Planning Your Perfect Proposal

Choosing the perfect engagement ring to present to the love of your life is a key part of any proposal as it's the piece of jewellery that signifies the official beginning of a lifelong commitment to your partner. As a proposal is such a huge event, you’ll want to make sure everything goes perfectly. This includes choosing an amazing ring, an idyllic setting and the most suitable location to pop the question. Planning the perfect proposal can be tricky but Hatton Jewellers is here to help with our tips on how you can make sure it’s truly a moment to remember.

When Is The Best Time To Propose?

First things first, you’ll need to decide what time of year your partner might find the most romantic. Do you opt for a traditional holiday, such as Valentine's Day or New Year’s Eve, or do you align it with something more personal such as the date of the day you first met or an upcoming holiday you have planned? All are great options with the final decision often being made to suit personal preference.

Although some may think that a Valentine’s or Christmas time proposal can be cliché, they can also be magical times of the year to ask the most important question of your life. If you want to make the occasion extra sentimental, choose a time that’s truly personal to you as a couple, and the date you first met is always a great choice.

How To Plan Your Proposal

It’s so important to have a plan. The proposal can be as elaborate or as simple as you would like, as long as you have all the finer details ironed out to make sure the proposal goes without a hitch! Here are just a few different ways to effectively plan a beautiful proposal.

Bring a marvellous ring

The first step of any proposal is choosing the ring - you’ll know when you’ve seen the right one or you can always check out our guide on choosing the perfect engagement ring for more advice. Some have an engagement ring that a relative once wore that’s been passed down through the family, but in most cases, you’ll be buying a brand-new stunning engagement ring to profess your love. When shopping for a ring, you should let your heart guide you to choose the one your partner will fall in love with.

Choose a wondrous setting

Close your eyes and picture the backdrop to your proposal, then make whatever you see become a reality. Whether it’s a romantic candlelit room in your home or a gorgeous balcony in a foreign country, if that’s where you see yourself proposing, that’s often the right choice.

Speak sincerely 

The best proposal speeches are not too overly thought-out and planned, instead, they are driven by love and passion. Some proposers may not even plan what they are going to say until the moment they’re down on one knee but simply express their emotions at the moment which can result in a beautifully spontaneous proposal.

Preserve the moment

Finding a way of capturing the moment so that you can look back on it throughout your life with your partner is a popular idea. Whether you choose to hire a photographer to capture your proposal or you choose to take a picture together yourselves, it’s a lovely sentiment to have a physical memory to cherish together.

Have a Plan B

Planning for the plan to go wrong will help prevent any panic and ensure that the perfect moment is not ruined. If things aren’t unfolding as you originally thought they would, you can simply segue into your backup plan and help keep any nerves or worry to a minimum. 

Remember - this is just the beginning

Once you’ve proposed and your partner has (hopefully) said yes, the party isn’t over - it’s just starting. Whilst this is time to fully relax, you should have something planned for after the proposal to enjoy your first day as an officially engaged couple. A romantic boat ride, a lavish meal or a stroll in the moonlight are all beautiful ways to enjoy each other’s company as bride and groom-to-be!

5 Proposal Ideas For Home Or On Holiday

Finding a unique and special way to propose can be difficult, especially when it feels like some of the best ideas have already been used a thousand times over. But it’s important to not let yourself be deterred by ‘cliches’ or ‘tired’ ideas as there’s a reason these are so popular. After all, the beauty is that you can take these ideas and add personal touches to make any proposal special to you and your partner. 

Use a sign

Spelling out the question with a sign, with objects or even in foam on a coffee can be a brilliant way of catching your partner’s attention - just remember to get down on one knee! Choosing the perfect setting to do this can make for some great photographs too.

Hide the ring for a surprise

Another great tried and tested method is hiding the ring inside something unsuspecting such as a book, a dessert or a drink. This is a great way to create an opportunity for yourself to get down on one knee, rather than waiting for the ideal moment that may never arrive. Proposing this way will also create a great, long-lasting memory that stands out.

