Christmas and New Year are a wonderful time to propose to your partner. This holiday season ranks as one of the two most romantic time of year, (the other being Valentine’s Day) and a time where we naturally want to surround ourselves with love and light, celebrate together, and also to make plans for the future. Those dark evenings are lit up with candles and music, we are “nesting” and cosying up. The season also means we spend time thinking about connecting with others, with long lost friends, with neighbours, and of course, focussing on the theme itself, a season of loving and giving.
According to The Knot, in the US around 37% of couples choose this holiday season to propose, which is similar to the research from UK’s Bridebook, who found that 40% of couples choose Christmas as their significant moment.
There is also much talk now about the “Engagement Gap” and how 2024 is now shaping up t
o be a bumper year for proposals – with over 100,000 couples expected to pop the question in the UK, and over 2.5 million in the US!
So given that there will be such a boost in numbers, and you my reader may well be looking at ways to propose to your partner at Christmas; here are five different ways which are certain to make this a truly special moment! Take a look at these options and let me know in the comments what resonated with you!
Christmas Concert :
December is a time of celebration as we look forward to Christmas and often means that there are extra shows, concerts, gigs announced which gives lots of opportunities to get out and enjoy ourselves! Sports, Opera, Musicals – all are likely to be offering new and amazing experiences. Why not surprise your partner with tickets to a favourite show or concert choice , and then during a moment that you’ve either planned yourself, or had help with, ask them the question! The rush of excitement is probably going to give you that big fat YES that you were hoping for!
Christmas Lights:
Take your partner to see the sparkle and magic of Christmas Lights! In Germany families begin lighting up their balconies and gardens with fairylights and garden reindeer, Santas and more! The local neighbourhood is filled with colour and begs a wander around to compare and contrast, especially in England where the most brightly lit displays often made the local news! “Glow” season is in full swing too, with parks and public gardens often holding evening Illuminations – a wonderful way to walk together and at ask a particularly cute “Snowman” to excuse you as you wish to say something!
Christmas Morning:
For those who want to make their proposal in a more private setting, at home, Christmas Morning is a wonderful time to pull out the extra surprise – what is more exciting that opening gifts together, and perhaps you’ve already created a scavenger hunt for presents, or asked your partner to play a little pass the parcel game with you which ends up with either one of you holding the box with the ring, but does that really matter, when you say those magic words to them? Nope, it will all be a wonderful memory and just make sure you have the bubbles chilled and ready and time to celebrate before letting everyone in your world know your fabulous news!
Christmas Tree:
There are quite a few of my couples who have proposed at Christmas, and it is always such a sweet story to include in their ceremony. The Christmas tree is the place for presents and gifts, and therefore a perfect location to hide the ring! T and J were spending Christmas Eve in Germany with their family, and were exchanging gifts then, which is a tradition in Germany and other parts of Europe. T’s gift for J was in a squishy parcel, and when J opened it up, she found a beautiful soft jumper inside. Asking her if it was the right size, J held it up against here quickly and said yes she thought it would be fine…. T asked her again, just to check the size label to be sure. The label had a ribbon attached to it, and as she lifted this from the jumper, there was a beautiful ring attached too! Turning to T in surprise, there he was, down on one knee and smiling, and asking her to become his wife! It was a lovely tender moment which of course they were able to immediately share and celebrate with the family.
J and N were spending Christmas with their children at home, and J was keen to ask N to marry him while the children were around – as they had already helped him with the clues to a Treasure Hunt and had kept the secret perfectly! N was getting a little frustrated with all the clues that seemed to lead nowhere, but suddenly J “found” the last clue in his back pocket. It read “Follow this to find your Treasure” and she realised he meant the star on the top of the tree. Getting out the steps, and climbing to the top to reach the Star, N found a beautiful shiny sapphire blue Ring attached to it! Realising what this was, she turned around in surprise, and found J on one knee, about to pop the question! The excitement was too much for the children, and they both chimed in and asked mummy to marry daddy. What a heartwarming story this was and I was delighted to include it in their wedding ceremony.
Christmas Market / Ice Skating:
You might be a couple who are planning a mini break over Christmas, and so planning to visit a Christmas Market is probably something you won’t want to miss. The sights, the smell of the food, gingerbread and hot mulled wine…..absolutely wonderful! If there’s also an ice skating rink, why not take your partner out for a spin around the ice, enjoy the build up, the thrills and the fun, and then when you get to the centre, stop and tell them how much you love them, and want to spend the rest of your lives in the adventure with them.
Living is amazing, being with someone you love is exceptional, and ask that person to bear witness with you for the rest of your lives, is truly a magical moment. As the famous line goes, “…..when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” (When Harry Met Sally)