Subtle and quiet over dinner? With an airplane flight over a farmer's field? No matter how you do it, the manner in which you ask your girlfriend to marry you is a big step. GroomGroove.com covers some suggestions on how to pop the question, with all the goods best covered in our sweet How to Make an Awesome Marriage Proposal book.

Are you in a relationship with someone with whom you would like to spend the rest of your life? How you are going to ask her to become Mrs. [insert your name here] is a symbolic step that you both will remember forever. No pressure!

Given its importance, the prospective groom will want to take some time to think about how to make the wedding proposal memorable. This means that a smart groom will carefully plan what he is going to do and avoid any impulses to spontaneously propose to his girlfriend.

Know the Answer in Advance

While it isn't the focus of this article, you should read GroomGroove.com's article on whether you, the groom, are *really* ready to get married. This will help you to determine your level of compatibility with your girlfriend and whether you have the basis for long-term commitment. By having "The Conversation" in advance of the proposal itself, you'll have a very clear idea on whether the answer will be yes or no. Only a fool (or a character in a bad Hollywood movie) pops the question without having a sense of whether the other person truly loves them back and will say yes. The element of surprise you are looking for here is: "Oh my God, I had no idea today was the day! How creative was it for you to mow "Will You Marry me" in our lawn!" and NOT "Oh my God, I had no idea he thought we were that serious!" Got it?

Big Bang or Something Subtle?

When you are planning the act, you should take some time to think about your partner's personality. Is she an extrovert or an introvert? Without getting too deep into psychological analysis, you need to determine whether your girlfriend would appreciate a huge, potentially very public display of affection or would she rather have an intimate moment alone with you. That being said, it is up to you. If you are confident that the outcome will be positive, put as much creativity into the proposal as you feel comfortable. Regardless of the tone of the proposal or the amount of creativity involved, however, you do not want your proposal to be overly complicated, unless you are prepared for things to go wrong.

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