Awe the marriage proposal budget. It’s the thing that people rarely ever think about when they are ready to propose to their partner. When I was going to propose to Michele, I know that I spent most of my money on the ring so I didn’t really think too much about how much to spend on the actual proposal. If I had planned it out more wisely, I could have had the proposal become more elaborate. So to avoid you making the same mistake that I and countless other people have made, today we’re going to give you some tips on how to budget for your marriage proposal.

Engagement Ring

This is obviously one of the most expensive parts and what everyone thinks about first. There are the trains of thought that say that you should spend about 2-3 times your monthly salary for the ring. With the ring, you can always keep spending more so it’s a little daunting. The whole diamond industry is pretty complex and it’s easy to get lost in all the prices and quality benchmarks.

Photographer/Videographer

For those that have used a photographer in their proposals, kudos to you. Having a photograph of your proposal moment is classic and gives you something to look back on years from now. If you hire a professional photographer for your proposal, you’ll be looking at spending anywhere from $200-$1k. Additionally, a professional videographer could cost about $500-1k. If these prices seem high to you, consider having a friend there to capture the moment. Documenting your proposal is highly recommended.

Venue

When it comes to where you will propose, this is where you will have the most flexibility with your budget. If you don’t have much of a budget, consider public places with views such as beaches, parks, or mountain hikes. If you want something that is completely personalized, such as a rented out studio or restaurant, this could cost about $300-$2000.

Musicians

If you really want to make your proposal stand out, having a live musician is just the thing. It makes the proposal more dramatic and surreal, especially if the musician is playing “your” song. Some good musicians for a proposal are violinists, acoustic guitarists, and A Capella singers. These musicians range in price from about $200-$1000 an hour depending on availability and location.

Extras Props or Activities

Every proposal needs some personal touches such as unique flowers, signs, or notes. These could also include activities such as horseback riding, helicopter rides, hotel stays, massages, and artistic events. These extras are what will make your proposal more unique and it will really depend what aspects of your relationship you want to highlight. The price range varies for these but you can always find ways to cut corners to stay within your budget.

All these prices may seem daunting to those that have never thought about the logistics of how to propose marriage, but it’s not the end of the world. As proposal experts, we have helped men and women create wedding proposals of their partner’s dreams on numerous types of budgets. Anything you need, we could find a way to do it and work with the budget you have. If you would like our help in planning your perfect proposal then contact The Heart Bandits Proposal Planners today. We will help you with the proposal ideas, proposal planning, and the budget to make it all that you could have ever imaged.

This Proposal of the Week feature is from a guy named Stephan!  He contacted us a few months ago and was interested in putting on a Flash Mob and hiring The Heart Bandits for Proposal Planning.  However, after much consideration, he decided to do something more low key and special.  Stephan and his girlfriend were actually engaged culturally before he even asked her to marry him.  So the proposal idea became to propose during a photo shoot.  The couple met with a photographer to take pictures for their save the date.  Stephan would propose during the photo shoot in order to surprise her and capture the proposal on film.  She never saw it coming.  The Heart Bandits definitely approve of this classy proposal.  Check out the beautiful pictures below. Photos by MDD Photography.

Posing for Save the Date

The Surprise Proposal

Beautiful Reaction…..and Ring!

The Celebration!

If you want to create a surprise photo shoot wedding proposal with personalized elements, you are in the right place. 80% of women are unsatisfied with their proposal and the main reason is because it lacked sentiment. Luckily we are here exactly for that reason. We will show you the best way to propose! Whether you need help with marriage proposal ideas or proposal planning, we can help. Contact The Heart Bandits to get started on making your dream proposal come true. No matter where you are in the world, we can help.  Toronto, San Diego, NYC, Australia……we do it all!

So you’ve finally decided that you want to propose marriage. You have a marriage proposal idea down and now you just need the perfect engagement ring. You girlfriend may have an eclectic style to her or she may just not want to have what every other girl has. So what would be the perfect diamond ring to get her in this situation? Well, today we’re going to review an engagement ring style that will be perfect for her. It’s the vintage engagement ring and here’s why it would be a sure fire hit with her.

