Tips on Choosing a Dress for Your Body

Plan ahead that's the key, this will give you plenty of time to make a selection and time for alterations if the particular gown you have your heart set on needs adjusting. Also choosing the right fabric is important. Specific materials can influence the style of a wedding dress. Ask the wedding consultant about this if you are not certain. 

Full Figure Bride

If you're a woman with a full figure, the finest shape is the A-line style. A-line style elongates the whole body without attracting attention to the waistline.  Women who worry over having a fat belly (wide waist) would do themselves a favor by considering this style. The empire design is another ideal choice. The style of the empire narrows just below the bust which helps hide the waist and hips if these are problem areas you tend on working with. 

A lot of plus-sized girls tend to panic because of their shape, and buy a wedding dress to cover every bit of flesh; this is sad and doesn't have to be. By doing this you are not really getting what you want and may live to regret never wearing the dress of your dreams to get married in. You can look every bit as sexy and desirable showing skin like the next woman. You must build up confidence and don't bring yourself down when choosing a wedding dress. Deep V-necks and scoop necks flatter curvy rounded figures. Ask the bridal shop assistant for advice on what is best suited for your shape and size. These women are specialists in helping make any bride look beautifully stunning in her wedding dress.

The Petite Bride

A-line wedding dresses although mentioned as ideal for the full figured woman, is also a popular design so becoming on petite women also. The A-line style lengthens the body. Small petite women should avoid sheath-style wedding gowns. Full skirts are a no go because they can have you appear bottom heavy which is not what you want. Choose another selection which is more flattering for the petite size and shape. Small short elfin lookalike girls have to be wary about strapless gowns. The dress is a garment worn for the best part of the wedding day up until ready to leave for honeymoon. They'll most likely be a lot of stretching done to kiss her husband and well wishers...making a strapless wedding gown an uncomfortable choice to wear when exchanging wedding vows.

Large-Busted Bride

Are you top heavy and think you will look stupid in your wedding dress because of your big boobs? Ask yourself how many other brides have you seen with big breasts that look lovely in their wedding dress? And do you know why this is - because they chose a style to compliment their shape and size and big bust. You too can look glamorous in your wedding gown if you do the same. Off-the-shoulder gowns look fabulous on a full bust. Off-the-shoulder designs emphasize the shoulders and lessen the chest. Keep the skirt narrow though.  A full skirt will do an injustice and spoil the look you wish to achieve. 

Bottom-Heavy

Is your bum big and it concerns you? Are you finding it hard to choose a wedding dress that won't show off your fat bum to much? Women who are larger and carry more weight around their hips and bottom should go for a design that centers on the upper body - possibly with a full skirt.  The trick here is to take bigness way from the bum and flaunt some flesh (arms back and bust.) A good and pretty elegant choice is a corset-style bodice with lacing. Too much gathering of fabric around the waist and pleated folds is not ideal for what you want to do.

A Little About Tradition

Did you ever wonder why the groom is "supposed" to carry the bride over the threshold? What does the saying "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" mean?

You would be surprised how some of these traditions and sayings originated:


In Western cultures, a wedding ring is traditionally worn on the ring finger. This developed from the Roman "annulus pronubis" when the man gave a ring to the woman at the betrothal ceremony. According to tradition in some countries (derived from Roman belief), the wedding ring is worn on the left ring finger because the vein in the left ring finger, referred to as the vena amoris was believed to be directly connected to the heart, a symbol of love.

Blessing the wedding ring and putting it on the bride's finger dates from the 11th century. In medieval Europe, the Christian wedding ceremony placed the ring in sequence on the index, middle, and ring fingers of the left hand, representing the trinity — God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit respectively. The ring was then left on the ring finger. In a few European countries, the ring is worn on the left hand prior to marriage, then transferred to the right during the ceremony. For example, a Greek Orthodox bride wears the ring on the left hand prior to the ceremony, then moves it to the right hand after the wedding. In England, the 1549 Prayer Book declared "the ring shall be placed on the left hand". By the 17th and 18th centuries the ring could be found on any finger after the ceremony - even on the thumb.

In Norway, Russia, Bulgaria, Poland, Austria, Denmark, Latvia, some countries of former Yugoslavia and in Spain (except in Catalonia) the wedding ring is worn on the ring finger on the right hand.
In the Jewish wedding ceremony, the groom places the ring on the bride's index finger, and not ring finger; the ring is usually moved to the ring finger after the ceremony.
In the Indian tradition, the left hand is considered inauspicious. Hence the wedding ring is worn on the right hand. However, despite tradition, some wear the ring on the left hand, matching cultural practice in some western countries.

The wedding shower originated with a Dutch maiden who fell in love with an impoverished miller. Her friends "showered" her and her groom with so many gifts that they could forego her missing dowry.
Lucky is the bride who marries in old shoes.

Why "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue"? The "old" was usually a personal gift from mother to daughter, a symbolic piece of wisdom for married life. "Something new" symbolized the new family formed by the couple. "Borrowing" is especially important, since it is to come from a happily married woman, thereby lending the bride some of her own marital bliss to carry into the new union. Blue has two traditions: Pagan Roman maidens wore blue on the borders of their robes to denote love, modesty and fidelity, while Christians associate it with the purity of the Virgin Mary.

The custom of carrying the bride over the threshold stems from the same belief that aroused the idea of runway carpet and strewing the aisle with flowers and petals. It was an ancient belief that the newly married couple was very susceptible to evil spirits. By carrying the bride and supplying a protective layer between the floor and bride, she would be protected from the ground monster.

