What To Do If You Think He’s Going To Pop The Question Soon

So you’ve been dating your boyfriend for a while, and you’re pretty darn sure you’re going to get married. After all, you’ve reached and fulfilled at least most of the pre-proposal markers. Maybe you’ve met each other’s family, or you’ve been together a few years now, or the relationship survived a particularly challenging season, or he’s even “offhandedly” mentioned your future children.

The point is, you have reason to believe that he’s the one. That’s not all you’re pretty confident about – you’re also thinking that his proposal might be occurring in the near future. He’s given you little hints here and there that marriage is something he’s thinking about as a sooner rather than later thing.

The idea of being proposed to is an incredibly exciting one, but it also comes with all kinds of questions and details to iron out. It leaves you wondering: Is he going to do it “right”? Is there even a right way to do it? How would you actually want him to pop the question? And how will he know what kind of ring, and which size, to get?

If this at all sounds like your thoughts as of late, stress no further. Here’s what to do when you’re pretty sure a proposal is around the corner.

Know What Your Preferences Are

It’s not uncommon for women who hope to get married one day to have a little idea of what their “ideal” proposal would look like. Some of us have always secretly hoped we’d become engaged in front of the Eiffel Tower with a professional photographer hidden in the bushes, and others have always thought a private, quiet proposal on a rooftop would be romantic.

That being said, not all of us necessarily have strong preferences either way. Maybe simply getting engaged to the man you love is what’s really important to you, and you aren’t as interested in the details of how it happens. If it’s not natural to you, don’t feel the pressure to have opinions on your proposal, ring, or anything else just because other women do – maybe it sounds more romantic to you to be totally surprised!

However, the likelihood is that you have at least some opinions, such as what kind of ring you’d like, or where you’ve always seen yourself getting proposed to. Before you decide to approach your boyfriend about the possible proposal or drop hints, get clear about what you’d love and what you wouldn’t love.

Get clear about what you would and wouldn’t love – even if that means being totally surprised!

Ask yourself a few questions: Do you want your friends/family to be present? Would you want a professional photographer there? Is it important that you have your nails/hair/makeup done? Or would you prefer a more private proposal, just between the two of you? Do you want him to ask your parents for permission first? Before you can lead him in a specific direction, consider all the variables.

Tell Your Friends/Family

If you’re hoping to have a bit of influence over how your boyfriend goes about popping the question or the type of ring he picks, one of your best bets is to let your friends or family in on your suspicions of a proposal in the near future, filling them in on your desires. 

After all, the easiest way to ensure your proposal dreams come true is to tell the very people he could come to, asking about your preferences, your ring size, or for help in creating the most romantic ambiance that’s perfectly suited for you.

Sneak Hints into Your Everyday Conversations

If your spidey senses are right and he is planning to propose soon, you can be sure that he’s taking in all the information he can possibly get, picking up on every hint, and carefully scheming and devising his plan for the perfect proposal.

He’s likely picking up on every hint and carefully devising his plan for the perfect proposal.

This means that any subtle hint you can offer him will not only help you, but him as well. Indicate your preferences by sneaking them into normal conversations – if you watch a movie where a proposal happens, make your opinion on it known with an “offhanded comment” like “Ugh, that’s so romantic!”

Say you come across your dream ring on a newly engaged friend’s Instagram post. Show him the post and sneak in a comment about the ring: “Did you see that Lauren got engaged? Wow, her ring is so pretty. I love the oval shape.” You could even “accidentally” leave your computer open with Pinterest open. Be creative with your little hints, and always make sure to be subtle!

Think About Shopping for Rings Together

Sure, we all have the idea of being surprised with a ring ingrained in our minds, but it’s not weird to want to go shopping for rings together – it’s actually pretty normal! If you’re going to be wearing this ring for years on end, you want to make sure you really like it, right? Plus, it’s pretty romantic to walk into a jewelry shop together, trying on different rings for size and getting excited about your future as a couple.

If you’d prefer to be included in the ring-shopping process, don’t be shy to be upfront and let him know: “I can’t think of anything more perfect than going to a jeweler and looking at rings together. I like the thought of it being a decision we make together.” Make sure he understands that it’s not about not trusting his judgment, but that you’d love the opportunity to pick rings together. 

Maybe you want to give some input while still being surprised by the final choice. That's okay too! There's nothing wrong with having a direct conversation about your ring style preferences so he has some clear guidelines to work with. That way he still has some creative license and can look for something in his budget, while practically guaranteeing that you'll love what he picks.

Closing Thoughts

Dropping helpful hints to make sure your proposal is magical isn’t as hard as you might think – chances are, your boyfriend would love any kind of direction he can get.

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