Classy Look To Them

There has to be a reason why the look and style of this diamond ring has popped up again after so many years. The reason is that it is a classy style that does not fade with time. You can buy an antique ring for her, but finding the right ring could be difficult. That’s why buying a new engagement ring with a vintage look would be easier but gives you all the benefits. Their styles range from delicate and feminine to more drastic looking with art-deco styling.

More Unique Than Simple Rings

Modern diamond engagement rings have tended to go for the simple and elegant look. Though this fits some people just fine, if you want your girlfriend to have a ring that will draw more attention, then the vintage style is just the thing. Their style is more ornamental and usually contains lots of smaller diamonds along the band as decorative appeal.

Modern Craftsmanship Used to Give Vintage Look

With modern craftsmanship you can be assured that your engagement ring will be perfectly symmetrical and the diamond will be inspected thoroughly to ensure it is up to the highest quality. So buy choosing to purchase a vintage engagement ring, you get the best of both worlds; a traditional look with the modern amenities.

Finding the perfect engagement ring can be hard, but you can search online with places like 77 Diamonds to find what you’re looking for. Of course if you would like engagement ring suggestions or marriage proposal ideas and planning, The Heart Bandits are here to help. Contact us TODAY to have us help you with all the facets of your marriage proposal. We are wedding proposal experts and we will help you create a unique and personalized proposal experience that she will love and tell all her friends and family about for years to come.

Yes I know what you’re going through. Valentine’s Day is 2 weeks away and you haven’t purchased anything, reserved anything, or even given it a thought. You do not want to be the guy that goes to 7-Eleven on your way home on Valentine’s and picks up the last remaining stuffed bear holding a heart that costs $3.99. Bad deal. If you really want to stand out and make an impression on your partner this V-Day, then here are some romantic gift ideas recommended by The Heart Bandits that you can implement that will give you some brownie points.

Memory Lane Picture

If you and your partner have known each other for a long time, then a perfect Valentine’s gift would be a picture of you two from early in your relationship (or your friendship) in a nice frame. To add a twist to it, change it to black-and-white or sepia to give it a more classic or vintage look. If you don’t have an early picture, then you can create a collage of pictures of you two as you were children, then as adults, and then together. It’s a fun and cute way to create romance and tie your relationship together.

Sweets Instead of Chocolates

Chocolates are one of the most common things to give your partner on Valentine’s Day. Because of this, it is pretty cliché but you can still give your partner some sweets instead of chocolate to make it unique. Instead of chocolates this year try giving cupcakes, cake pops, or even a home-made desert by you.

Non-Red Non-Roses

Similarly, red-roses are the standard for Valentine’s Day. Throw a twist in this tradition this year by giving her some pink, white, or purple flowers in a gorgeous bouquet. The flowers could be lilies, tulips, spidermums, or chrysanthemums. Another variation is to give her a nice looking plant instead of a flower. A couple of good ones are orchids and bromeliads.

Time & Charity

For someone who is really busy one of the most meaningful gifts you can give is either your time or charity. If you are a busy executive, nothing can mean more than taking an entire day off as a Valentine’s Gift so you and your sweetie and just enjoy each other. Likewise, if your partner is involved in something heavily like a charity, as a gift you can help support it this year or volunteer some of your time to help. This will go a long way to showing that you care.

If you would like more great romantic gift ideas, then contact Date Planners- The Heart Bandits. We will help you with romantic date ideas, romantic gifts, anniversaries, and the planning and execution of elaborate dates that will be sure to make her heart melt. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner so make sure you don’t drop the ball on this one.

For those of you living in Southern California like us, we hope that you had an awesome weekend. The weather here was just gorgeous and you have to wonder does winter actually even exist in Los Angeles? Anyway, we have a very charming wedding proposal for you today that caught our attention. It was very simple but it had the big element of surprise, which we always love.

