proposal-decoration-ideas

Proposing to the love of your life is some serious business. It’s not only hard coming up with proposal ideas but executing them as well. In order to help you with your engagement planning, expert wedding proposal planners, The Heart Bandits, have put together a list of decoration ideas for a perfect proposal to your loved one.  

Where Will You Propose?

One of the first things you need to figure out before you even think about how you will decorate your proposal space is where will you propose?

Hotel Room Vs Home

When deciding what decorations for a wedding proposal you will use, you will first want to determine if you are going to propose at home or if you are doing it at a hotel or even another private space.  Why does it matter?  Well, if you are doing the proposal in your home, then there aren’t going to be any restrictions.  However, if you are looking for hotel decorations for your proposal, many venues have restrictions on what can be done inside the room.

For example, many places won’t allow dark colored petals as they can stain the floor.  Due to the fire code, a lot of places are not going to allow open flame candles.  There are many venues that do not want you to use glass for safety concerns.  If you want to have the best room decorations for your proposal, you are going to want to do your diligence and make sure that you know what you can and cannot do.

Indoor Vs Outdoor

Another consideration when determining the decoration ideas for your proposal is if you are decorating inside or outside.  If you are decorating inside, there is a lot less to worry about.  When decorating outside, you are going to have to do a lot more planning.  While planning to set up your proposal decorations outside, you want to make sure you have permission from whoever owns the space if it is not privately owned.  If the proposal will be at a park, ask the parks department; at the beach, ask the city or whoever owns the beach. But in general, you shouldn’t assume you can just set up proposal decorations without asking.

The next thing to consider is wind and rain.  While we don’t recommend letting rain ruin your proposal day, wind can do a whole lot of damage to your proposal that you might not think about.  For instance, picture that you have your beautiful path of rose petals set up to form an aisle leading to your initials and then WHOOSH, a huge gust of wind comes by and blows it all away.  Or you have a bunch of signs on easels displayed perfectly and just as you walk up, wind blows it all over.  So you are going to want to know the location and then plan for wind if it is a factor.

Philadelphia Proposal

Reasons To Use Proposal Decorations

You may be wondering, why do I even need to decorate my proposal area?  Well, you don’t have to, but there are a couple of reasons you may want to.

Add Romance

The most obvious reason to decorate your proposal area is to create a romantic ambiance.  A bedroom can look completely difference once decked out with candles and rose petals.  A large room looks impressive with 4 foot marquee lights that “I Love You.”  So if you want to take your proposal from meh to wow, consider thinking of the best decorations for your marriage proposal.

Add Personalization

A not so obvious reason you may want to decorate the space is so that when your partner looks at the proposal, they feel it is personalized to them.  We want your partner to say, “Wow, this was meant just for me.”  Adding her favorite flower, framed photos of you and him, or having the lyrics to your favorite song printed are all ways to make them feel special.

Looks Great In Photos

If you plan on posting your proposal on social media, then proposal decorations will look amazing.  Just be sure to read our article on how to shame proof your marriage proposal.

NYC Proposal Idea

Common Types of Proposal Decorations

Lights & Candles

Using string twinkle lights is a classic way to set the mood before you pop the question. Combine them with a beautiful starry evening, and you’ll have an amazing, engagement-worthy night.  Adding LED candles is also a great way to create an ambiance if you’re creating a proposal idea on a budget.  EXPERT TIP: Don’t forget to make sure that when you order your proposal lighting, you make sure you buy any batteries you need and you test everything out before hand.  

Flowers

Add their favorite flowers to your proposal for a sentimental touch. Use the petals to draw out a giant heart, scatter them around the room, or have a giant, beautiful bouquet. EXPERT TIP: Don’t forget to read our wind warning from above.  Flowers can be amazing but can also be a lot of hassle.

Pictures

Adding pictures is another super affordable way to create nostalgia. Pick their favorite ones of the two of you together as a couple. Set up the pictures to guide them to the proposal spot, as if it’s a walk down memory lane before beginning a new adventure.

marry me sign on beach

Proposal Trends

Since we do plan more than 1,o00 proposals a year now, we are pretty versed in all of the proposal trends of 2019.  What is trending right now in terms of the best decoration for proposals?

Spelling Your Proposal

It seems like every scroll on Instagram will have you passing by big bright white letters that spell out “Marry Me.”  This is a huge trend right now and we think it is here to stay for now.

Photography & Videography

A trend that never really seems to get old is to add a proposal photographer and videographer to your special day.  If you put all that effort and energy into using amazing proposal decorations, you are going to want to capture it on camera.  This way you can enjoy the memory forever.

Donating Materials

Another trend that we LOVE is that after the proposal, they are donating their flowers to hospitals and other organizations. Definitely consider that and show your partner how caring you can be.

How Can The Heart Bandits Help?

Decorations can really set the mood for your engagement. So if you’re looking for more elaborate decor for your proposal, contact us! We specialize in creating detailed and personalized proposal ideas and can help you execute your proposal so you shine in the spotlight. Don’t forget to purchase a flat ring box from www.ringstash.com to hide the ring!  

Looking for more? Check out our article How to Use Decorations in a Marriage Proposal.

Emma Lunsford