Excitement for the new year is building, drinks are flowing freely and fireworks paint the night sky. Love is in the air and you and your partner couldn’t be happier together.
Sounds like a pretty ideal time for you to get down on one knee and ask them an important and monumental four-word question, don’t you think?
Asking your other half to marry you on New Year’s Eve is wonderfully symbolic, allowing you and your new fiance to tackle the new year as partners in crime. Not only that, but you’ll also have a brilliant time planning your wedding throughout the new year!
But, with your mind made up that you’re going to pop the question on New Year’s Eve, how should you go about it? What do you need to think about and what should you do during the build-up to the big night?
In this post, we’ll explore how to propose on New Year’s Eve, including why it’s such a great idea, what you should do to prepare and how you could tackle the night itself so your proposal goes down as perfectly as you imagined.
6 reasons why New Year’s Eve is a great day for a proposal
If you’re on the fence about proposing on New Year’s Eve and need a little convincing that it’s a great choice, then these six reasons should tip you in the right direction (that direction being down on one knee).
1. It has a huge symbolic meaning
New Year, new me is a popular saying and is all about making positive changes in your life. A new beginning can be perfectly represented by starting the year as an engaged couple and embarking on your journey towards marriage.
2. You’re already suited and booted
If you’re out for the evening, either at a party, a fireworks display or you’re enjoying a romantic meal, the two of you may already be dressed up nice and feeling good. That means you won’t raise any suspicions by booking somewhere nice and suggesting you and your partner should dress up and be extra fancy for the evening.
3. There are already fireworks set up and ready to go
After you’ve proposed and received your YES! you’ll be excited to celebrate into the night with your new fiance. The best thing about midnight on New Year’s Eve is that there are already plenty of fireworks displays set up around the country, whether they’re professional or private displays. So, take advantage of the impending fireworks and use them to enhance your proposal.
4. Share the moment with loved ones
New Year’s Eve is a popular time to spend time with loved ones, whether it’s family, friends or a combination of the two. If this is you, then ask your loved ones to lend a hand with the proposal. This could include spelling WILL YOU MARRY ME? out in sparklers and a timelapse camera, or making sure everyone’s ready to capture your amazing moment on film.
5. The drinks are on standby
What better way to celebrate your engagement than with a glass of bubbly? With a New Year’s Eve proposal, there’s a good chance there are already a few chilled bottles just waiting for the corks to pop.
6. It’s not as cliché as other days
It may be popular to get engaged on New Year’s Eve, but it’s by no means a cliché. That means you can enjoy getting down on one knee on a day that you’ll never forget, without it being as clichéd as the more traditionally romantic days of the year.
Do you need a plan to propose on New Year’s Eve?
Yes, to make sure your New Year’s Eve proposal is every bit as magical as you could hope for, we recommend that you take a bit of time to plan exactly how you want to do it. There are a lot of moving parts around the end of the year, and unless you plan on being impulsive and proposing when the moment feels right, you’ll need to have all your ducks in a row first.
Because you’ve decided to propose on New Year’s Eve, you might also want to make sure you use this special time of year to your advantage. There might be parties, drinks, laughter, celebrations, fireworks, friends and family all at your disposal, so think about how you might want to include them in your big moment. There’s plenty going on over New Year’s, so think carefully about how you can fit all the puzzle pieces together to make sure you propose in the most memorable and romantic way possible.
What should you consider before proposing on New Year’s Eve?
We’ve already covered how memorable a New Year’s Eve proposal can be. But, before you get down on one knee and change you and your partner’s lives forever, there are a few things to consider.
- Have you found an engagement ring your partner will love? Or, if you know they don’t want a ring, have you chosen an engagement ring alternative that’s personal to them?
- Are you confident that your partner would love a New Year’s Eve proposal? It’s already a special time of year, so make sure you know that your partner is happy to share such a special date.
- Have you already got New Year’s Eve plans and thought about how your dream proposal fits into that? If not, how will your partner feel if you try to change your plans?
- Do you want to have a private and intimate proposal with just the two of you, or are you going to include your family and friends?
- The New Year can already be a hectic and stressful time, so ensure your plans include time to relax and recharge after what is sure to be an emotionally charged moment.
- If you’re planning on having a snowy proposal, just bear in mind that British weather is often unpredictable (and rather drizzly). Make sure you have a plan B in place to make sure your proposal isn’t rained off.
How to propose on New Year’s Eve: our foolproof step-by-step guide
New Year’s Eve is one of the most romantic and magical times of the year to ask your partner to marry you. As the seconds get closer to midnight and everyone gets ready to sing Auld Lang Syne, your proposal plan is about to come to fruition. So, to help you plan a New Year’s Eve proposal that gets you your YES, we’ve put together this guide.
Here are 10 steps you can follow so you have your New Year’s Eve YES and start the next year as one half of an engaged couple.
