Marriage Proposals: Expert Tips On How To Pop The Question

The fact that marriage proposals have become increasingly creative and elaborate is not news, but what is news is the lengths people are going to plan them. Just like weddings, marriage proposals have become an event people want to make to make hyper-personal and unique. Just as couples hire event planners to help them execute their visions for their wedding days, so too do men (and women) looking to make their marriage proposals one-of-a-kind.

Crystal Adair-Benning a wedding planner who owns Toronto’s Distinct Occasions has offered marriage proposal planning services since 2008. In 2010, she introduced The Engagement Planner, a business-within-her-business focusing exclusively on marriage proposal planning. Adair-Benning (who bills herself as a “planner of once-in-a-lifetime awesomeness”) says her job as a marriage proposal planner is to be a romantic dreamer. “We work closely with both men and women wanting to propose to help them pop 
the question in the most memorable and personal way possible, Adair-Benning says. “Our goal is to help our couples create once-in-a-lifetime brag-worthy marriage 
proposals.”

From the cost of hiring a marriage proposal planner to the dreamiest proposal she’s ever planned, here are a few other things Adair-Benning shared with us about proposal planning.

WB: Why would a someone hire a proposal planner?

“People hire proposal planners to help realize their vision (or even just for inspiration). Many people have ideas but no idea how to make them a reality. That's where we come in! If you know what you want when it comes to popping the question, but don't have a clue where to start, we can help with that too. Inspiring proposals is also part of our job.”

 WB: In your opinion what makes for a great and memorable proposal?

“R.O.M.A.N.C.E.! Who doesn't want to be swept off their feet? Now, what is romantic to one person varies depending upon the person. It's my job, as a proposal planner, to get to know the couple. What makes them tick, how they met, what they love. I then translate that into a memorable and romantic moment.”

 WB: How far in advance are your services typically booked?

“Our average wedding proposal is planned in under two weeks! For more elaborate proposals we require a minimum of four weeks but when someone has a ring and is ready to propose we don't want to make them wait.”

WB: What is the starting cost for your marriage proposal planning services?

“The initial proposal planning session runs $500+ and includes a sit-down meeting to discuss a client’s needs and a full proposal plan. If clients wish us to help oversee the proposal execution the fee ranges from $1500 to $15,000+ depending upon the specifics.”

WB: Do you have any favourite proposals that you’ve helped plan?

“The most elaborate, melt-my-own-heart marriage proposal was one where we arranged a round-the-world trip for a lucky bride-to-be who always told her groom-to-be that she wanted to see the world with him and nobody but him. I swooned!”

 WB: Do you think there is increased pressure today to make marriage proposals something extraordinary?

“The media has certainly hyped it up. That said, while today we may have upped the ante, the vast majority of proposals still remain private personal experiences. It's all about creating those once-in-a-lifetime brag-worthy moments when you tell her (or him), in no uncertain terms, that you love them and can't imagine a day without them in it. Who doesn't want that?”