This featured marriage proposal comes from Virginia Beach. Jake is an Army infantryman and he recently returned from duty in Afghanistan, so he decided to take the next step with his girlfriend Cassidi. He decided to take her to the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. As they were enjoying themselves at the aquarium, Jake and Cassidi noticed a diver inside the water. To her surprise, the diver held up a sign that said “There are many fish in the sea. You are the only one for me. Will you marry me, Cassidi? Love, Jake”. After she read this, she looked over at Jake to find him on one knee presenting an engagement ring to her. She was in total shock but she said yes!

We love this proposal because it was a complete surprise and Jake wrote a personalized sign for her. Nearby guests got to see the live proposal and they applauded them afterwards. Jake made sure to have a photographer there to capture the moment so that they could look back on this years from now. Good job Jake! And congratulations to you both.

Creating the perfect wedding proposal can be very stressful for any guy or girl. You will want to do something that your partner will love and always remember. Luckily we are here exactly for that reason. Whether you need help with marriage proposal ideas or proposal planning by The Heart Bandits, we are here for you. Contact us today to get started on making your dream proposal come true.

Romance is such an important part in any relationship.  You have to keep the fire burning and put in a lot of effort to keep things exciting.  While I am good at keeping things romantic, Marvin is a guy so he does need a bit of help. He is really creative and comes up with amazing romantic date ideas, but I confess, he does have a little reminder on his calendar to remind him to do something romantic once a month.  Nothing wrong with that!  I am just happy he does it.  Besides, guys are busy working and providing for their families and when they aren’t doing that they just want to unwind and think about guy stuff.  It is for this reason, I decided to offer a Romance Concierge Service by The Heart Bandits.  What is that you ask?  Well, it is basically a Romantic Personal Assistant!  It is a safety net so that while you are busy with work and other life activities, you still make your partner feel special and that he or she is the top priority.  Here is how it works:

Initial Consultation

We will meet with you in person, over the phone, or over email and determine what your needs are.  Do you want us to plan romantic dates for you, would you like us to send your partner cards or other romantic gifts, would you like us to provide you with text messages about simple romantic things you can do at home, etc?  We also write down all important dates (think Anniversaries, birthdays, etc.) so that we can help you get gifts, plan the date, and send you reminders about the event. The Heart Bandits, Personal Romantic Assistants and can run all of your romantic errands for you.

Choose a Plan

This service requires a membership and is available on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis. Contact us for details.

Relax and Let Us Take Care of Everything

After you hire us, you will no longer hear that you are not romantic enough.  We will make sure that your partner feels loved and cherished, that your reservations are made for all of your romantic evenings, and that your itineraries for dates are exciting, customized, and executed.  No more forgetting Anniversaries and last minute shopping.  We will take care of it all.  We offer 100% discretion.

Yesterday, my gorgeous wife Michele gave you guys some excellent ideas for Valentine’s Dates for Her.  Today, I’m going to give you some ideas that you can use for your guy.  As we always say on this blog, guys experience romance completely different than the way that women do. Guys do not really desire roses or candles or loads of lovey-dovey feelings.  We tend to like to things that are more focused on the activity than the feeling we get from it.  So if this year you plan on taking your guy out for date, below are 4 ideas to do for him this Valentine’s Day:

Beer Tasting

Unless your guy is a wine connoisseur and he detests beer or is watching his diet, it’s probably a safe bet that he wouldn’t mind going beer tasting. Within the last decade, there has been a boom in the amount of micro-breweries that have popped up around the country. Many of these places have a sampler package where you could try out their beers including their seasonal ones. If you take him to one of these, make sure to try taking a tour if they have one; that will be one educational tour he’d be paying attention to.

Rock Concert

Getting him tickets to a band he likes will definitely be welcomed and it would also be a fun date for you two. You may also just try looking into venues that have cover-bands that cover the type of music your guy likes. There are tons of cover bands that play hits from the 80’s, classic rock, and even the 90’s now that are popping up. If you two met during any of those areas it will be an excellent time for you two and he will love hearing his songs at 120 decibels.

