{"id":2927,"date":"2011-12-15T09:05:15","date_gmt":"2011-12-15T01:05:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/?p=2927"},"modified":"2016-03-09T12:02:55","modified_gmt":"2016-03-09T04:02:55","slug":"the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art of the Marriage Proposal"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b class=\"special\">I<\/b>f marriage has been on your mind, you must have realised that you can\u2019t escape the Proposal. It\u2019s likely that she is already expecting it (you see her lingering outside jewellery shop window displays). In fact, she\u2019s probably Googling and gushing over how other men have done it \u2013 right. We know we&#8217;ve <a href=\"http:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2010\/12\/it%E2%80%99s-in-the-execution\/\">said it before<\/a>, but you men just don&#8217;t get it, do you? Fret not. Here\u2019s a pre-proposal guide by SingaporeBrides to soothe and inspire!<\/p><div class=\"banner\"><script type=\"text\/javascript\">OA_show(5);<\/script><\/div><p><b><b>#1: Test the waters<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>Try to talk about marriage (and married life!) before you propose. Most likely, this will happen naturally. After all, in Singapore, it\u2019s common for couples to ballot for a flat years before they actually settle down. So chances are, your girlfriend is already expecting the proposal \u2013 she just doesn\u2019t know when you\u2019re popping the question.<\/p><p>There is also an important reason why you first discuss the possibility of a life together (complete with a HDB flat and 2.5 kids). When you do so, there is a lesser likelihood that she will be caught off-guard when you get down on one knee. It also means that you won\u2019t be embarrassedly left on bended knee when she mutters: \u201cI\u2019m not ready to settle down yet\u2026\u201d<\/p><p><i>Tip:<\/i> We may not be stuck in the Middle Ages, but it will be a nice gesture to ask her parents formally for her hand before you propose.<\/p><p><b><b>#2: Shop for an engagement ring<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>This is a given, but it is also a task that befuddles most men. Says Joel Mah, a civil servant in his 30s: \u201cI rarely shop, so I was at my wits\u2019 end when I had to buy an engagement ring. I cajoled a fashion-savvy female friend to accompany me to different shops to check out styles and prices.\u201d<\/p><p>So you can do some research and legwork. Start by reading up on different ring styles and learn about the 4 Cs of diamond buying \u2013 colour, cut, clarity and carat. But the most important thing is to suss out her preferences. This is probably the time to start noticing not-so-subtle hints from her, like \u201cOh, isn\u2019t a ring lovelier when it comes in an egg-blue box?\u201d (She means the Tiffany box, by the way.)<\/p><p><i>Tip:<\/i> If you\u2019re completely clueless, you might want to get your girlfriend\u2019s bestie to point out the jewellery brands and designs she prefers. This is often the easiest way to accomplish the task!<\/p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  title=\"The Art of the Marriage Proposal\" src=\"http:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/iStock_000004519316Small-e1323425004965.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><p><b><b>#3: Deciding on the game plan<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>Be creative. Thanks to social media like Facebook, she\u2019s probably bombarded with friends\u2019 status updates like \u201cHe proposed \u2013 on a private yacht!\u201d or YouTube videos titled \u201cBest Proposal Ever!\u201d every other day. So you shouldn\u2019t settle for a cookie-cutter proposal. Put some thought into it.<\/p><p>How you do it will naturally depend on the type of woman your girlfriend is. If she\u2019s a private person, refrain from shouting it out to the world (like buying an ad space in the national newspaper). But if she enjoys a little attention, you can probably do it in front of a small crowd of friends. No matter what, do make it a surprise (in other words, don\u2019t send her an email telling her to expect a surprise next Sunday!).<\/p><p><i>Tip:<\/i> It\u2019s not all about the ring. Find out what her favourite blooms are and prepare a stunning bouquet of flowers too!<\/p><p><b><b>#4: Choose the right spot<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>You should always aim to choose a location that matches your proposal method. When picking the perfect spot, consider places that are romantic and meaningful. It could be a simple spot, like East Coast Park where you rollerblade together on weekends. No matter what, just make sure your proposal is done in person, and not over the phone!<\/p><p>Lately, the trend has been destination proposals. After all, what can be more romantic than whisking her away to a beautiful city like Venice, and then presenting her with a diamond ring? There are other pros to destination proposals. Joel shares: \u201cI proposed during our Hong Kong holiday because I knew she would both be in a more happy, relaxed mood \u2013 after shopping!\u201d<\/p><p><i>Tip:<\/i> If you\u2019re proposing at a certain venue, do get extra help from the staff. For instance, if you\u2019re proposing at a restaurant, letting the waiter know beforehand will ensure that you get an intimate, quiet corner for the romantic deed.<\/p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"  title=\"The Art of the Marriage Proposal\" src=\"http:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/iStock_000005899166Small-e1323425038846.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><p><b><b>#5: Say why you love her<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>During the actual proposal, it is normal to be tongue-tied. But try your best to say why you want to spend a lifetime with her. It shouldn\u2019t be a laundry list, but share as much as you can, like how she\u2019s always there when you\u2019re down. Or how she has a knack for making you laugh. Being sincere will help!<\/p><p>Oh, the phrase \u201cWill you marry me?\u201d may seem easy to say in your head, but greater men have been known to stumble over these words in an actual proposal (especially if you\u2019re nervous or doing it in front of a crowd). So practise saying it out loud a couple of times so you\u2019re comfortable and confident.<\/p><p><i>Tip:<\/i> Remember to drop down on one knee! It\u2019s not only more sincere and traditional, but it is also a gesture that\u2019s guaranteed to melt her heart.<\/p><p><b><b>How the celebs do it\u2026<\/b><\/b><\/p><p>Some celebrity marriages may not have stood the test of time, but that shouldn\u2019t stop you from picking up a few tips from these red-carpet stars.<\/p><p><i>The reality TV route: Kris Humphries &amp; Kim Kardashian<\/i><\/p><p>Their big moment was all caught on camera \u2013 live. In a season finale of \u201cKeeping Up With The Kardashians\u201d, NBA star Kris Humphries spelled out \u201cWill You Marry Me?\u201d with rose petals on Kim Kardashian\u2019s bedroom. Then he went down on his knee. She gasped, and accepted (perhaps it was the 20.5carat diamond ring). And it\u2019s as simple as that\u2026 except that the lady called it quits after 72 days.