Proposing this Christmas? Here’s 14 Absolutely Adorable Ideas for Popping the Question

If you didn’t know already, the holiday season is a very populartime to get engaged; the most popular, in fact. It’s easy to see why. You’re surrounded by family and friends, there are pretty lights everywhere, everybody’s in a good mood and if you’re lucky enough to live somewhere snowy, it turns everything into a winter wonderland. Definitely a magical time for a proposal, and luckily Christmas time offers up tons of unique and seriously cute ways to pop that question. Here’s a few of our favourites…

1. The Surprise Visit

If you’re not spending the holidays together because your other half is home visiting her family, it’s the perfect opportunity for a surprise visit… and a surprise proposal! Exchange gifts and drop her off at the airport/station/relative’s house, say your goodbyes and leave. Then once the coast is clear, make your own way to her destination, slip in undetected, surprise her and get down on one knee. You’ll need her family to know about the plan, but other than that it’s simple and sweet.

2. The Advent Calendar

We absolutely love this idea, because it combines Christmas tradition with a beautiful sentiment. You can pick up ‘reusable’ advent calendars all over the internet – painted wooden ones are especially beautiful – and fill them with whatever little gifts you like. We suggest keeping it basic with wrapped sweets or chocolates. After she’s fallen asleep on the 23rd or before she wakes up on the 24th, swap the Christmas Eve treat with the ring and make sure she opens it when she wakes up.

3. All of the Lights

Pretty lights are an integral part of Christmas magic. If you have the patience to untangle enough sets of them, there’s nothing more romantic than setting the scene for your proposal with hundreds of delicate, twinkling lights. Cover the walls of the room you plan to propose in, or lay them out all over the garden, or if time is no constraint, spell out the question on the roof or on the grass. Then bring her to the best viewing spot after dark and make a show of switching them on for her.

4. Under the Mistletoe

It may be cheesy to some, but it’s super romantic for others. Fans of Christmas traditions will love it if you get down on bended knee under the mistletoe. For a fun twist, let her lead you under the branch and then refuse her kiss, telling her you have a better idea instead before bringing out the ring. You could also place the ring among the mistletoe leaves (provided you can do so safely without it falling off) and ask her to look up, then reach down and put the sparkler on her finger.

5. … Or on the Tree

There’s nothing like putting up the Christmas tree to get into the festive spirit and spend some quality time together. With all of those branches and nooks and crannies, it’s also the perfect place to hide the engagement ring. Distract her for a few minutes and nestle the box near the top, then ask her to put the angel on top. Another cute idea is to hang the ring from a ribbon as the only ornament on the tree, or present her with a customised bauble with the question printed on it (or some other meaningful words if you prefer).

6. With a Sweet Treat

If she has a sweet tooth, the various Christmas treats on offer at this time of year provide ample opportunity for a sweet proposal. Offer her a mince pie with the ring on top, a gingerbread cookie decorated as a bride, hide it (wrapped up safely!) in a Christmas pudding, make it part of the cake topper on the Christmas cake… the possibilities are endless. We suggest choosing her favourite and presenting it to her when she’s relaxing on the sofa, waking up from a lazy morning lie-in, or after a romantic dinner.

7. The Gift of Giving

This one’s an oldie but a goodie. Keep it simple and the give the ring as a Christmas gift. If you want to keep it as a surprise, lead her to believe that she’s getting a different gift by placing it inside a bigger box and adding some kind of weight – or get her another real gift and hide the ring inside it. There’s also the old trick of putting a box inside a bigger box inside a bigger box, and so on. Beware if you choose this option; you’ll need a lot of wrapping paper and lots of time to do all the wrapping!

8. Let it Snow

Fresh fallen snow turns everything into a beautiful landscape of white that’s nothing if not romantic. If snow is something of a novelty where you live, she’ll love it if you take her on a winter’s drive to somewhere secluded and blanketed with the white stuff for your proposal. If that’s not possible, never fear. You could write your question in the snow for her to discover, build a snowman together and place the ring on its nose, or just ask her as you watch the snowflakes fall from somewhere warm and cozy.

9. …Or Dancing on Ice

No, we don’t mean the TV show. Another inherently romantic winter activity is a visit to an ice-rink (a real one that is). As fellow skaters circle around you, try to maintain your balance as you get down on one knee and prepare for a wet patch when you get up again! Even if you don’t manage to do it gracefully, it’ll just make it all the more memorable for her. You’ll definitely get a cheer from everyone in the vicinity and if you’re lucky, someone may even have some champagne on hand to celebrate.  

10. Propose with a Bang

Another delightfully cheesy option is to place the ring inside a Christmas cracker. It’s not for everyone, but it can make for a fun way to get engaged, especially if you want to involve the family or do it during Christmas dinner. If you get the ‘prize’, open it up and present it to her. If she does, sit back and watch as she realises what’s going on! Don’t forget to have some champagne ready for a toast when the initial excitement has died down.

11. Enlist Santa’s Help

This a great idea if you have kids in the house. Leave out some refreshments for Santa and Rudolph on Christmas Eve, and make sure everyone knows what they are and where they are; a glass of milk and some cookies by the fireplace, a carrot by the back door, etc. Before opening presents on Christmas morning, check that Rudolph and Santa made their visit and clean up after them. They’ll all be surprised to find that Santa left something behind – a diamond ring!

12… Days of Christmas

If you have a budget that will stretch far enough, the 12 Days of Christmas idea can be a great example of showmanship and your romantic personality. Leading up to the 25th, present her with a small gift on each of the twelve days; get creative or choose some of her favourite things like a sweet treat, perfume, etc. On the 12th day, reveal your ring – or if you want to mix it up, opt for the 5th day. In the traditional song, this is the day when ‘5 golden rings’ are given.

13. Wrap up Warm

Winter is cold. That means you both need to wrap yourselves up in layers if you’re heading outside. You’ll need a hat, scarf, coat, and of course a nice pair of gloves. What do gloves do? Keep your fingers warm. What goes on a certain finger on the left hand? An engagement ring! Do you see where we’re going with this? When your lady puts on her gloves, have the ring hidden inside the right finger. If it happens flawlessly, she’ll put out her hand with the ring already on it!

14. Wait it Out!

What’s the best way to surprise her with a proposal around Christmas? Wait until Christmas is over! If you think she’s expecting a Yuletide engagement, act like everything is normal and come up with some excuse if she brings it up in conversation. Then the day after Christmas, right when she’s finally given up on the idea, pop the question. She may hate you for a few seconds, but excitement and joy will soon take over, we promise!