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.