10 of our favourite creative proposal ideas
By Photobox on 12 May 2019
Panic-searching for good proposal ideas because you want the big moment to be absolutely flawless? We get it. Here’s how to plan a marriage proposal that completely avoids awkward clichés and guarantees a massive ‘yes’.
Deciding exactly how to pop that massive question is both extremely exciting and mildly terrifying (in the absolute best way possible, obviously). You’ve finally found your person and now you just need a genius proposing idea to lock it down.
The pressure to find incredible engagement proposal ideas is real, and trying to dig through endless marriage proposal ideas online can leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed, especially when you want the moment to feel entirely authentic.
So, we sat down with some of our lovely colleagues here at Storio to hear the real details behind their own engagements. We combined their beautiful stories with some of the absolute best proposal ideas to give you the ultimate inspiration guide. Feeling the love? It’s an absolute yes from us.
1. The memory lane scavenger hunt
Taking a literal trip down memory lane is a ridiculously cute way to ask the big question. You can lead your partner through all the significant locations that define your relationship (think about the pub where you had your first date or the exact spot you first met). You simply leave a printed picture at each location with a handwritten clue on the back to direct them to the next one. A proposal scavenger hunt builds the excitement perfectly before they reach the final down-on-one-knee spot.
And because the memories are the star of the show, a fresh batch of photo prints makes the perfect trail of clues.
If you’re tying the big question into a major relationship milestone, our guide to anniversary gifts can help with the perfect present.
Andrea’s engagement proposal story:
How did you propose?
On the day of our first meeting anniversary, I arranged a treasure hunt. I printed and hid a few photos of our key moments together in our small apartment. On the back of each photo I wrote a little rhyme giving a clue of where the next photo was hidden. This went on until the last piece of the hunt was a jewel box containing the engagement ring!
How did you come up with the idea for the proposal?
I wanted to make it meaningful and in a reserved place rather than in public. I always considered photos a great way to recall important moments in life (they are a time machine to me). Since the proposal is something very intimate for me, I thought that the perfect place was simply the small home where we used to live back at that time. That was also the first place where we started living together on our own as a couple in a foreign country. It was a very special place for us.
What was her reaction?
Well, she said ‘Yes!’, so I guess it worked well!
What made it special?
Recalling the memory of those special moments and events together in a playful way. It brought us from the beginning of our relationship right up until that key time which was the proposal.
2. The hidden message puzzle
You absolutely do not need to leave the house to pull off a fantastic surprise. Sometimes a quiet night in on the sofa makes for the best at home marriage proposal ideas (because who doesn’t love being curled up and comfy in their PJs?).
Efrat’s marriage proposal story:
How were you proposed to?
Ours was never a traditional proposal story. We met by chance in a lift at a conference in Geneva and quickly knew there was something special between us. A few months later we were building a life together. This happened after endless long-distance calls and multiple flights. It also required a massive leap of faith that took me from Israel to the Netherlands.
How did they come up with the idea for the proposal?
There was not a big grand gesture or master plan. For us marriage felt like a natural step rather than a dramatic moment. When I was preparing to move over, he asked me to marry him as the final question in a playful yes/no quiz about our future. It was based on the song, “A Long Walk” by Jill Scott, so was romantic and deeply thoughtful. We already knew we wanted a future together. When I became pregnant, getting married felt like the obvious next step both emotionally and practically.
What was your reaction?
There was not much surprise because we both already knew the answer. My reaction was more a feeling of certainty than shock (it simply felt right).
What made it special?
What made it special was that it was completely us. Nothing about our story was traditional. It was full of love and immense courage, alongside pure commitment from the start. A year later we had a wonderfully non-traditional wedding with my brother marrying us. We also celebrated welcoming our daughter into the world all in one joyful party!
