This may come as a surprise to most people, but there is actually a tradition that started in the British Isles long ago that says that on leap years (as in this year 2012), women could propose marriage to men. In some areas, it was restricted to allowing women to propose only on Leap Day (February 29th). There was actually a law passed in 1288 in Scotland, that allowed women to propose to men on a leap year and if the man declined, then that man had to pay a fine that could range from a kiss to a silk dress or a pair of gloves. Pretty interesting I know. Some say that the tradition started when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait so long for a man’s proposal.

So it honor of this leap year tradition, we thought it’d be great to give any women out there some things to think about if they’re contemplating proposing to their guy.

Make Sure He Would Be Open to It

In our society, it has become custom for the man to ask the woman. Whether you agree with it or not, if you want to propose to your man, you must be sure that he would be cool with it. Some guys won’t because of the custom. You know him best so you should be able to gauge if he’ll be comfortable with you proposing. If you’re not sure, then try bringing up a casual conversion with him about women proposing to men and how he feels about it. If he’s weirded out by it or uncomfortable with it, it could make for an awkward proposal if you go through with it.

Are You Doing this Because You’re Rushing It?

You should ask yourself why you are willing to propose. If it’s because you just want to be to be engaged because it’s been a certain amount of time then that may not be a good reason. If it’s because you truly love him and he loves you and this is just the next natural progression in your relationship, then it might be. You have to be sure that it’s for the right reasons and your intentions are good.

Will You Be OK With Not Being Proposed to Yourself?

Since you will be proposing, you will now not be surprised by his proposal and you will have to do the work in figuring out how to propose. Will you be ok answering everyone’s first question about how he proposed to you? Also, men typically give women an engagement ring. So if you’re going to be the one asking, will you pick out an engagement ring yourself, will you give him a keepsake instead, will you two go shopping for a ring together afterwards? These are just some things to think about before you go forward.

Do It in a Way that He Would Like

We say all the time on this blog how men experience romance differently than woman. If you decide to go forward, the way that you have dreamed of your proposal will be completely different than something he would like. Men don’t typically crave having flowers, candlelit dinners, or being given long love notes. We think differently than that and you should account for his tastes when going for the proposal. If he is more active, then asking him while doing an outdoor activity will probably be better off than a bouquet of a dozen roses waiting for him at home.

If you feel like you definitely want to go this route and would like some help proposing to your man, then contact Marriage Proposal Planners at The Heart Bandits. We are experts in the field of marriage proposals, no matter who is proposing to whom. We will help you with any questions you may have, proper proposal etiquette, and will be there when you propose to make sure that your plan goes as you want it.

The Heart Bandits were presented with a very unique opportunity this month.  Inside Edition contacted us and asked us if they could follow us as we plan a proposal for a client from beginning to end.  We jumped at the chance and we found Leigh, a charming guy who was working with Truth About Diamonds on his engagement ring.  He was very excited about the opportunity to work with us and we immediately got started on the proposal!

We interviewed Leigh and we discovered a very cute story.  On their 3rd or 4th date, he and Stefanie went ice skating at the Santa Monica Ice Rink.  They were still getting to know each other and Leigh was impressed at how good of an ice skater Stefanie was.  Leigh ended up falling on the rink and to his surprise, Stefanie pretended that she fell as well so that he didn’t feel bad.  Leigh jokes that it was that day that Stefanie “fell for him”.  But it is true, that it was that day that Leigh fell for her.  We decided to have the proposal at the same ice skating rink that he fell in love with Stefanie at.  Over the course of their relationship, he had started calling her “Petal”, an affectionate nickname.  We decided to spell out “Stefanie, Will You Marry Me?” in rose petals to play off of that nickname.