Step 1: Start planning in plenty of time
To make sure you have everything in place for the moment you get down on one knee, it’s important to start planning your proposal early. So, depending on how you’d like to pop the question, we’d recommend setting the wheels in motion in early December or November. Or, if you’d like to propose while on a trip, potentially even sooner.
As part of this, if you’re going to stick to traditions then you might want to talk to your partner’s parents to ask their permission. It might be a slightly outdated tradition these days, but many parents appreciate the gesture anyway. If you have a good relationship with them you’ll more than likely get a positive response and will make sure you continue building your relationship with your future in-laws.
Step 2: Choose your engagement ring (or alternative)
Early on in the planning process, you’ll want to start browsing for the engagement ring you’re going to propose with (or an alternative if your partner doesn’t want to wear a ring). To choose a ring that fits but still keeps your proposal hush-hush, there are plenty of ways to secretly measure your partner’s ring finger.
Step 3: Learn how to keep a secret
One of the most exciting parts of a proposal is when you finally surprise your partner by asking them the most incredible question. But, this can only work if you’re good at keeping secrets and don’t give the game away. That includes knowing who you can trust to keep it a secret as well, so only tell who you absolutely have to. If you propose around other people, half the fun is seeing their surprise reactions as well.
Step 4: Choose the ideal time
When it comes to proposing on New Year’s Eve, one of the hardest decisions you’ll make is at what time of day you should propose. Of course, you could propose in the morning or afternoon so you can share your amazing news throughout the day. But, most people who propose on New Year’s Eve wait until the evening, with many popping the question as the clocks strike midnight and the new year arrives. Of course, this all depends on your plans and where you’ll be at certain times throughout the day.
Step 5: Make sure you include elements of New Year’s Eve
Because you’re proposing on New Year’s Eve, make sure you make the most of it and include elements synonymous with such a special day. That could include champagne, fireworks, a party or using the countdown itself.
For some inspiration, read our post on 12 New Year’s Eve proposal ideas.
Step 6: Make sure your proposal is personal
When it comes to proposing, do what you can to make it as unique and personal to you and your partner as possible. If you take an idea for a proposal, put your own spin on it or use what you know about your partner to make it as personal to them as you can.
Part of this includes thinking about what you’ll say once the moment to ask the question arrives. You might end up being so nervous you get tongue-tied, so it’s always worth thinking about what you want to say ahead of time. You might even want to write it down to help you get your thoughts out, then semi-commit them to memory.
Step 7: Make sure you have a plan B
As much as you might have planned your proposal, even the best-laid plans can go awry. So, if something happens that means your plans can’t go ahead, make sure you have a backup plan in place. That way, your New Year’s Eve engagement can still move forward so you can start the new year with a fiance. This step is extra important if your proposal idea counts on the weather behaving itself!
Step 8: Immortalise the moment
If your proposal plans mean you’re likely to be around people, why not give one or two of them (if you trust them not to give anything away) a heads-up so they can film your proposal and snap some pictures? Then you’ll have some wonderful memories and photos you can use when you announce your amazing news.
Step 9: Tell everyone
Thankfully, many of us still have a day or two off work after New Year’s Eve, so don’t always have to rush straight back to work. That means you can visit friends and family and tell them about how you’re now a happily engaged couple.
If you’re not sure how to announce your news, read our post that includes 20 ideas for announcing your engagement.
Step 10: Take some time to enjoy your new relationship status
After the chaos of Christmas and New Year’s, it’s important to take some time for just the two of you to bask in your newly engaged status. Enjoy your time together and celebrate. If you can, take a trip. Then, you can jump into the wild world of wedding planning with energy and enthusiasm!
8 tips for proposing on New Year’s Eve
The above guide should put you in a good place for nailing your New Year’s Eve proposal. But, to help steady those nerves and make sure everything goes exactly as you want it to, here are eight proposal tips to bear in mind.
- Don’t just wing it – make sure you have a plan.
- Try to theme your New Year’s Eve proposal around the big night itself so it’s not just something that could work on any other night of the year.
- Make sure you talk to your partner so you fully understand that they’re happy to get engaged on a special day in the calendar like New Year’s Eve.
- If you’re proposing at a party, use those around you to act as unofficial photographers and videographers so you can hold on to that moment forever.
- Use the magic of New Year’s Eve to enhance your proposal, like fireworks and your Christmas decorations and lights.
- The weather is unpredictable at the best of times, but doubly so on the last day of the year, so have a contingency plan if your proposal involves being outside.
- If you’re planning a trip away, book it in plenty of time because hotels can soon fill up.
- Spend the rest of your time off before heading back to work enjoying your new-found engaged status. Use the last couple of days before work resumes to tell friends and family the amazing news.
Get started on your wedding planning with Bridebook
When you start the New Year with your new fiance, it’ll soon be time to start planning your dream wedding. Sign up to Bridebook and access a wonderful range of tools and resources to make your wedding planning process fun and easy.
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- The Ultimate Guide to Engagement Photos