3. The photo book surprise
If your camera roll is bursting with gorgeous photos of the two of you, you should definitely put them to work. Present your partner with a b-e-a-u-tiful ‘our story so far’ photo book (one of our fave proposal book ideas) and watch it give them all the feels as they flick through. Fill the pages with your fave memories and leave the absolute best part for the final page. You can print a picture of the ring or simply write a cheeky message telling them to turn around right now.
Finding unique proposal ideas like this is a big win in our books. And one of our high-quality photo books is (of course) the best way to execute this surprise. Even better, it acts as a gorgeous keepsake long after they stop crying. Pass us the tissues…
4. The morning coffee reveal
Injecting a bit of magic into a totally normal Sunday morning breakfast is a genius way to pop the question. If you’re hunting for simple marriage proposal ideas, you just need to get your hands on a heat-changing mug (and maybe some very fancy pastries). As you pour their hot coffee (or tea, if that’s more their staple), a hidden message or a picture slowly appears on the side.
Romantic ways to get engaged like this guarantee they will be fully caffeinated for the massive celebrations ahead. All you need to do is try and act completely normal while the kettle boils. Good luck!
5. The golden beach proposal
Taking the question on holiday is always a massive winner. A gorgeous beach marriage proposal provides a 10/10 backdrop for your inevitable post-proposal photoshoot to send to everyone back home. Getting down on one knee by the ocean at sunset is the absolute definition of a romantic proposal in our eyes.
Claudia’s wedding proposal story:
How were you proposed to?
My partner proposed to me while we were on holiday in Bali. We had done a daytrip exploring different sights like the famous monkey forest. We ended the day at a temple by the sea called Tanah Lot where you have an amazing view during sunset. When we arrived I noticed that he was acting very stressed. I thought it was because we arrived quite late and didn’t want to miss the sunset (the traffic in Bali is crazy!). He was rushing me as I stopped everywhere to take pictures, which made me a bit annoyed. Then in the end when he found what he thought was the perfect spot, he asked our taxi driver who had accompanied us there to film us. I thought we were posing for a photo but in reality he wanted to get the proposal on video!
How did they come up with the idea for the proposal?
My partner is not someone who plans a lot. All he had done was to bring the ring for our trip and wait for a perfect moment. So the way he proposed was quite spontaneous! He had also not prepared a speech and didn’t even ask ‘Will you marry me?’. I understood what he meant anyway when he said ‘I have never done this before!’.
What was your reaction?
My instant reaction was to start crying, which I didn’t expect! Although I was waiting for him to propose, I definitely did not expect it in that moment. All the feelings were very genuine.
What made it special?
To us it was special because it was very ‘us’. It was not so staged and planned. It was definitely a big surprise for me! It was in no way perfect, but for us it was. We were in the most beautiful place with just the two of us (and some other tourists that saw us, but in the moment I really didn’t notice anyone else being there!). It also started with me being a bit annoyed as he was acting so stressed out while we were on holiday. He even yelled at someone who wanted to walk in front of us while we were being filmed and he was about to propose. We laugh about that today!
6. A private at-home proposal setup
If you’re hunting for private wedding proposal ideas, transforming your fave room in the house is a stellar move. You just need to invent a very convincing excuse to get them out of the house for a few hours. Once they are gone, you can go completely wild with your engagement proposal decorations to make the space feel totally unrecognisable. Hundreds of candles? Such a mood-setter. Massive floral displays? Big wedding proposal vibes.
7. A festive Christmas themed proposal moment
The holiday season is naturally filled with all the excitement, isn’t it? Looking into ideas for a Christmas proposal means you can easily piggyback off that magnetic festive energy. Why not hide the ring box inside a Christmas cracker or hang it as a sneaky bauble on the tree?
Exploring Christmas proposal ideas makes opening presents a million times more exciting and gives you the ultimate excuse to celebrate with excessive amounts of chocolate (and champers).
