9 Amazing Ways to Propose at Home!
Firstly - congratulations! If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you’re ready to take the plunge and propose - that’s amazing!! Whilst planning a proposal is a really exciting time, it can also be pretty nerve-wracking…and at the moment, with lockdown still in full swing, it can seem pretty difficult to create a magical moment. But don’t be scared or put off - we’re here to help!
We’ve used our experience in surprises, industry contacts and online product research* to provide you with the best ways to propose at home - with an emphasis on the surprise factor and of course - making it personal. In fact, we’d even say that for some people, an at-home proposal is much preferred… it’s intimate, can be incredibly thoughtful, and after they say yes, you’re free to celebrate, just the two of you, without any social pressures. So let’s get cracking…
Dinner and Dancing…
We’ve all missed dining out at restaurants, and if your partner loves a bit of a boogie, why not suggest a dinner and dancing date night?
Be sure to get your partner to dress up as if you were going out on the town… you too! If you’re a dab hand in the kitchen, get in there and create something impressive - if you’re after inspiration, try creating a few recipes from Simple by Ottolenghi, available from our Amazon store*. If not, keep it easy and order in from a local restaurant - perhaps one you’ve not tried before to make it a bit more special! Be sure to make an effort with the table - napkins, your best crockery, a candle… and don’t forget the wine or cocktails!
THE SURPRISE: Cultivate a special playlist on your favourite music app or YouTube, for after dinner. Ask your partner to dance (perhaps their favourite song is first?) and get grooving together however you like, whether it’s some dad dancing, some silly old school moves or a gentle, romantic sway. Then it’s time for the moment… if she’s a pop-lover, why not cue up ‘Marry You’ by Bruno Mars? Personally, we prefer this gorgeous acoustic cover. Or, if you have a special song that means something to you as a couple (and the lyrics are suitable!)
Let the playlist fall naturally into whatever song you’re using, for that for your moment…and then drop down on one knee. If you want to keep it lighthearted, you could always tell them, ‘I’ve discovered this new dance move, I think you’re gonna love!’ before dropping down!
COST: Low! Just dinner and perhaps some nice things to make the room or table look nice.
PREPARATION: Medium - prepping the playlist and the room and table is pretty easy, if you make dinner yourself the preparation goes up a bit!
PERFECT FOR:
Couples that love going out for dinner, couples that find joy in dancing, and if your partner has always tried to get you out to a dance class with them, this could be the perfect lead in!
*Please be aware that we are an Amazon associate, and therefore may make a small commission from some of the products recommended in this post when bought via our curated Amazon shop. We only recommend products we’ve personally chosen or used ourselves, however.
2. Breakfast in Bed…
If your partner loves to sleep in at the weekend, why not secretly get up early and make them their favourite brunch?
We love the pancake recipes in this post. Bring it in on a gorgeous tray with a rose, a mimosa, and a cup of tea and perhaps a little gift, or a card which simply says, I love you.
THE SURPRISE: Your partner will be baffled and amazed by this early morning gesture, and might suspect something…but wait? You’ve just got into bed with them to share their pancakes… no popping the question just yet. In fact… it’s not until they finish their tea and look down into the bottom of the cup… and they see a ‘will you marry me?’ message in the bottom of the mug!
We love this amazing mug - if your partner doesn’t go for hot drinks, you could hide the message under the food instead with this personalised plate!
COST: Low! The mug suggested cost under £20, and the price of the food, and perhaps a tray if you don’t have one - we like these ones on our Amazon store.
PREPARATION: Medium - it just involves getting up early of course, and cooking up a lovely breakfast and thinking ahead about what to go on that tray!
PERFECT FOR:
Partners that love to sleep in! Also great for getting the jump on them…no time to suspect when they’re sleeping, so if your partner is hard to surprise, this could be the idea for you.
Photo Credit: @iamngakan
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
3. The Old Birthday Bait-and-Switch
Photo Credit: @CottonBro
If your partner’s birthday is coming up, there is no better way to surprise them than to incorporate your proposal into a video message from friends and family.