Use music

Music has long been used to set the tone for romance but it’s also a great way to show thoughtfulness and add meaning to your time together. Curating a playlist of your partner's favourite songs and music that you’ve danced to together is a fantastic way of setting the scene for a personalised proposal.

Set the scene at sea

This one’s a brilliant choice for a holiday in a sunny country. Take to the water on a romantic boat ride in the sun and enjoy the soothing sound of the waves and blue skies as a backdrop to your proposal. Relaxing, private and exotic, proposing this way will create a lasting impression.

Visit a stunning hotel

Whether in your home country or abroad, spending a night away together in a luxurious hotel can make you feel like royalty. You can decorate your hotel room with roses and candles to really set the scene or head out onto the balcony for a proposal under the stars.

How To Choose The Perfect Engagement Ring For Your Proposal

Although proposing in a magical way can create a beautiful moment, a proposal is often defined by the ring. Choosing the perfect engagement ring can be difficult though, so it’s important to know what to look for when shopping. 

Style

Although you may be familiar with traditional styles of engagement ring such as the solitaire ring, there are various different types to choose from, each completely unique to suit your partner’s style.

Solitaire Rings

As the most traditional of all the ring styles, the solitaire ring consists of a smooth gold band and a single diamond gemstone. In some cases, the band may also feature a series of smaller decorative gemstones around the larger diamond.

Three Stone Rings

As the name suggests, this style of ring typically consists of three main gemstones at the forefront. They can vary in size, cut and colour but are almost always placed directly together.

Halo Rings

Named after the ‘halo’ that the smaller gemstones form around a larger stone, this type of ring is another popular choice. More extravagant than a solitaire ring, halo rings often feature other gemstones than just diamonds, such as amethysts, emeralds and blue sapphires.

Cluster Rings

A cluster ring is crafted using small diamonds placed together, creating the ‘cluster’. However, it’s common to see cluster rings which also feature a large diamond as the focal point with smaller diamonds around it, much like a halo ring. 

Cut

There are various different cuts of engagement ring too, including a more traditional cut of diamond which accompanies the solitaire ring - the round brilliant cut.

Round Brilliant Cut - Traditional cone-like shape with 58 facets.

Princess Cut - Square shape with pointed corners and 76 facets. 

Oval Cut - Oval shape with 58 facets.

Cushion Cut - Square shape with rounded corners with 58 facets.

Emerald Cut - Rectangular shape with long parallel cuts and 57 facets.

Fancy Cut - A blanket term for other types of cut such as heart, triangle and kite.

Metal Type

When choosing the gold for your engagement ring, there are more options available than just traditional yellow gold. This includes rose gold, which has risen in popularity over the recent years thanks to its gorgeous pink hue that adds an extra touch of romance.

Yellow Gold

Yellow gold is the most recognisable type of gold, mixed with an alloy to provide enhanced durability as pure gold would simply be too soft to use for jewellery. It still retains its trademark yellow colour though, making it a beautiful choice for an engagement ring.

White Gold

Made using a similar process to yellow gold, white gold simply features nickel or zinc as the alloy metal which gives it its ‘white’ appearance. White gold is a truly classy choice for an engagement ring and exudes style.

Rose Gold

Having hugely risen in popularity over recent years, rose gold is now one of the most sought-after types of gold for all types of jewellery. Made with copper to achieve the ‘rose’ tint, rose gold signifies romance and love - perfect for an engagement ring.

Carat

Choosing a gold ring between 9 carats and 18 carats is a good choice as this will provide the best balance between gold and alloy metal, ensuring your ring is long-lasting and yet retains its stunning colour and quality.

Size

Although rings can be resized, it will make the moment all the more magical if the engagement ring fits first time. The best way to know what ring size to get without having your partner try them on is to look at your partner’s other rings and take a measurement. This will give you a good idea of which size to choose and will hopefully require no tweaks.

If you need a little help looking in the right direction, our Managing Director, Rob Cuomo, says “The most common ring sizes for women are between L and P.”

