Asking, or being asked, “Will You Marry Me?” are 4 words which can completely change your life and can transform even the most laidback person into a nervous wreck. As well as hoping that the person you are proposing to will say yes, you have the added pressure of keeping it a secret and ensuring it is perfect and makes the perfect story for years to come. There are many myths and common misconceptions which surround proposing and getting engaged and debunking a few of these may put your mind at ease and prepare you for this special moment.
An Engagement Ring Should Cost Three-Months’ Salary
This is a tradition which dates back to the early 1930s and is actually hugely outdated. This phrase actually stems from a marketing campaign for a diamond company which turned into popular belief over the years. Whilst your partner is, of course, worth three-months’ salary, there’s no way that you should be expected to shell out that much on an engagement ring if you don’t want to.
Depending on your income, this myth can be hugely illogical and can get out of hand. Of course, if you can afford it, then do whatever you would like, but don’t feel like you need to spend three months’ worth of wages on an engagement ring just because an advert from the Great Depression-era insisted on it. From bespoke engagement rings which costs a little more to family-inherited rings, no matter what ring you choose, your partner is sure to love it.
Only Men Can Propose
This is perhaps one of the biggest engagement myths out there. In the movies, almost every proposal scene is of a man down on one knee, proposing romantically to their partner. But, this isn’t how engagements work in real life. For instance, what if there isn’t a man in the relationship, or two men?
These relationships don’t fit into the outdated myth that men always need to propose. It has been long believed that women should never propose to a man, either as it can make you seem “less of a man”, but this is also hugely outdated. So, no matter your gender, any partner can propose.
Your Proposal Needs To Be A Big Deal
In recent years, mainly thanks to social media, it is widely believed that your wedding proposal needs to be huge. The common belief is that it needs to be planned months in advance, wildly expensive, in a public space and that the moment needs to be captured by a professional photographer. For some couples, of course, this is exactly what they want whereas, for others, it couldn’t be further away from their ideal moment.
There is no right way to propose and if you and your partner are more casual and laidback, then do something which suits you. You could get engaged in the comfort of your own home or you could privately hire a venue to set the scene for when you get down on one knee – the choice of your proposal location is totally up to you!