(We’d advise not telling them about the proposal and just letting them know you’re putting together an amazing birthday keepsake for them!) After gathering birthday messages from all their family and friends, it’s time to get to work editing them into a beautiful birthday tribute - you can use iMovie as a simple editing tool, and include photos of your partner!
THE SURPRISE: Then save the best until last…the clip from you is at the end, and should be a totally heartfelt message, ending in… ‘now turn around!’
Your partner will turn around and you’ll be on one knee behind them! (We’ve got goosebumps just writing this!)
If you’re a complete technophobe but love the idea of this one, our expert editor can put the video together for that professional touch - check out our virtual surprises page for some examples, or give us a ring on 02078673769 for more information!
COST: Low if you edit the video yourself, medium if using our professional editing team - our friends and family videos start at £150.
PREPARATION: High if editing the video yourself, medium if using our professional team - all you need to do is record your own clip and send it to us, introduce us to your friends and family, and of course, tell us all about your partner so we can ensure your video has a completely personal touch!
PERFECT FOR:
Couples that love going out for dinner, couples that find joy in dancing, and if your partner has always tried to get you out to a dance class with them, this could be the perfect lead in!
4. Take Them on Holiday…
…but in the comfort of their own home! Does your partner have a favourite place in the world… Paris, Spain, Italy?
Spend some time thinking about how this could be recreated in your own home. Think food, wine, decor, music…plan ahead so that when your partner enters the room, it’s like they’ve been transported abroad. Share a wonderful dinner together from cuisine from that place… and then:
THE SURPRISE: There are lots of ways you could pop the question with this idea - we personally LOVE the Proposer’s idea of a piñata with their favourite sweets and the ring box inside, if you’re using Mexico as the place!
One item we think can work with all places is this beautiful photo explosion box - when opened, the box automatically folds out to reveal photos of the two of you (use holiday snaps from trips you’ve been on!) lovely messages, and the ring right in the centre - and it’s available in a ton of designs and colours.
COST: Totally depends on how much you decorate the room and the cost of the food, but be prepared to spend well over £100 in total!
PREPARATION: High… if you do it right, which we think you should! Really go all out on the details. If you need expert help, we’d recommend one of our favourite proposal planning companies and great friends: The Proposers or The One Romance.
PERFECT FOR:
Couples that love to travel and are craving a holiday (everyone, right now??)
We’ve gathered our favourite bags and kits for your gifts on our Amazon store!
5. A Month of Surprises…
We absolutely LOVE this idea…taking the advent calendar concept and applying it to a different month. This is a long-form proposal, people…
First, you’ll need to buy a DIY advent calendar style setup - we personally love these cute little advent bags. Then, you prepare them by filling each one with something special - we’d advise a little sweetie in each, and then perhaps an A-Z of your partner’s best qualities (if you want it to look beautiful, we’d recommend this little A-Z book from Not On The High Street that can be detached and reattached afterwards!)
THE SURPRISE: In the very last bag, there can be a note that says ‘Will You Marry Me?’ - or, if you want to make an even grander gesture, it could have inside a USB stick or a note with a link…to access a personalised song video from our team, or a pre-recorded message from you telling your partner how wonderful they are, and popping the question.
COST: Low… the advent bags are less than £20!
PREPARATION: High… it’s important that each bag has something meaningful inside, whether that’s a little note, a gift card for something in the future, a photo… whatever will work best for your partner!
PERFECT FOR:
Making the moment and surprise last, and if your partner is going through a rough time, this daily pick-me-up is bound to make them feel better every single day, not just the proposal moment!
6. Scavenger Hunt!
Available on Etsy!
The classic… you’ve heard the concept before, but just in case - you come up with a treasure hunt style game for your partner to complete, with each clue leading to the next place in the house or garden, to find.
We love rhyming clues: ‘You’re doing great so far, and the end is near… ingredients, methods and pages live here!’ Next Clue Location: amongst the Recipe Books!
With each clue found there can be a little present to open or little trinket that reminds them of something about your relationship, or a trip or a date - in fact, the whole hunt can be themed around your relationship from beginning to end, if you wanted.
