When you ask a woman to marry you, you’ll want it to be a memorable moment. In your desire to make it the best and most unique proposal ever, you’ll want to follow some tips because you want the moment to stand out in her mind…for all the right reasons. Stay away from the following categories, and you’ll be fine.

1. Don’t do it on live TV or in front of a huge audience. To a guy’s mind, there’s nothing more romantic than proposing at half-court during halftime or in front of zillions at the big football game. Or maybe you’re taking her to be an audience member at her favorite TV show. Or maybe there’s a news crew nearby and you have the sudden urge to grab them and drag them over to witness what you are sure is about to be the single greatest wedding proposal ever. Don’t do it! The worst thing a woman will ever have to do is try and make a decision like that with the whole world watching. She may turn you down just because it is too much stress. It may be romantic, but the stakes are too high.

2. Don’t put it in food or drink. You’ve set the scene: the lights are low, there’s champagne chilling nearby, and you’ve got all her favorite foods. She’s going to take a bite of that tiramisu or take a drink of that champagne and won’t she be so tickled when she finds the ring inside? Maybe…but only because it tickles on the way to her stomach. One man tried this method and put the ring into his future bride’s milkshake. He ended up proposing with the x-ray image of the ring after they spent the night at the hospital. Memorable, yes. Desirable? You tell me: how did they get that ring back? Yeah, not so romantic.

3. Don’t propose over the phone. Women don’t like this. Maybe she’s picking up the dry cleaning and you’re talking to her on the phone about what to get at the grocery store later and you have a blinding inspiration. It’s a message from God! You just know she’s the one and you have to share it with her right now! Take a moment. Enjoy this newfound revelation. But don’t ask her yet. She might say yes, but all her friends will feel sorry for her. Set the scene. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime question. It can wait another few hours.

4. Don’t leave the ring to someone else’s whim. Wouldn’t it be cute if your 18 month-old nephew toddled over to her with the ring in his hand? Or how about proposing by tying it to the hook while you’re fishing? I know, why don’t you tie it to a balloon and hand it to her while you get down on one knee? Wait! No, don’t! She’s going to let go of the balloon! Oh, God. She did. Look at it go. Crap. It may be romantic and it may be the cutest thing ever, but if you’re going to put the ring somewhere it can get lost, you can say goodbye now. The toddler will drop it, the fish will eat it, and the balloon will fly away. Every time.

The most important thing a woman needs in a proposal, even more important than a ring, is a heartfelt declaration of love and promise from her man. Deliver that, safely, and you’ve got a good chance at a yes. But don’t be like the guy who wrote his proposal on the back window of his car and tried to run her over when she said no. So avoid these mistakes and hopefully you won’t end up on someone’s list of worst wedding proposals ever.

Author Bio: Alex Lemone writes about bridal topics. To see more engagement ideas or for more wedding ideas, visit Wedding Ideas Etc. Note: You may reprint this article on your website, newsletter, or blog as long as the resource box remains in tact and hyperlinks stay active and dofollow.

Category: Relationships
Keywords: wedding fail, proposal fail, worst wedding proposals, engagement fail, swallowed engagement ring