Passport? Check. Hotel details? Check. Engagement ring…
If you and your travel sweetheart have been together a while, it’s likely that you might have considered packing an engagement ring for your next adventure. Before you get to the point of popping the official question you’ll need to ask yourself some smaller questions first: how, when and where am I going to pop the question?
For loved-up world travellers, proposing on a foreign-shore is the perfect way to welcome the start of an engagement. With just a little bit of planning, you can both come home with one of the best travel stories either of you have ever written.
Picking the perfect destination
For some couples the perfect proposal spot would be cruising through the spectacular Norwegian Fjords. For others it might be climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Some future-fiancés opt to return to the location of a memorable holiday. Here’s some ideas from our previous Top 5 Places to Propose blog post.
Whatever destination you choose remember to be tactful and natural. If you and your other half regularly go on romantic beach holidays, a trip to Jamaica around your five year anniversary shouldn’t give your intentions away, but there’s some destinations that might raise their suspicions.
Taking the ring with you…without getting caught
Take the ring in your hand luggage, wrapped in a sock or somewhere else your partner is unlikely to look. While it’s always important to abide by international hand luggage laws, this is the one trip where you really don’t want customs emptying your bag because something looked out-of-place on the x-ray machine.
Insure the ring
An engagement ring may be the most expensive thing in your bag. Keep a hold of it and, in case it does go missing, get it covered.
Also remember to bring the receipt to prove the country of purchase in case customs ask about it.
Plan to buy the ring on location
Bring home the best souvenir and purchase a ring on holiday as a permanent reminder of your far-flung engagement. If you’re planning an NYC based proposal, a trip to pick up a luxurious ring at the Tiffany’s store might be a good call. If you’re somewhere with a large design community purchase a ring from a local jewellers. It can be as simple as selecting a ring from a department store that you won’t find at home.
You might have to embrace spontaneity
While an at-home proposal doesn’t always make for the best dinner-party story, you can plan the details to the second. On holiday, you may need to roll with the punches. The beach you picked for the evening stroll might not be secluded enough or maybe one too many cocktails were consumed. Don’t be too rigid with your plans and be prepared to pop the question whenever it feels right.
Act normal
We’ve touched on this already but when planning a holiday-proposal, you need to act as if you’re going on a regular trip. Choose a destination that doesn’t arouse suspicion, securely hide the ring, and organise couple-based activities that aren’t out of place.
And above all: enjoy it
The romantic proposal is as much for you as it is for your spouse. Enjoy the moment that you’ve created for the two of you to share forever.