What To Say When Proposing: Tips And Ideas

It’s become a real occasion, hasn’t it? Thanks to social media, the entire run-up to a wedding starts even before the date has been announced. Now it’s all about the wedding proposal as well. What to say when proposing? Where to say it? How to dress? What sort of ring? How do you document the event? Everything is planned and fine-tuned to the last minute.

Considering my wedding ‘proposal’ consisted of a meaningful look and a casual “Shall we?”, I guess it may be sour grapes speaking. So ignore my Gen-X angst, and let’s dive into the wonderful world of romance! After all, asking someone to spend the rest of their lives with you is no easy feat. So when it comes to what to say when proposing to someone, best be prepared on all fronts and start with the most important thing — the marriage proposal speech.

How To Craft The Perfect Proposal Speech

Yes, you must get down on one knee and produce the engagement ring, but what you say with it must be as meaningful and memorable. Let’s get into a few key things to remember when thinking of ideas on how to propose and what to say when you propose to your partner.

But, first, what is a proposal speech anyway? It’s the way of asking for a person’s hand in marriage, but it’s also so much more. To make this personal moment all the more special, the perfect proposal speech needs to show your vulnerable side as well as sound honest and authentic.

There are no definite rules or a formal structure for this speech, but proposing to your girlfriend/boyfriend does need to present a convincing argument as to why they should agree to marry you. Therefore, it needs to be romantic and passionate for sure. The important thing is to stay calm and start writing from your heart.

Related Reading: 10 Ways To Build Your Relation After Getting Engaged And Before Marriage

Tips on crafting the perfect proposal speech

There’s a very popular Reddit thread asking for tips on what to say when proposing. My personal favorite has to be this user’s personal recommendation: “There is a vocabulary of shared words, meanings, locations, jokes, body language, and other small things between partners. This is your own private method of communication. Use this language to create a way to propose which is private, just between you two, meaningful only to you.”

If your top question continues to be, “How can I propose to the one I love?”, we are here to help. Our top tips to help you craft your perfect proposal speech:

1. Use your own words

The best marriage proposal lines are always the most authentic ones. They don’t need to be poetic (if you are not a poet) or extra dramatic (if you are naturally reticent). What’s more important is that they express your true feelings. Ensure the words and feelings attached are all yours. So, don’t stress about perfection while creating a beautiful proposal for your loved one. You do you!

2. To find the perfect things to say when you propose, dig into your past

“How can I propose in a way that’s memorable?” you ask. Well, I would definitely recommend including some inside jokes that mean a lot to the two of you. You could make the speech a collaborative, fun activity with your friends and family, if that’s what you both are into. Or would you prefer it to be low-key rather than over the top? It’s your day and your rules.

Related Reading: 17 Sure-Shot Signs He Is Going To Propose Soon!

If you need more help in remembering, have a look at the following questions and let the writing process flow:

• What was your first meeting like?
• What did you think about them, then and now?
• What do you love most about them?
• What things do you have in common?
• How has your relationship altered your life?

3. Start your speech with a significant event

If you are worried about what to say when proposing and are lost for ideas on how to propose, an easy beginning refers to a memorable event that both of you shared. It can be a recollection of a funny first date or that big moment when you realized you were in love. If you have any nostalgic memories you can recount, it’s an easy way to set the tone for a beautiful proposal.

4. List out all the things you love about them

When proposing to your girlfriend or boyfriend, you can start writing about everything that makes them special. List out the qualities you adore and that make your relationship special. Some of the best marriage proposal lines are rooted in sincere flattery. A few things to say when you propose to your partner:

• You are the most loving person I know
• I love the way you love my family
• I have never met anyone as generous and patient as you
• You are my best friend first
• Your enthusiasm is the glue that keeps us together

Related Reading: Surprising Psychological Benefits Of Women Proposing To Men And 19 Ways To Do It Right

5. Tell them why you want to marry them

You’ve set the stage by explaining why they mean so much to you. Now take the lovely proposal to the next level by mentioning why exactly you want to marry them. What are your plans for the future? Why are you sure this is the right person to spend your life with? Get into the details and capture your future spouse with your imagination and authenticity.

As summed up by this Reddit user, “Tell her whatever your heart needs you to say.” And that’s as much of a beautiful proposal as one could want.