Sporting Event

This one is kind of a no-brainer but you should aim at trying to shoot for a game he would like. If these are hard to come by, pick up the local sports section to see if there are any minor league games in your area (which would be a great way to watch a game up close). During February there isn’t any baseball or football, but hockey and basketball are around. The fun comes in when he’s watching a competitive game with a drink his hands and his favorite girl at his side.

Renting A Sports Car or Motorcycle

This type of date will really blow his mind. Tell him that you have something planned for him but you two have to pick it up together. When he sees that you have rented out a sports car or motorcycle he will be floored and you will become a legend in his eyes. Plus you get to ride around in a fun vehicle while your guy is showing genuine excited emotion. 🙂

Some of these above items may seem obvious that a guy would like, but when thinking about Valentine’s Day sometimes it gets tricky, especially with how much roses, candles, and romance have been burned into our minds to represent Valentines. Guys love doing things that are fun, easy-going, and memorable. Try any of these ideas out with him and see how much more crazy he will be about you. If you still need further ideas, make sure to contact the romance experts at The Heart Bandits. We will provide you with the help and tips needed to make your date the best it can be.

Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching and you are probably trying to find the perfect Valentine Date Idea.  I know I am!  I get slammed because we have Christmas in December, Marvin’s Birthday in January, and Valentine’s Day in February.  Thank goodness I didn’t get married in March!  I decided to put together a list of 4 Valentine’s Day Date Ideas that women will love.  They range from simple, inexpensive ideas to a bit more costly but they are all fabulous.

Create an at Home Picnic

Women love when they can see you put in a lot of effort creating a romantic date.  Seriously, you score a lot of points by doing this.  So for Valentine’s Day, create a picnic right in your very own home.  Make some homemade sandwiches, get some grapes and put them in plastic baggies, and get some wine and put that all in a picnic basket.  Set out a blanket in the middle of your living room, in your backyard, or on your balcony.  Put some soft music on in the background and light a ton of candles.  This whole date will cost you no more than $20 and will make a big impression.

Take Her to a Dance Class

Variety is the spice of life so take her to do something new.  Book a reservation TODAY at a dance studio and take a lesson in a style of dancing you haven’t done before.  Marvin took me Tango dancing and I thought it was so awesome.  You could try country, swing, ballroom, salsa, hip hop, lyrical, etc.  There are probably more dance styles than you could even imagine.

Hire a Sommelier

Just knowing what a Sommelier is makes you cool.  By the way, it is a basically a wine expert.  Hire one to come to your house and give you and your sweetie a private wine tasting experience.

Limo Ride Around the City

Tell her to get dressed up and surprise her with a limo waiting for you outside.  For a twist, don’t take the limo to a destination but make the limo ride the date.  Arrange for the limo to drive by meaningful places from your relationship like where you had your first kiss or where you got married.  Sip cocktails the whole way and listen to romantic music.

I know women can be difficult to understand, but The Heart Bandits can help you solve that mystery.  We are The Heart Bandits-Romance Experts and have been featured in the New York Times, Brides Magazine, Houston Chronicle and many more publications.  We are the go-to source when the media needs answers to difficult proposal and romance questions.  And we are available to you too.  Contact us today for a free consultation to find out how we can help you be more romantic, plan romantic dates, and do things to keep your relationship new and exciting!