Stefanie and Leigh arrived at the rink and began skating.  About 20 minutes later Leigh heard the song that was his cue to get Stefanie off the rink.  Once they exited, The Heart Bandits got on the rink and spelled out the beautiful words.  As soon as the song was over, Leigh and Stefanie got back on the rink and skated to the other side where she finally saw her surprise.  She was in complete shock and so happy.  After Leigh proposed, all of her friends jumped out to surprise her.  It was truly amazing day and we were honored to be a part of it.  Take a look at the pictures courtesy of Ashley from Newly LA.

The man has good taste!

Hire The Heart Bandits and give your girlfriend 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 you girlfriend will brag about over and over again, contact The Heart Bandits today!  We will provide you with the best marriage proposal ideas and help you figure out how to propose.

There are a lot of misconceptions of what proposal planners do out there. Some people hear of The Heart Bandits and think that they put on masks to impersonate the guy doing the proposal. Some people think we’re match-makers. But there are guys (just like me and you) that could really use our services. When a guy is going to propose there are a lot of things he must consider, plan, and execute and since we are proposal experts we can help guide him through the whole process so that he makes this day all he (and she) could have ever imagined. For those that are on the fence about using our services, here are the top 4 reasons you should use us as your proposal planners.

Experience and Expertise With Proposals

The biggest reason to hire The Heart Bandits as your proposal experts is because of our experience and expertise. We have done many proposals and have seen what guys go through before they have a plan, while they’re thinking of ideas, and during the actual proposal day. There are a lot of guys that tend to make proposals about them and not their girlfriends and therefore do not think of things that should definitely be included in the proposal. Additionally, I’m one of those guys that has been in your shoes so I know exactly what you’re going through. Once you have the ring and are ready, you could be a nervous wreck. Michele and I are great at coaching guys and helping them out through this process.

Creativity with Special Touches

Let’s face it, some guys just are not very creative and have a lot of trouble when it comes to romance. When you let the experts look at your relationship from the outside-in, we will help you see things in a different light. You will realize that your relationship does have a lot that could be symbolized and incorporated into your proposal. Michele and I are very creative people and we work together with you to get you ideas that are outside-the-box and perfectly in line with what you’re looking for.

Vendor and Venue Partnerships & Advice

From our experience, we have tons of advice we can give you once your idea is set. You may decide to propose at a park with a flash mob, but did you know that many cities require permits, especially if there’s going to be photographers or videographers? If your proposal concept requires a violinist or a guitarist or a painter, etc, then we have great existing relationships with many vendors to fit your needs. If you are looking for the perfect proposal location, then we have tons of recommended places because we scout them out specifically for this reason.

Safety Net for Executing Your Plan

I can tell you from direct experience that on your proposal day, you will nervous. Many times those nerves come from hoping that everything that you are planning goes exactly as you have planned. When you hire The Heart Bandits to plan your event, we will be there to make sure that everyone is in their right place and everything is in order before you arrive. You will have a team supporting you so all you have to think about is the girl right in front of you. By not having to worry about logistics or planning, you will enjoy your moment more and you will feel at ease.

If you would like to have the perfect marriage proposal of her dreams, then contact us today. We are experts in the field of marriage proposals. We will help you with any questions you may have, proper proposal etiquette, and will be there when you propose to make sure that your plan goes as you want it.

The Heart Bandits were so flattered when we were contacted by Lim, a client all the way from Singapore!  He wanted to make his proposal very special for his girlfriend so we interviewed him and came up with a very romantic proposal.  During the interview, Lim mentioned that at one point during their relationship, his girlfriend had to move to Australia.  He had given her a wooden airplane before she left and said that if she ever wanted to see him, he would fly to her.  We used that as the basis for our proposal idea.

