Wedding 101: The Perfect Proposal

Eeek! You guys! It’s only Wednesday and I’ve got my favorite guest blogger back with us today! Yesterday… I talked about my favorite things to do in the Smoky Mountains. If you missed that post, check it out here! Now, I mentioned my absolutely favorite hike… Charlies Bunion. Not only were the views amazing, but it just so happens to be where my handsome hubby proposed. His proposal was perfect, and he worked so hard to make it that way. So I thought I’d bring him in, to share his secrets on planning the Perfect Proposal.

So guys… take notes. 

Hi everyone! I’m back to help Savannah with planning a wedding proposal considering she doesn’t have any experience with actually carrying out a proposal. But, I’m sure she’s dreamt of how it would happen for years, and given the fact that we’re married now, I must have done a pretty good job! Once you’ve found that special someone and it is time to propose, there are a few Do’s and Don’ts that you should follow. By no means are these rules set in stone, but they are just a few things to think about while planning the perfect proposal.

Pre-Proposal

Before you actually start to plan your proposal, there are a few things that you want to think about.

First, make sure you’re proposing because you and your significant other are ready. Don’t be pressured by your loved ones or friends. This is a huge decision for you and your better half. There can be hundreds of reasons that it might be the right time, but there are also just as many reasons that it might not be time yet. I’m not saying that everything has to be perfect for you to propose, because trust me, there will never be a perfect time (financially, professionally, etc.). There will always be something that creeps into the back of your mind that sets the warning alarms off, but don’t be deterred. That’s normal and something that you and your future fiancé can tackle together.

Second, make sure you’ve spoken with your significant other about getting married. Luckily, Savannah and I had talked about getting married so we had that part covered. We had those conversations that started with “When we’re married…” or “Someday when we have kids…” It might not be the right time to propose to someone that you haven’t even discussed the idea of being married. Nothing like getting blindsided… This can also be a great time to steal chunks of information to store away later when you plan the proposal.

Third, start looking for rings. Having the ring is probably the most important part to this whole thing. Start creeping on Instagram and Pinterest to see what they’ve liked or re-pinned. This is a great place to find out what they like in a ring. For me, it was super simple. Savannah had “liked” a bunch of pictures of rings that I could use to purchase the perfect ring (in hindsight, she probably planted these like just for this exact reason). Oh hey! I did 🙂 And while you’re at it, try to figure out her ring size. Don’t throw a ring sizer on her that you got at the jewelry store. Use other rings she has laying around to help you guess the size. She can always get it resized later. But, the closer to her actual size, the less time her ring will have to be away from her. And according to Savannah, this is a big deal. Her ring was away for less than 24 hours and she was a nervous wreck without it!

Finally, talk to her father (or mother, or both). There isn’t much else to say. Getting her parent’s blessing can not only mean a lot to her, but can build a stronger relationship with them, which is always a plus!

Planning the Proposal

Once you have a blessing, a ring, and have asked yourself the hard questions, it’s time to start planning the big day. It’s important that you take some time to figure out exactly how you want to do it, because this is a day you both will remember for the rest of your lives. A few things to consider while planning…

Don’t propose on a major holiday. Just don’t do it. Everyone proposes on holidays. You want your girl to feel special, and sharing her proposal day with 11 of her closest friends isn’t the way to do it.

But DO look for rings around holidays. While you don’t want to propose on Christmas Eve or Valentine’s Day, the weeks leading up to these holidays are magic for those wanting to purchase a ring. Jewelry stores have great sales to lure you in, and you should take full advantage of them. If you can get her dream ring at 15% off, you should do it. Because it’s one less bill you’re going to have to pay later on. Speaking of savings…

Don’t break the bank. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars taking her on a trip across the globe to propose to her. You don’t have to hire a band to play at sunset while people release doves. And you don’t have to hire a flash mob. While you see things like this all over the internet, it’s not realistic, and chances are, not what your girl is going to want.

Do make sure it fits her. The proposal should fit the two of you. Look at events you have coming up in your lives, and see if you can tie it in. For me, it was easy. I knew we had planned a hiking trip to Tennessee, and I knew one of the hikes we were going on would be the perfect place to ask my best friend to spend forever with me. Think about the things you like to do together, and the things she loves. Did you first say I love you after a big high school football game? Maybe setting up a picnic on your high school football field would be perfect. Maybe every Friday night, you cuddle up in front of the TV with your favorite Chinese take out. That might be the perfect time to propose. I’m not even going to pretend to give you actual proposal ideas, because every person is different. As long as it is unique, and it fits her, she’ll be happy. And while you’re at it…

Don’t try to “out do” other proposals. Don’t compete with every other proposal you see out there. It’s not about out doing the others. It’s about asking the one you love to spend forever with you.

