors in your proposal? Perhaps you invite family and friends to be there, perhaps you ask for the blessing ahead of time, perhaps you make sure it’s not in a public place? There is no point for going for a big, grand proposal if what is really important to both of you is that it’s private and intimate.

Zoo Proposal

Photo by Beth Joy Photography via Taronga Zoo Proposal

Get Sentimental

Did you have a first date at a gorgeous restaurant? Did you fall in love while bush walking? Do you always gift your beloved a special book at Christmas? Is there something you do every day for each other? Do you love a particular artist?

How can you incorporate these into the proposal? Perhaps you could book a table at that very restaurant, arrange a picnic at the spot you fell in love, create a mix tape of favourite songs about marriage to echo the mix tapes you made those years ago. Maybe you choose the couch in your very first home, maybe you involve the person who brought you together, commission a piece of artwork from your favourite artist, or even something as simple as cooking breakfast with a very special note if that is your tradition.

Think about little ways you can make it special too – candlelight and plenty of it is the most magical touch to transform any space into something so very special. Maybe putting a bottle of your favourite champagne on ice, setting up a camera or hiring a photographer.

Beach Proposal Photo

Photo by Kiera Michelle Photography via Proposal Stories From Bended Knee: Luke and Jess

Think About Your Words

Chances are, you might be so very nervous right before hand, that if you are the one doing the proposing you might very well have trouble getting the words out. But even so, think about what you’d like to say beforehand.

Let it come naturally – what do you think of when you think of your beloved? What do you want to make sure you say as you pop the question? Get back to basics and as corny as it sounds – your heart.

Sydney harbour Proposal

Photo by Daylight Photography via Scott & Carissa – The Big Proposal

Embrace The Stories

I have so many stories of couples where someone was so very cranky when they were proposed to, another was wearing an old sweatshirt, someone who was crying as they made it up the hill from exhaustion. A couple who had a day full of things going wrong, every attempt to propose thwarted, every “perfect” scenario going wrong.

These are the stories you will carry with you for the rest of your days. The ones you will giggle about as you retell the story of how you got engaged, These are the stories that make your proposal unique and the ones that everyone loves to hear. So don’t fight them, embrace them just as they are.

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Photo by Felix Alim Photography via Francia and Alex’s Beautiful Sydney Proposal