8. A fun proposal PowerPoint presentation
Let’s be honest, not every single relationship milestone has to be taken strictly seriously, right? If you both share a brilliant sense of humour, try thinking about good proposal ideas with a comedic twist. You could sit them down on the sofa and deliver a completely straight-faced elevator pitch about exactly why they should legally bind themselves to you. Or you could build a corporate PowerPoint presentation full of ridiculous pie charts detailing your love – one of those incredibly cool ways to propose that will guarantee massive lols.
9. An epic landmark holiday
If you want to go seriously big, you might want to consider destination marriage proposal ideas. Whisking them away for a stunning Northern Lights proposal or getting down on one knee with an Eiffel Tower proposal guarantees a spectacular story (and the proposal photoshoot pics to go with it).
Need some destination inspiration? Have a quick read of our guide on 12 romantic European cities before you book your flights.
Kamille’s marriage proposal story:
How were you proposed to?
My partner proposed to me while we were on holiday It was on our 5-year anniversary while we were on holiday in Madeira. A funny detail is that we had actually just spent a week in Sweden before the trip. He had already carried the ring through several airport security checks. He was apparently so nervous about it that he even had a big note inside the box saying ‘Engagement ring – please don’t ask!!’ which still makes me laugh. On the day itself we had been out swimming and enjoying the day together. I remember thinking that it would actually be the perfect date for a proposal… but nothing happened. On our way back to the hotel, I spotted an incredibly beautiful place by the water and asked if we could go down there. At first he was a bit hesitant but I insisted. It turned out to be absolutely stunning. The path was very narrow and uneven. Since my balance isn’t the best, he suggested walking in front and even carried my bag for me. When I finally came through a little archway in the rocks, he was suddenly there on one knee. Bali. We had done a daytrip exploring different sights like the famous monkey forest. We ended the day at a temple by the sea called Tanah Lot where you have an amazing view during sunset. When we arrived I noticed that he was acting very stressed. I thought it was because we arrived quite late and didn’t want to miss the sunset (the traffic in Bali is crazy!). He was rushing me as I stopped everywhere to take pictures, which made me a bit annoyed. Then in the end when he found what he thought was the perfect spot, he asked our taxi driver who had accompanied us there to film us. I thought we were posing for a photo but in reality he wanted to get the proposal on video!
How did they come up with the idea for the proposal?
He had only really planned that it would happen on that specific day (our anniversary). There was nothing more detailed than that. He wanted it to feel natural for us and didn’t want a big setup or lots of people around. The ring had actually been bought about six months earlier when he suddenly saw it and just knew it was the one.
What was your reaction?
I was completely surprised and very emotional. I think I just started crying straight away (happy tears of course!). It was such a beautiful and unexpected moment.
What made it special?
The setting was absolutely breathtaking. The fact that it happened on our 5-year anniversary made it even more meaningful. It also felt very special that it happened while we were travelling because we both love to travel together. The fact that the exact place wasn’t even planned made the whole moment feel very spontaneous and completely ‘us’. It was somewhere we discovered together just moments before.
10. A heartfelt proposal card
We know that getting down on one knee is incredibly nerve-wracking. Sometimes some of the best ways to propose are actually the quietest ones. Writing down exactly how you feel inside a beautiful custom card gives them a physical keepsake they can cherish forever (and ever, and ever, and ever). It also takes all the pressure off you having to remember an emotional speech on the spot, which is a total lifesaver if your mind tends to go completely blank under pressure (us too). You could even sneak the ring inside the envelope before you hand it over with their morning cup of tea. Finding simple proposal ideas like this means you can focus entirely on enjoying the moment instead of stressing over your lines.
Once they’ve officially stopped crying and said yes, the exciting journey to the actual wedding begins. The immediate aftermath is always a total whirlwind of happy phone calls and staring at the ring. Make sure the moment is saved properly and print that slightly blurry first ‘yes’ selfie as a photo print to send to all your family or even a piece of wall art. And to make sure the best news travels far and wide, why not send out engagement announcements using custom cards?
And when you are ready to start planning the big day, our ultimate wedding tips guide has you completely sorted.
