Make sure you’re on the same page.
It’s important to make sure you and your partner both have marriage in view. Talk to your partner about the future. Let them know that one day you’d like to be married, and ask if they see marriage in their future, too. If you nervous about making this conversation feel too much like a proposal. Try to keep it broad by discussing your best friend’s recent engagement, and lead into it that way. Hopefully you’ll come away from it with an idea of what your partner will say when you open that ring box!
Get the right ring size.
Ring sizing is definitely one of the hardest parts of buying an engagement ring, unless your partner knows the proposal is coming. If you are not planning a secret proposal, just ask. If you’re going the surprise route, the safest way to get the right ring size is by going through her jewelry drawer. Find a ring that she wears regularly and make a note of which finger it goes on, then either bring it with you to a jeweler or mark how far it fits on your own finger. Many jewelers can also make a good guess at a ring size based on your partner’s height and weight.
Style.
This is a piece of jewelry your partner will be wearing every day for the rest of their life, so get a sense of what she will really love. Snap photos of the jewelry she wears everyday; check out her instagram feeds, or ask a close friend or family member to help you narrow it down.
There are so many details that go into buying an engagement ring: Metal, stone, shape, and size! Would your partner rather have a bigger diamond which means you might need to sacrifice the clarity or color to keep it in your budget, or does she prefer having a nearly-flawless stone? Or would your partner rather have a ring with a different center stone altogether? These are questions you have to have the right answer to.
Select a sentimental location.
It cannot be over emphasized that to make a great proposal, location is paramount. It is important that you pick a location that has great sentimental value to her. It could be the restaurant where you had your first date, the location where you shared your first kiss, or the spot where you first said "I love you." Going back to that location now as the setting for your proposal signifies that your relationship has come full circle.
Surprise her by having family and friends.
They could be right there with you, perhaps at a family gathering or holiday dinner. Or, if you'd like the proposal to be private, you can have your closest loved ones just out of view, probably looking on from a nearby vantage point. After you pop the question and she says "yes," let everyone come in for a big group hug and lots of congratulations. It's the best of both worlds: you get a lovely, intimate moment alone and then have all of your favorite people share in your happiness immediately afterwards.