<\/p><p><i>The mushy route: Selina Jen and Richard Chang<\/i><\/p><p>Taiwan pop trio S.H.E\u2019s Selina Jen \u2013 who suffered from severe burns during a filming accident last year \u2013 shared that her fiance\u2019s proposal was \u201cmushy\u201d. Instead of a ring, lawyer Richard Chang presented her with a diamond-encrusted watch because, as Selina reveals, he wants to \u201chold on to me because it is bigger\u201d. We can only say &#8220;Awwww\u2026&#8221;<\/p><p><i>The safe route: Tom Cruise &amp; Katie Holmes<\/i><\/p><p>Who can forget the sight of a very smitten Tom Cruise jumping excitedly up and down on Oprah\u2019s couch? But what sealed the deal was a heartfelt proposal at one of the most romantic cities in the world \u2013 Paris. Katie Holmes had accompanied Tom to promote his 2005 film, War of the Worlds. He took the opportunity to propose to her at the famed Paris landmark, the Eiffel Tower. And she said yes. By the way, Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria called his efforts \u201ccheesy\u201d. If you think so, try another romantic destination. Venice, perhaps?<\/p><p><i>The non-traditional route: Pink &amp; Carey Hart<\/i><\/p><p>If you got a spunky girlfriend, she might just pop the question before you do! At one of motocross racer Cary Hart\u2019s racing matches in 2005, Pink held up a sign that said: \u201cWill you marry me?\u201d He said yes, and the couple got married on a Costa Rica beach\u2026 before breaking up three years later. Still, you might want to wait and see if she might catch you by surprise.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If marriage has been on your mind, you must have realised that you can\u2019t escape the Proposal. It\u2019s likely that she is already expecting it (you see her lingering outside&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":2933,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-groom-room"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Art of the Marriage Proposal - SingaporeBrides<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Art of the Marriage Proposal - SingaporeBrides\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If marriage has been on your mind, you must have realised that you can\u2019t escape the Proposal. It\u2019s likely that she is already expecting it (you see her lingering outside...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SingaporeBrides\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SingaporeBrides\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-12-15T01:05:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-03-09T04:02:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Proposal-feat.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"633\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jaclyn Lim\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@singaporebrides\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@singaporebrides\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jaclyn Lim\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/\",\"name\":\"The Art of the Marriage Proposal - SingaporeBrides\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Proposal-feat.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2011-12-15T01:05:15+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-03-09T04:02:55+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/516e5e70d395dd24b603537ab398dcb2\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Proposal-feat.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Proposal-feat.jpg\",\"width\":\"633\",\"height\":\"300\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Art of the Marriage Proposal\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/\",\"name\":\"SingaporeBrides\",\"description\":\"Articles\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/516e5e70d395dd24b603537ab398dcb2\",\"name\":\"Jaclyn Lim\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/863cb929033f97b6c618cbf468de1035?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/863cb929033f97b6c618cbf468de1035?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Jaclyn Lim\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.singaporebrides.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/author\/jaclynlim\/\"},false]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Art of the Marriage Proposal - SingaporeBrides","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Art of the Marriage Proposal - SingaporeBrides","og_description":"If marriage has been on your mind, you must have realised that you can\u2019t escape the Proposal. It\u2019s likely that she is already expecting it (you see her lingering outside...","og_url":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/","og_site_name":"SingaporeBrides","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SingaporeBrides\/","article_published_time":"2011-12-15T01:05:15+00:00","article_modified_time":"2016-03-09T04:02:55+00:00","og_image":[{"width":633,"height":300,"url":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Proposal-feat.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jaclyn Lim","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@singaporebrides","twitter_site":"@singaporebrides","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jaclyn Lim","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/","url":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/","name":"The Art of the Marriage Proposal - SingaporeBrides","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Proposal-feat.jpg","datePublished":"2011-12-15T01:05:15+00:00","dateModified":"2016-03-09T04:02:55+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/516e5e70d395dd24b603537ab398dcb2"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Proposal-feat.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Proposal-feat.jpg","width":"633","height":"300"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/2011\/12\/the-art-of-the-marriage-proposal\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Art of the Marriage Proposal"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/#website","url":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/","name":"SingaporeBrides","description":"Articles","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/516e5e70d395dd24b603537ab398dcb2","name":"Jaclyn Lim","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/863cb929033f97b6c618cbf468de1035?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/863cb929033f97b6c618cbf468de1035?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Jaclyn Lim"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.singaporebrides.com"],"url":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/author\/jaclynlim\/"},false]}},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2927"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2927\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28303,"href":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2927\/revisions\/28303"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/singaporebrides.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}