When it comes to planning wedding proposals and figuring out how to propose the best way, you pretty much have two options. You can stage a proposal in some public venue where your girlfriend will be the center of attention or you can have an intimate proposal where it’s just you and her. Deciding on which one is best depends on your girlfriend’s personality and on your relationship. You do NOT want to put your girlfriend in front of staring people if she will be uncomfortable. Similarly, if she’s more eccentric and you have a small proposal, she may be disappointed that it wasn’t more involved. I wish I knew this stuff back when I was going to propose to Michele. I could’ve used some help. To help you out on deciding which, here are some pros and cons of each type:

The Public Proposal

Pros

1. You will have a better chance of using a scenic or memorable location. This is great because you would then be able to return to this location with your future wife and reminisce on your proposal day.
2. Others will be around to support you. Public proposals tend to draw a lot of attention, and at the moment when the guy is on bended knee asking the girl, the crowd is very excited. Once she says yes crowds show their support with cheers and applause.
3. Attention and king/queen for a day. Getting attention and adoration from your proposal is a great feeling. It’s like a mini-wedding where people are congratulating you and happy for you.

Cons

1. More difficult to pull off because you have to worry about permits, rules, & regulations.
2. Venues may be strict about what they will allow. Some places do not allow photographers, videographers, or events that could be a disruption to other’s attention. This will limit what you can do.
3. There will be a higher likelihood that weather may come into play. You don’t want it to rain on your proposal so you would likely need a backup plan.

The Private Proposal

Pros

1. You will have the most control of the situation. If it’s just you and her, chances are that your setup will be more simple and easier to pull off.
2. No distractions. You don’t have to worry about others messing things up or things not going to plan.
3. You will have a moment that is only shared by you and her. Having a moment like this creates an intimate memory because you two are the only ones that were there.

Cons

1. Limitations in how grand it can be. If you really want to wow her, the private proposal will have some limitations because depending on where you have it, it may be more difficult to incorporate props and displays.
2. Will not be as big as a surprise as if you’re in a public area. If you set something up in your apartment and have her come over, it may be nice but it will not have the ultimate surprise factor that having it in a promenade, square, or public beach may have.

No matter what kind of marriage proposal you choose, you need to have a solid plan to carry it out. Even the most simple sounding proposals could benefit from hiring a professional. As proposal experts, we have helped me and women with both public and private proposals and even the seemingly easy proposals (such as picnics) take more work than expected. If you need help on deciding exactly how to propose, then contact your proposal planners at The Heart Bandits today. We will help you figure out what would be the best type of proposal for your girlfriend and help you plan and execute the whole thing so it would blow her away. You only get once chance, make it worth it.

So first off let me say that The Heart Bandits had a great weekend.  It was Marvin’s birthday so we went to his parents house for some authentic Mexican food, then we went to a shooting range (I will blog about that later), and last we went to see Mariachi de Mi Tierra which is lead by Marvin’s old friend from MIT.   I planned a perfect man date for my fabulous man lol Did anyone else have a birthday this weekend?

Now on to this very romantic wedding proposal.  This is seriously the best proposal.  One morning Micah picked up his girlfriend Rachel, blindfolded her, and took her to a small airport. Micah is a pilot in Tampa, Florida, so we love the personal twist. Once at the hangar he removed her blindfold and she could see that he rented her a small plane.   He flew her over some of their favorite places (beaches, park, etc.). They eventually  flew over a familiar pasture, and he “jokingly” said, “Let’s try landing on that.” He flew over the field once, which was a signal for the photographer and videographer to take their positions. The second time around he actually landed and Rachel was shocked. They began to go for a walk and not too far into the walk, Rachel spotted an upright piano that Micah had placed in the middle of the pasture. He led her over to it, sat her down, and began his version of her favorite song, The Scientist, by Coldplay. But this version was more special because he changed the words to be directed to her. After he finished the song, he got on one knee and proposed. Watch the video below.

We would love to create a proposal like this but to personalize it to your relationship.  We will help you come up with the concept, move the instruments into the field, charter the plane for you, hire the photographer and videographer and make sure it all goes flawlessly.  The Heart Bandits will give your partner and your love story everything that it deserves. The Heart Bandits are Proposal Experts and creating wedding proposals that are perfect is what we specialize in. If you want to create a proposal that your partner will brag about over and over again, contact The Heart Bandits-Proposal Planners today!  We will provide you with the best marriage proposal ideas and help you figure out how to propose.