How to Tell if Your Other Half is Planning a Proposal

If you’ve been dating for a while and things are going well, it’s natural to start wondering if/when he’ll pop the question. Well, surprise surprise, there are several tell-tale signs that can hint at an imminent surprise marriage proposal. And accidentally finding the ring in his sock drawer is not one of them! Here’s what you should be looking out for…

Bonding with Family and Friends

Has he suddenly struck up a friendship with some of your girl pals? Close friends that know you – and more importantly, your taste in jewellery – inside out? And have these friends mentioned absolutely nothing about this to you? You can guess what they’re up to – no, not cheating… ring shopping! If he’s also met your parents without you that’s a strong sign that he’s gone down the traditional route and asked them for their blessing before popping the question.

Noticing Jewellery

If a mutual friend gets engaged and you see pictures of the ring on social media, you can bet that your other half will make a subtle attempt to find out if you like it. He’ll say what he thinks about it to encourage you to agree or disagree, or he may just straight up ask if you like that style/shape/gemstone. He’ll definitely be taking notes on the jewellery you wear day to day too, so look out for random unexpected compliments about your earrings!

Reduced Spending

Engagement rings ain’t cheap, so there’s guaranteed to be a few weeks or months of him not splashing the cash. He may not go out with this friends as regularly as usual, or he’ll start taking packed lunches, or if he’s not the subtle type he’ll talk non-stop about needing to save money. If he seems unwilling to talk about money matters, it’s probably not because he has a gambling problem so don’t worry. He just wants to get you the ring you deserve!

An Unplanned Weekend Away

Did your man recently ‘win a competition’ for a weekend away? Or find an unmissable deal on a fancy hotel room? Or suddenly become very insistent that you need a romantic break for some reason? He’s not just a very lucky person (leaving aside the fact that he has you as his partner, obviously) – he’s probably been planning this for months. We’re not saying you should jump to conclusions, but… expect champagne and roses!

A Missing Passport

If you can’t find your passport in its usual spot, don’t panic. He may have taken it because he’s planning to whisk you away to an exotic location for the most romantic proposal ever. However, you should probably still take a look around the house, just in case it really is lost. If for some reason he wants to check the expiry date on your passport or reminds you to get it renewed, a holiday proposal is a sure thing (and he’s also not very good at playing it cool).

Secretive Behaviour

This one is kind of obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people get the wrong idea. If he’s developed some weird habits like keeping his phone out of your reach, going missing for a few hours without explanation or being non-committal about future plans, don’t jump to a negative conclusion and start interrogating him. If it’s very out of character behaviour, and if you’ve discussed the prospect of getting married, he’s probably acting weird because he’s planning a beautiful surprise proposal!