Valentine’s Day is on its way and for many, this prompts thoughts of popping the question.

If you missed out on proposing on Christmas Eve, this coming Valentine’s Day is your chance. Quick side note – most women prefer to be proposed to on Valentine’s Day.

But we know that these days, women can propose too, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t. Who you’re proposing to is probably the most important factor to consider when deciding how to propose.

Even with all this, there are still some fundamental things you should do when you decide to get down on one knee… or however you want to do it!

We’re not going to give you any guarantees. As we all know, the hardest part is having the courage to ask the question.

1. Proposing without a ring is no good. Just don’t. Any type of ring will do —  it will still be an engagement ring. “If you like it then you should have put a ring on it.” Need we say more?
   Also, don’t hide the ring in a cute but absurd place. It’s a nice idea but not worth the trouble if something goes wrong.
2. Just say “will you marry me?” All the research says this is the way people want to be proposed to. Of course, you don’t want to be asking this question over a happy meal, but making it an overly elaborate production just isn’t necessary, nor what most would prefer.
3. Pick somewhere romantic. This is a bit of a no-brainer. If it’s in public, you might want to make sure it’s somewhere that you’ll also have a little bit of privacy.
4. Think about what you’ll be wearing and maybe pick a circumstance and location that you’ll both be happy with your appearance. One of you, or both of you is going to want to take a selfie of the occasion and you’re going to want to look good. It’s a big announcement.
5. Do it early in the evening. It won’t change the answer but you’ll save yourself being nervous all night and more likely to make the whole occasion truly memorable.
6. Have fun. Presumably, you’re proposing marriage to the person of your dreams. Hopefully one of the reasons you love that person is that you have fun together.

Our final piece of advice is, make it about them. Do something they’d like to do. Knowing what your partner likes and how to make them happy throughout a marriage, the proposal is probably a good place to start showing this.

Now you’ve had time to think about it, we’re fairly sure you’ve decided the best proposing idea and best Valentine’s Day idea is Hornblower’s Valentine’s Day Dinner Cruise or Valentine’s Day Brunch Cruise. Let us know if you’re going to propose on board!