Other than that, you’re on your own. I hope that these tips help you through planning the perfect proposal.

Our Proposal

Okay. Now what would a proposal post be without getting to share ours?! 

July 17th, 2015. I will remember that day forever. I woke up SO NERVOUS. I had a feeling that today would be life changing. I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I was feeding off of Trev’s energy. He had been jittery and not himself at all our entire trip.

I was so nervous and I just wanted to get to the top of that damn mountain. Knowing we had a 4 mile hike before we got there was daunting. I wanted to just get it over with so we could live happily ever after.

The entire drive into the park, Trev was so dang quiet. I tried to get him to talk to the Go Pro, and he wasn’t having any of it.

I was lost in thought, trying to figure out what I was going to say. When we got there, Savannah decided she was going to use the bathroom quick before we started the hike. I checked to make sure the ring was still in my backpack.

As we started the hike up the mountain, I tried my best to be my chatty self, even though I was straight up FREAKIN’ OUT inside. All I could think was… is this it? Is this the day I finally get engaged?! But of course, I couldn’t say this out loud. So instead,  I kept giving Snapple facts, looking for bears and singing.

And I was still trying to figure out how I was going to propose.

I kept saying I hoped no one was at the top, because I wanted a specific photo of myself… you know. For the ‘gram. 

And I kept saying “There’s going to be people there.” Over and over. Willing it to happen, so someone could take pictures for us.

After what seemed like actual YEARS we made it to the top of Charlies Bunion. It only took up about an hour and half to make it that four miles, but it seriously felt like forever.

I was super relieved the second we made it to the Bunion. There was an old man sitting on it alone, and a younger couple standing around waiting for their turn for photos on the Bunion.

By this point, I was completely not thinking about anything else other than the fact that I was 100% positive Trev was proposing. As I stood there looking out over the Smoky Mountains, I knew this was the place our lives were about to change forever. I just had this feeling. I knew it was about to happen, and I was so excited I couldn’t stand it. I didn’t even get the picture I wanted because I was kind of waiting around to let Trev take the lead.  

I looked at my prospective photographers, and settled on the girl. I figured she’d know what she was doing. So I said “Hey Babe. Give me your camera. I’m going to ask that girl to get a pic of us.” I snuck over to the side, and put the ring in my pocket. Then, I said to the girl “I’m about to propose to my girlfriend. Can you take pictures of it for us?” Thank God she said yes.

We wandered over to the Bunion and posed for this super awkward photo: 

HAHA we look SO AWKARD. 

Then I grabbed her hands and starting spitting out words about an adventure or something. And telling her that I loved her.

Honestly… I don’t remember what he said. It was something really perfect and beautiful, but at this point I was so excited I could barely concentrate. I was about to say yes to forever with my very best friend! I’ll never forgot how perfect he looked, down on one knee looking up at me. 

I said “Will You Marry Me?” and INSTANTLY felt relieved.

The second he said the words “Will You Marry Me?” I screamed YES! and started squealing. I honestly can’t believe I didn’t cry. I didn’t cry until later that night, when it really sunk in, as I sat and stared at my beautiful new pet rock. 

I was so happy she said yes.

The best part about getting engaged on top of the mountain? We had a four mile hike back down to just enjoy our time together, in our own little happy bubble. I kid you not, we had pretty much our “big picture” for our wedding planned out by the time we got back to our car. 

We got back in our car and realized we were both starving. Neither of us had eaten anything that morning and there was no way we were waiting until we got back down to Gatlinburg to eat. So, we ate our very first lunch as an engaged couple in the car. Guess what we ate? Lunchables. And they were effing delicious.

Hahahaha I still laugh so hard when I think about that! The drive back down towards Gatlinburg seemed like it took ages. We couldn’t wait to call our parents, and we had zero reception. I think we checked for bars every 10 seconds! When we finally got to civilization we FaceTimed my parents (who had been waiting on the edges of their seats to hear from us) and Trev called his parents. (They were at work, so we made plans to FaceTime later.) And of course told my two best friends. 

And I told mine.

We snapped a picture of us and the ring to send to the rest of our family, and once everyone knew, we posted it on social media. 

We were overwhelmed with the congratulations, love and support from everyone we know.

Seriously… getting engaged is the greatest feeling in the world! 

And the rest… well it’s history.

A big thanks to my handsome hubby being on the blog today! I just love when he lays down to write with me! Supposedly, we’re getting a whole bunch of snow tonight. I’m going to lay around and pray for a snow day. I could use a day to kick back and relax. This week has been crazy!

I hope you all are having a great Wednesday. Be sure to check back tomorrow for a quick breakfast recipe that I think you’re going to LOVE. 

Xx.
Savannah