Authentic & certified

One of the best ways to ensure you’re on the path to buying the perfect engagement ring is to check for hallmarks and other proof of authenticity. The ring will need to last a lifetime, so it’s important to ensure that the ring you’re buying is high quality and definitely not fake gold. Solid gold should always have a hallmark stamp, which shows that the gold has been authenticated by one of Britain’s official assay offices. 

Once purchased, a reputable jeweller will also provide you with a certificate of authentication, so you can enjoy peace of mind that you’re gifting your partner high-quality jewellery that will last them a lifetime.

Price

Don’t be fooled by the classic “you should spend at least three months' wages on an engagement ring” line - it was invented by an advertising agency to help sell more diamond rings. If you see a ring that costs a little less or a little more, don’t let traditions stop you from buying your dream ring. 

Non-traditional

If you’ve explored the engagement ring options available and decided to go in a different direction, there are many alternatives to proposing with a diamond ring. From getting inked to making a charitable donation in your partner’s name, there are plenty of creative ways you can declare your love. Explore our blog on substitutes for a traditional engagement ring for some unique ideas.

How To Buy An Engagement Ring 

When planning a proposal it’s important to know where to look to get the perfect ring and how far in advance to buy it. Whether you choose to shop in-store or online, it’s important to give yourself time to carefully choose your dream ring.

Buying online

Depending on which supplier you choose, it’s important to make sure that you order your ring far enough in advance to make sure it arrives in plenty of time and so that you can make any changes should there be any issues. Buying your engagement ring around six weeks before you plan to propose is recommended, to make sure you have the time to choose the ring of you and your partner’s dreams. Buying from a trustworthy online jeweller will ensure that your beautiful new engagement ring will arrive exactly when you expect it to. 

When shopping with Hatton Jewellers, you can benefit from next-day delivery on orders over £100 - great for if you decide to spontaneously pop the question! 

Buying in-store

For those who like to see their jewellery in person before they buy, picking your engagement ring from a high street store is also a good choice as you can see the stunning sparkle of the gemstone first-hand. However, if an online jeweller has great imagery and comprehensive videos it’ll allow you to get a really good look at the jewellery piece without having to face the crowds.

If you’re looking to buy in-store with Hatton Jewellers, head down to our Hatton Garden store to find your flawless engagement ring.

Hatton Jewellers' Top Proposal Tips

To ensure that your proposal plan runs as smoothly as possible, we’ve got some great tips that may help:

1. Always have a token/symbol to hand - Even if you’re planning to choose the engagement ring together, it’s always a good idea to have some kind of token or symbol to propose with. A cheaper placeholder ring or sentimental object are great alternatives. 
2. Be personal - With so many ideas and quirky ways of proposing it can be easy to tread in others’ footsteps and feel as though your idea isn’t as original as you’d like it to be. This is why it’s so important to add a touch of personality to your proposal to make sure it’s special to your partner.
3. Think about your footing - The most iconic part of a proposal is getting down on one knee, so you’ll need to think about where you’re kneeling! Sturdy ground is always a safe bet so you can focus on your speech. 
4. Keep your plan close to your chest - Although it’s difficult to keep such an exciting plan to yourself, it’s crucial that you’re able to maintain the element of surprise and ensure that the moment is as special as possible.

 

Buying An Engagement Ring From Hatton Jewellers

When looking for your idyllic engagement ring for the perfect proposal, take time to enjoy browsing your options - after all, you’ll (hopefully) only get engaged once! Different styles, metals and gemstones can all offer a different look and feel and, at Hatton Jewellers, we have a brilliant selection of engagement rings to choose from.

From solitaire rings to halo rings and white gold to rose, you can enjoy next-day delivery on your engagement ring when you spend over £100 and buy online from Hatton Jewellers. To help reduce the stress of buying an engagement ring, we also offer a series of finance options so you can choose a payment plan which suits you.

For more updates on the engagement rings, or tips to help you plan the perfect proposal, follow us on Facebook and Instagram. If you have a story about your dreamy proposal, we’d love to hear it!