The couple was visiting Beverly Hills so we decided to have them take a walk through the beautiful Beverly Gardens Park in the morning.  As they walked through the park, they stumbled upon a tree that had wooden airplanes hanging from the branches.  Lim reminisced about how he once gave her a wooden airplane to symbolize his willingness to fly to see her at the drop of a dime.  Next, the couple saw a tree that had pictures of them together throughout their relationship and love notes hanging from the branches.  Last, they found a tree that had huge engagement rings hanging from the top.  Under the tree there was a pink blanket, pink and white roses, and a box.  Near the tree was a violinist from Subito Strings that began playing Lucky by Jason Mraz, which was their song.  Lim dropped to his knee and proposed to his girlfriend.  She said yes! The Heart Bandits are so proud to have been a part of this.  Check out the pictures below by Pap the Question.

There was another surprise.  The couples family was hiding out and came to celebrate with them once she said yes.  They enjoyed cupcakes that spelled out “She Said Yes!”  This was a very romantic engagement.

Creating a proposal that is as memorable and beautiful as this one is very hard to pull off without help.  Hire The Heart Bandits-Beverly Hills Proposal Planner and give your girlfriend 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 you girlfriend will brag about over and over again, contact The Heart Bandits today!  We will provide you with the best marriage proposal ideas and proposal advice around.

Though we have just celebrated a new year and you’re probably still cleaning up champagne bottles from your new years bash, it’s still a good idea to start thinking about planning something for Valentine’s Day. Every year, we see it again and again. Guys (and women too) wait until the last second to plan something for Valentine’s Day and they’re left with having to get the last remaining stuffed teddy bear at 7-Eleven and a stale bar of Snickers for their sweetie. Not so sweet. Here are a few things to consider now before it gets too late for your Valentine’s Day Date.

Make Reservations Early

Valentine’s Day is the most popular day for dates so it’s no surprise that places get booked up fast. Many places have special Valentine’s Day menus that they serve for the special day. Most likely, you’ll want to have a romantic dinner on this day so if you don’t plan on making a dinner yourself, scout out an amazing restaurant with a great romantic ambiance and make your reservations early. This way you can rest assured that a few days before the day, you won’t be sweating bullets thinking of what to do for her.

Add Other Elements to Your Date Besides Dinner

By other elements, I don’t mean going to watch the latest horror movie at the theater. For Valentine’s, you would want to do something that is more romantic and engaging. You would want something that is slow and has nice scenery. The perfect complement to dinner would be something like taking her on a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride or on a gondola ride. If these are not available in your area, then simply walking near an area that is scenic or fun is the next best thing. Again, make sure that whatever you decide to do to make your reservations early. You would be shocked to know how many activities get booked up on Valentine’s Day weeks beforehand.

Think Outside the Box for Flowers and Chocolates

Not all women love flowers and chocolates, but for Valentine’s Day if you don’t get these items you may find yourself in relationship purgatory. If you really don’t like the typical roses and chocolates that you see at every grocery store, then you could add your own twist to it. Some possible suggestions are giving her chocolate-covered strawberries, fruit ornaments shaped like flowers, origami flowers, home-made chocolates, or other types of red flowers such as gerberas or tulips. Adding your own spin on these items will give more meaning to the day and it will prove to her that you put more thought into it than just the last-minute stop by at the gasoline station to pick something up.

Valentine’s Day is a day that you can use to your advantage to make a wonderful night of. Though not all couples celebrate this day, if you make an effort to make a special time out of it, you will forever be a rock star in her eyes. If you would like more great date ideas by The Heart Bandits , then contact us today. We are experts in the field of romantic date planning and marriage proposals. 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.

So the Holiday Season is now over and you find yourself low on cash because you bought too many Snuggies for everyone. Now that the new year is upon us, you realize that you don’t really have money to spend on romance. But that is not a problem though because romance does not need to cost a lot of money. In today’s Romance Tip of The Week, we will be giving you The Heart Bandits approved ideas for romance that you can do even if you’re on a tight budget.

Have a Date at Home

This is a classic. You can easily create romance at home by lighting tealights (which are very inexpensive) and cooking a meal. You do not have to be Chef Boyardee to create romance. All you have to do is have a simple recipe like spaghetti.  You can add garlic bread or a salad as an appetizer and a simple store-bought dessert.