THE SURPRISE: Of course, the final clue needs to lead to a climatic finish - this can be the aforementioned photo box, or indeed the ring itself, hidden in the final location! It can even end in a personalised video as with some of the others, with a USB or a link for your partner to play.
COST: Low to Medium - depends how all-out you go with the little gifts! You can also buy kits to help with these, found on Etsy.
PREPARATION: High… but a lot of fun.
PERFECT FOR:
Couples who love to play games together, partners who love activities and mysteries, or opening little gifts.
7. Movie Night ,with a Personalised Twist!
If you and your partner love cosying up to a film together, we’d recommend this beautiful idea.
Photo credit @cottonbro
Arrange a movie date night (or home cinema) - you can pimp it out with some props like a little at-home projector, movie night decorations and we LOVE this awesome personalised popcorn bowl. Before the film, share a classic movie night snack (hotdogs and fries) and perhaps get your partner to try and guess what movie they’re going to watch.
THE SURPRISE: Little do they know, the movie is particularly special! This part, you have to arrange in advance and can be as simple as a photo slideshow of your relationship, ending in a message from you. It can also feature family and friends with personalised messages about what they love about your partner, and can even feature a personalised song from our team! If you’d like help putting a video together, do get in touch. But whatever you do, make sure you time it right to get on one knee and propose!
COST: Low to Medium - just the little props for the room!
PREPARATION: High but, like with all these, so worth it!
PERFECT FOR: Movie lovers, film buffs, quirky couples!
8. A Room or Garden Transformation…
How amazing would it be to come home one evening to an apartment filled with candles or fairy lights… or a bedroom filled with balloons and flower petals?
Transforming your home space isn’t an easy task, but it sure does make an impact. Think flowers, candles, balloons, polaroids of the two of you…
Beautiful setup by The One Romance, Proposal Planners
Balloons, Balloons everywhere! Stunning setup by The Proposers, proposal planners
THE SURPRISE: When you partner comes home to this gorgeous sight, we’d recommend actually letting them discover it themselves… time for you to hide! (You can always set up a camera to capture their reaction.) We’d advise setting up a laptop or iPad in the middle of the room with a ‘play me’ button or post it… to reveal a personal message from you, or a professional personalised video (we of course can help if you need!) Ending in ‘turn around’, your partner does, to see you in the doorway, about to propose.
COST: Medium, because you can’t do this one in half measures - you have to go ALL OUT! If you need help decorating your space, we’d advise bringing in one of our expert friends: The Proposers or The One Romance.
PREPARATION: High if you do it yourself, low if you bring in a proposal planner to help - they take all the stress away!
PERFECT FOR:
A partner with high expectations, a partner who wants a proposal that they can put on their social media, a partner who is very visual, a partner who is out of the house long enough to sort this out!
9. It’s Time To Play A Game… (or something less creepy)
Photo Credit: @cottonbro
If you and your partner love games, this is the idea for you!
Introduce the idea of a games night, but for a special prize… have a little box in the middle of the table as the surprise prize. You can bluff that there is an awesome gift voucher inside - we absolutely LOVE the themed ring boxes on Etsy, you can get Monopoly ones, Pokemon ones, treasure chest ones…you could even hide the ring inside a built up Jenga block (available with Pictionary from Amazon!)
Play all the usual games you and your partner play, alongside some fab drinks and some food to get the energy high. Then when you’re ready, you can launch into Pictionary or Charades…
THE SURPRISE: Obviously the clue will be ‘Will You Marry Me?’ ! When your partner catches on, invite them to open the grand prize on the table all along… the ring.
COST: Low!
PREPARATION: Relatively low - unless you’d like to go next level and create and entirely new version of Monopoly like this guy! Amazing!!!
PERFECT FOR:
Games buffs, video game heads, a more casual and fun proposal style.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our Proposals At Home ideas - if you try any out, we’d LOVE to hear how it went! Make sure you’re signed up to our free Proposal Club for more ideas and advice, and as always, if you’d like to chat to one our expert team about how we can help create a special video or performance to help you propose, get in touch.