What To Consider When Picking The Perfect Day To Propose

You've already planned out that you'll pop the big question—but figuring out the exact date to propose might prove to be a challenging task. Should you propose around the holidays? A summer getaway? Your partner's birthday, or the universal day of love—Valentine's Day? These are all legitimate dates to consider as you begin to prep your proposal speech and find the perfect engagement ring. You want the day to bear some meaning in order to make the entire occasion more heartfelt and sentimental. But don’t sweat finding the perfect day. Here are some general tips you should consider when it comes to picking the perfect day to propose. 

Should you propose on a holiday? Holidays are certainly a popular time to get engaged—especially during Christmas. For some, the festivities, spirit and backdrop of Christmas lights make it the perfect time to get down on one knee in front of a backdrop of Christmas lights. But for others, the stress of the holidays might not make it the ideal time to plan a proposal. And the festivities, meeting loved ones and overall excitement that comes with Christmas could make it easy to push your engagement into the background. But getting engaged during the holidays means you can also share the news with family you'll likely be seeing, and it'll likely be the best gift you'll receive that Christmas. New Year's Eve or New Year's Day might be a good time to propose, as it allows you to start the year off with your partner on a positive note as you plan a new year—and chapter of your life—together.

The birthday of you or your partner is also another day to consider when it comes to proposing—but just remember, not everyone wants to share their birthday with another special date.

Valentine's Day remains one of the most popular days to get engaged. Being the day of love, it makes sense as to why. Bear in mind that if you choose this date, you'll be sharing your engagement date with many other couples, and there may not be as big of an element of surprise if you propose on this holiday.

Consider proposing on a date that holds special meaning to you and your partner. Consider a special day that you and your partner share that isn’t linked to any major holidays. This could be the day that you two first met, had your first date, kiss or said “I love you.” It could even be during a special vacation. Choosing a date that's significant to you and your partner shows you put thought and meaning behind every detail of the proposal, and is a symbol of your love and your love alone.

Is there such a thing as the perfect day to propose? Sometimes the stars don’t perfectly align on the intended day—and that’s okay. Keep in mind that not everything has to be (or can be) spot on. Make sure on that special day you and your partner are in good spirits and aren’t dealing with any recent problems. Additionally, you should ensure that you aren’t proposing during a busy time in you or your partner's lives. If the ideal date you choose doesn't work for whatever reason, it is smart to have a plan b. Whether you choose to propose on another day or on the same day, but in a different location, make sure you have a backup plan. If there's a family emergency on the date you were planning, you can go with the next best day you had in mind, or if it rains on a day you planned to propose outside, you have a second option of proposing indoors.