You could also have a fun date night at home by doing something creative like having a paint-by-numbers night or making a scrapbook of your favorite memories. Game night is also a sure-fire hit.

Groupon & Living Social Deals

There is no shame in getting deals like these for a romantic evening. These deals give you major savings of 50-70% off so why not try it? Sign up for your area and surrounding areas so that you can get exposed to new date ideas that you and your sweetie could potentially love (or at least have tons of fun at).

Picnic in the Park or Beach

This one gets you the most bang-for-the-buck. Parks and beaches are free and are some of the best environments to enjoy time with your loved one. If you live close to the beach or park, then taking a walk or bike ride to the location with your picnic in a bag will make for an amazing date. Make the picnic light and it will be great time.

Visit Quirky Shops or Areas

Visiting a quirky shop or an area that has eclectic stores really opens the door for a fun time. It’s completely free and it allows you to enjoy some good quality time with your sweetie. Many cities have such areas so you can simply take some time to go to several of these places and have a blast at the shops. For extra bonus points, make sure to go to a candy store and get your sweetie the candy she likes best.

If you would like more great romantic date ideas by The Heart Bandits , then contact us today. 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.

Las Vegas is a popular place to propose, and rightfully so.  It is beautiful, fun, and exciting.  However, when you are planning your Las Vegas wedding proposal, you may be overwhelmed by just how many places there are to propose!  That is why we have put together a list of the best places to propose in Las Vegas by The Heart Bandits.

Best Place to Propose with a View

The Bellagio Fountains are absolutely stunning and a great choice for your proposal.   You have a few options if you want to propose with this great view.  You can of course, opt for the outdoor public proposal and just propose during the water show on the walkway.  You could also make reservations at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant which has great views of the fountains and is super romantic.  Another more private option is to rent a room at the Bellagio with a balcony and propose there during a light show.  As usual, we recommend that you make the proposal personal so you will need to add creative elements to the proposal.  Hire a Proposal Planner to help with that.

Best Place to Propose for the Thrill Seeker

I get nauseous just looking at the video for Sky Jump at the Stratosphere hotel, but a thrill seeker would love it.  Consider incorporating a 108 floor drop into your proposal for the ultimate adventurous proposal.

Best Place to Propose Away from the Las Vegas Strip

Head to Lake Las Vegas for a private gondola ride to really make an impression.  This is the perfect idea for someone who shrieks at the thought of a very public proposal.

If you want to have the perfect Las Vegas proposal, then contact us. We can help you come up with a unique and customized marriage proposal idea and then help you execute it.  If you want to have the event photographed, we can help with that.  We also specialize in creating amazing wedding anniversaries and elaborate dates.

It’s been an amazing year for us, and we feel blessed that we got the chance to be involved in the lives of so many wonderful people. We’re very excited for the things to come in 2012 but before we dive into that, we are recapping our best proposals of the year. They all turned out really well and we are happy for all the couples that took the next step this year. Congrats again!

Michael’s Fairytale Proposal in Mexico

We had the pleasure of working with Michael, who had his heart set on making his girlfriend Liz’ fairytale proposal come true. He did exactly that by riding up to her on a beautiful beach in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico on a horse to whisk her away into their future. The proposal was incredibly beautiful and came out perfect for them. Read about the full proposal here.

Lonnie’s Scavenger Hunt Proposal

Lonnie wanted to show Mel that he could do the romantic things that she has always wanted. For his proposal, he setup a scavenger hunt throughout Southern California that took her on a limousine ride to meaningful places from their relationship. She arrived at the fountains in San Pedro to a wonderful surprise. Find out how Lonnie and Mel’s friends gave her a major surprise here.

Chuck’s Hometown Proposal

Chuck wanted to surprise his girlfriend and did not want her to catch on. He found the perfect way by enlisting the help of her father to create a back story for his proposal. She completely bought in and received the surprise of her lifetime. Read how Chuck managed to pull off this amazing proposal here.

