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Here is a sneak peak for an amazing marriage proposal that we did this last weekend in Santa Monica Pier. The proposal went perfectly because we had a large crowd gathered that made it more compelling. It was also very memorable and heartfelt because the couple, Marshall and Melody, had two children that were incorporated into the proposal in a surprise and sweet way. The picture above is an excellent example of how to incorporate children into a proposal that will make it very sweet. Thanks to Sina Ngov of Vaylia Photography for the great picture. More pictures and the rest of the proposal story to come soon! Other proposal stories can be seen here.
Now if you looking at this blog post and thinking, “Awe how cute, I want to include our kids in the proposal…,” there is something I need you to know. Including children in a proposal is sweet and heartwarming, but it can be difficult to pull off. If you are thinking about including children in your proposal, here are some things you may want to consider.
Age Appropriate Duties
One of the most important pieces of advice I can give is to never give a child a duty they are not equipped to handle. Imagine if you give a 5 year old the engagement ring and they do something clumsy and lose it. At that age, they are old enough to follow instructions but also not responsible enough to be holding a huge investment piece like an engagement ring. And even more concerning, they are old enough to feel absolutely devastated if you were to get upset with them for losing the ring or doing something incorrectly. Don’t set up a child for failure. Instead, only give them a task they can handle and a task that is not going to make or break things if they mess up.
Backup Plans
This leads me to my next point. For every assignment you give a child, you need to have a backup plan in case they don’t perform the task perfectly. Because let’s be honest, there is a huge chance they will not. For example, let’s say you have asked your 2 year old to wear a t-shirt that says, “Mommy, Will You Marry Daddy?” You practice and practice it a million times. But on the day of the proposal, the cutest little puppy happens to walks by and your toddler gets distracted and chases her. Make sure you have a plan on what you will do if and when that happens.
Nap time/Mealtime
If you have children, you know that kids take on a whole different personality when they are hangry or over-tired. So when you are planning your proposal ideas, you want to make sure you plan the proposal at a time when the kids won’t be overly hungry or overly tired. The last thing you want for your big moment is a toddler tantrum. This can not only throw off your mood, it can cause everyone to be stressed out. It can even ruin your proposal photos. Imagine you have the picture perfect moment. You drop to your knee to propose with the ocean behind you. The weather is perfect, the photographer is in position, and your toddler is on the ground screaming and eating sand. (Can you tell I am a parent and have personal experience with tantrums?)
Weather
When you are planning your proposal, you always want to think about how weather could impact the big moment. But when children are involved, it is even more critical. Make sure you have a backup plan if you are going to have kids participate in your outdoor proposal. Maybe you want to have an indoor location incase it is freezing, rainy, or too hot. Or maybe you just want to make sure you have a jacket, umbrella, rain boots, or sunscreen. This is just another thing to consider when involving children in your proposal plans.
If you are hoping to include your little cuties in your proposal, we at The Heart Bandits can help you do it in a way that will not be cheesy and will definitely be a surprise. To make your proposal go perfect, hire a proposal planner to help you ensure it will go as planned. P.S. Kids will also be the first people to point out the big engagement ring box in your pocket and ruin your surprise before its time. Buy a skinny engagement ring box to avoid this situation!! Ring Stash, www.ringstash.com offers a .5 inch ring box that will help you keep your proposal a secret until you are ready to reveal it. We are wedding proposal experts that will help you with proposal ideas, planning, and execution, and even keeping your ring hidden until the right moment. Contact us today to receive all the proposal help you would ever need.