6. Keep it short

It may seem like we are asking you to write a tome about your love life. But that’s not the case — In fact, when it comes to romantic things to say when proposing, the shorter the speech, the greater the impact. When proposing to your girlfriend/boyfriend, take that deep breath, go down on one knee, bring out the engagement ring, and utter those three or four lines that will capture the moment and your partner’s heart.

7. One of the most endearing ideas on how to propose: Be yourself

If you are not into formal clothes and over-the-top gestures, we urge you to stay true to yourself and keep it simple. If your partner hates attention, don’t go planning a proposal in front of their friends and family. On the other hand, if you know your partner has been dreaming about this day ever since you started dating, it wouldn’t hurt to give into the romance of the moment and plan a lovely proposal. Just be true to yourselves – in what you say and do – and let the day unfold naturally.

8. Practice your speech

And finally, once you have written your marriage proposal speech, remember to practice it a few times before the big day. One of the best proposal tips, it will help you get more confident with the speech and make it less awkward. It helps to say it aloud in front of a mirror or even to a trustworthy friend. But do not over-rehearse. You don’t want it to sound mechanical either.

Related Reading: 115 Best Engagement Announcement Captions

What To Say When Proposing: 100 Most Romantic Things To Say When Proposing

Now that you have the basic building blocks of what to say when you propose, let us help you with some proposal speech examples. Use these with discretion. You can mix and match. Think of these proposal tips as prompts to get your own creative juices flowing. Or even copy them into a longer, personalized speech. We leave the fun part to you. Here are 100 romantic things to say when proposing to your partner:

1. Marry me and make my life complete?
2. I want to be yours forever. Say yes today, and make me the happiest person on the planet
3. I’ve collected so many special moments with you — Remember our first date? Our first road trip together? Moving into our new home? I want so much more with you
4. I want to turn our love story into an adventure of a lifetime. Will you be my partner?
5. My love for you is pure. My heart knows it’s sure. Will you marry me?
6. The strangest twists of fate brought us together. Say yes, and let’s never take our miracle for granted
7. My search for perfection ended when I found you
8. You are my missing puzzle piece. Please complete me and be mine forever
9. Our love is a masterpiece. All it needs is the perfect frame. Marry me?
10. I promise to always be your best friend, soulmate, and biggest fan
11. Every day with you is a dream. Say yes and make it a reality
12. I never knew what I was missing before I met you. Now that I have found you, let’s never let us go
13. Let’s write the next chapter of our love story together. I’m ready for it all
14. Let’s make music together. You and I, we are magic
15. Nothing would make me happier than waking up next to you for the rest of my life
16. I never believed in ‘forever’ until we met. Say yes and make my forever dreams come true
17. Marry me. We’ll make every day a celebration
18. I cannot imagine spending one moment without you. Will you marry me?
19. When I prayed for a perfect life partner, you appeared. Marry me and be my everlasting miracle?
20. I want to be the reason you smile every day
21. I want my life to be special every day. I only see that happening if you accept me as your life partner
22. You are what I have been searching for my whole life. I thank God for you every day
23. You are the answer to my prayers. Will you continue to bless my life with your presence forever?
24. I want to make you as happy as you make me. Will you marry me?
25. Let’s keep discovering each other for a lifetime. What do you say?
26. I promise to be your strength when you are weak, your smile when you are sad, and the person you run to for anything and everything
27. You love movies. So, I’ve decided to make our love story a blockbuster. The plot twist is that I now need you to marry me
28. You are my sunshine when it rains. My warmth when it’s winter. I want to spend every season of my life with you. Will you spend the rest of our years together?
29. In your eyes, I see a future I could only dream of. You’ve given me the impossible
30. With you, every day is Valentine’s Day. So, imagine a lifetime of love like ours
31. I promise to cherish you with all my heart. Give me the chance to show you how much I love you
32. Promise to be my anchor when life gets rough; I will be your safe harbor when you need protection
33. The rollercoaster of life awaits us. Join me? And then, up we go
34. You are my today and tomorrow for always and forever
35. Am I your dream too? You’ve been mine ever since I met you
36. We are the perfect partners — on the dance floor, on the sports field, while traveling, and even at home. Be mine for life. Please?
37. I want to be the one who sees you at your best and loves you at your worst
38. You are my greatest inspiration and strongest motivator. Let’s get married and be each other’s anchors
39. I promise to stand by you during every storm. Even if you say no, my love is not going anywhere
40. I want nothing more than for you to be my sunshine for the rest of my life
41. In your eyes, I can see our future so clearly. Do you see the same?
42. You are my ride-or-die, am I yours?
43. In your arms, I have found home
44. Give me your hand today to hold it through life’s ups and downs
45. You wanted to get me a present last week. This is it. Marry me, my love?
46. In this world of chaos, you are the only thing that makes sense to me
47. I don’t need fairy tales anymore. You are my happily ever after
48. Let’s share our morning coffee and our good night kisses for the rest of our lives
49. From the first day we met, I knew we had something special. There is no doubt in my heart that we are meant to be together forever
50. Accept my ring and my heart, today and forever
51. Let’s hop aboard this train of life together. The journey starts today and ends at never
52. There is no other story as sweet as our love story. Be mine, and let’s write a bestseller
53. There are a million reasons I fell in love with you. I want to spend the rest of my life coming up with more and more
54. I always thought there was nothing you could do to make me happier. But there is — You can be my partner for the rest of our lives
55. Accept this ring and you accept my heart. It is yours from this day on
56. You know how I love logic and science? Well, marrying you is the most sensible and logical thing I could do
57. You are my greatest blessing. Say you will grow old with me
58. You will always have the best of me. I am yours to take, marry, and annoy
59. There is no confusion. I will always choose you. And I will keep choosing you till the end of time
60. I want to wake up next to you for the rest of my life
61. Love like ours is a once-in-a-lifetime gift. Say you will be my man so we can cherish it together
62. Let me make you the most loved woman in the world
63. Can you hear my heart beating? It gets stronger when you are close to me. Please marry me and be my heartbeat forever
64. You are everything and more than I ever dreamed possible
65. Hold my hand, we’ll step into the sunset of our lives together
66. You are my favorite hello and saddest goodbye; let’s get hitched so we never have to part
67. I love how we never run out of things to talk about. I love how you always put me first. I love how you love
68. I want to be a better person, and with you, I know it’s possible. Spending the rest of our lives together can only make things better
69. How is it that you always know how to make my heart happy?
70. Your heart is my home
71. You once asked me if I’ve ever fallen in love. Here’s my answer: Yes, many times, and always with you
72. The best thing about me is you
73. You are the reason I now believe in love
74. From the moment we met, you changed my life in innumerable ways. Today, I ask you to marry me because I cannot imagine a life without you in it
75. We may have met by chance, but I know we are meant to be together forever
76. I love the feeling I get when I see you. I want to feel like that every day
77. Be mine, and let’s build a life we have always dreamed of
78. In the words of a famous movie, “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”
79. Will you do me the honor and be my bride?
80. Home isn’t a place. It’s a person. And for me, that person is you
81. Meeting you made me understand why it never worked out with anyone else
82. I started writing a list of why I love you, and I still haven’t stopped writing
83. Do you remember the time when we? That’s when I knew you were the one!
84. Life is full of challenges, but nothing worries me if I know you are by my side
85. If fools are the ones that fall in love, will you marry this fool?
86. My life before you was black and white. After meeting you, I see joy in the little things. Thank you for coloring my life with happiness. Will you marry me?
87. I can’t paint or sing to save my life. But I can love you till the end of time
88. Life is too short to make bad decisions. I promise I’ll be the best decision you’ll ever make
89. Do you have any plans for the next 50 years?
90. You are perfect. Marry me, and let us create a perfect life together
91. You are the apple of my eye. Marry me and keep me healthy forever
92. I can conquer the world with you by my side
93. I can’t wait to have moments like <mention a specific memory> for the rest of my life
94. Who would have thought that the stranger I once met on a blind date would be someone I can’t imagine spending my life without?
95. I love that we both want the same things in life
96. You were my first love, and you will be my last
97. Nothing compares to how intensely you care about the world, and still manage to have so much compassion for me
98. No one else holds my heart the way you do. Will you please marry me?
99. I have a problem. I have only one life to share with you
100. You filled a hole in my heart that I never knew I had

Now you know what to say when proposing to your partner. The ‘perfect’ proposal speech is the one that makes your private moment memorable for both of you. While you could possibly get away with “Let’s get married!” (like a certain spouse we shall not name), keep in mind that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to woo your partner and sweep them off their feet with the most romantic things to say when proposing.

Odds are you and your partner will recount the proposal story to quite a few people, so it pays to be prepared, give it your best, and face the ensuing social media frenzy in style. You got this!

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