Sameer’s Beach Painting Proposal

Sameer knew that Nisha wanted a public proposal, so we helped him find a way to completely surprise her. He took her to a beach where a painter setup his canvas right in front of them. Sameer went to go look what he was doing and when he showed Nisha, she was amazed at what she saw. Find out what Nisha saw by reading the rest here.

JR’s Surprise Picnic On Beach Proposal

JR was visiting San Diego and thought it was be the perfect place to propose to his girlfriend. With coordination from his proposal planners, The Heart Bandits, we managed to setup a very romantic setup for them two as they were walking on the beach. They “stumbled” upon this setup and he gave her more of a surprise by proposing. Read the full proposal story here.

Isaac’s “We’re Better Together” Proposal

A week before Isaac planned on proposing, he found out that his outdoor proposal wouldn’t work because it was supposed to rain that day. In a bind, Isaac found us and we helped him plan an amazing surprise proposal. He took Christine to one of their favorite places and stopped to grab a drink. There was a guitarist there and he serenaded them with their favorite song. The guitarist then surprisingly had a note that was specifically for Christine. Find out what the note had and read the full story here.

Abe’s Elaborate Las Vegas Helicopter Proposal

Abe wanted to do something grand for his girlfriend Lindsey. What he planned was truly amazing with a limo ride, helicopter ride, landing on an exclusive golf resort with champagne waiting for them, and a huge banner for her. He really wowed her and it showed. Read about the full proposal here.

Adam’s New York Rooftop Proposal

Adam was traveling to New York City with his girlfriend and wanted to make it extra special by proposing to her. We helped Adam find the perfect place as soon as he arrived. He took her to an amazing rooftop with a view of the Empire State Building. There was a romantic table setup for them along with their favorite songs playing as they arrived. It was the perfect proposal for them. Read the full proposal story here.

Lim’s Beverly Hills Park Proposal

Lim found us all the way from Singapore. He hired us to transform the Beverly Gardens Park into a Proposal Paradise. Stay tuned for blog!

If you want your year to be get off to a great start, then contact us. We can help you with a perfect marriage proposal, amazing wedding anniversary, or elaborate date. We are experts in the field of romance and want to make your event all that it can be so that you can continue to have that spark that makes your relationship special.

After the holidays, it is easy to feel lethargic and just tapped out.  However, don’t let your romantic life suffer by sitting on the couch for New Year’s Eve.  The Heart Bandits-Date Planners Romance Tip of the Week is go out and celebrate NYE together!  Here are 4 Tips to Celebrate New Year’s Eve.

Hire a Babysitter

If you have children, hire a babysitter so you can really enjoy your New Year’s Eve date.  Better yet, drop them off at your moms.  She will love the extra time with your kids.  If they can spend the night there, that is even better and you will be able to continue the celebration once you get home.

Call a Cab

Do not drive if you plan on drinking on your New Year’s Eve romantic date.  Nothing kills romance like metal bars and orange jump suits, so stay out of jail.  Take a cab to your New Year’s Eve party and have a little fun in the backseat!

Dress Up

When you have been in a relationship for a while it gets easy to become lazy and just put on your favorite sweats every night when you get home.  So make your New Year’s Eve romantic and special and remind your significant other how hot you really are!

Celebrate

Whether you decide to go to dinner, dancing, or to a bar, make sure that you have a lot of fun.  Don’t talk about anything serious like work or the kids, just have fun and let loose.  And most importantly, kiss at midnight.

For more romantic date ideas, hire The Heart Bandits.  We have a Romance Concierge service where you can hire us for the year to run all of your romantic errands and plan all your romantic dates.  This is perfect for the busy professional who wants to be more romantic but just doesn’t have much free time.  We also plan dates on an as needed basis.  Contact us today to find out how we can help you.