The bridal veil is descendant from two sources. A woman's face that was covered by a veil meant that she was spoken for. A veil was used to disguise the bride so that she would not be recognized by the evil spirits wishing to harm the vulnerable bridal couple.

The Jewish Chuppa canopy offered a sanctuary from evil spirits.

The kiss that seals the wedding is much more than a sign of affection. It has long been a token of bonding - the exchange of spirits as each partner sends a part of the self into the new spouse's soul, there to abide ever after.

An old Scottish belief for good fortune: A bride should be met at the door after the wedding ceremony by her mother, who must then break a currant bun over her daughter's head.

If a cat sneezes on the day before a wedding, the bride will be lucky in her marriage.

A young bride always wore her hair long and loose as a sign of her youth and innocence. 

Where To Say "I Do"??

You've found your groom. You've bought the perfect dress. You're expecting a fairytale wedding. Now all you need is the best wedding venue. Having a perfect wedding relies largely on the venue. That's why you should treat finding a wedding venue as if you are buying a new house. It's where you will treat your friends and relatives to the most memorable night of your life.

Here are some tips to help you search for the best wedding venue.

As soon as you arrive at a venue you will automatically have a certain feeling towards it. Trust your instincts. If you feel a certain vibe when you are at the venue then that's a good start. You will know automatically if a certain venue is not right for you and your wedding. This doesn't mean that you should not use logic when choosing a wedding venue. It's the place where you will exchange vows with the man you love so it has to feel right.

A wedding is a very important event so take your time when choosing the venue. You should start looking for a venue at least a year before the wedding date. This will give you plenty of time to make the right decisions and change the venue in case something comes up. Don't rush when choosing a wedding venue. If you give yourself enough time, then you can make the right choice.

The size of the venue is a very important consideration. If the venue is too large, the wedding will loose its intimacy . If it's too small, it will be cramped and uncomfortable. Of course, the size of your venue depends on the number of your guests. So before looking for a venue you should at least have a rough idea of how many guests you will be inviting. Be as precise as possible. Try to keep the range no higher than 50 people. If you say you are planning for between 150 and 400 guests, expect a disaster.

Don't forget the dance floor. This is where mistakes are made. If you are dealing with 300 guests, then a 10 by 10 dance floor won't do. The more guests you have, the larger the dance floor will need to be.

One of the complaints people have when attending a wedding is the lack of parking spaces. Be sure that the wedding venue you choose has enough parking spaces for all your guests. Parking may be a minor consideration ~ it becomes a major problem when there isn't enough.

Be sure to ask about the restrictions of the venue, if there are any. Some venues have time restrictions while others will let you party all night long. There are venues with decorations restrictions.There may even be restrictions about noise so you might not be able to hire a band or bring in a sound system. Check if the wedding venue will allow you to bring your own caterer, florist, decorator, etc.

Have a layout of your wedding. Before choosing a wedding venue, you need a drawn out plan. You need to know where you want guests to sit, where you want the reception area, the dining area, etc. Then see if the venue fits your layout.

Remember, with a well thought out plan, plenty on time, and a little research, finding the best wedding venue can be a piece of cake. Without these components, a nightmare. The choice is easy.

What? A budget?? Where to start...

Once you have got over all the excitement of your engagement, it is time to get to work & plan the wedding. Your first task should be to draw up your wedding budget, without one you will find it very difficult to accomplish anything. A carefully though out budget will help you determine how much you can afford to spend & how much you can allot to different aspects of your day. Here are some tips on drawing up a sensible budget you can afford.

Who’s Paying for the Wedding?

Traditionally the bride’s parents would pay for the whole wedding, however in modern time’s couple’s have either pay for their wedding themselves or split the cost between themselves & the parents. If you can pay for the whole wedding yourselves then you are in a great position, but if you need to ask your families to help out then you will need to approach it diligently & sit down with them to discuss it. Be prepared to be asked how much you think it will cost & how much you want (or expect) them to chip in. Don’t base your wedding budget on the average amount for a wedding (around $25,000) but on what you can afford.

There are several options:

Your parents decide on the amount they are prepared to contribute, you then set your budget & make up the difference yourselves.

Your parents pay for specific items such as the flowers or catering.

You will then have to decide how to pay for everything else.

You set your budget & split it evenly. This is a good compromise & good if you have a divided family. For instance, you, the mother of the bride, the father of the bride, & the groom’s parents will each contribute $5000, for a total of a $20,000 wedding budget.

How Much Do You Really Need?

This does depend on your budget, but a good starting point is to work on an amount per guest such as $100 per head. From this you can allow $50 per head for catering with the remainder going towards everything else. However, where this fails is if you are having only a small intimate affair with say 10 guests, here you may find $500 does not go very far! As a starting point this does however, work for a large wedding & can allow you to have a lavish do & a lot of guests. You can of course throw a wedding on a shoestring, but be prepared to compromise on a lot of the details.

Figuring Out a Basic Wedding Budget

Use the wedding budget planning worksheet to set out the basic figures. If you already some of your costs put them in & adjust your other figures till the budget works for you. If you know anyone who has recently got married ask them for the prices the paid to local vendors or ask if you can borrow their planning notes to help you. Remember to keep figures realistic or your whole budget could go through the roof.

Making Room for What Matters in Your Wedding Budget

Think about the most important aspects of your wedding day to you. Spend more on your ceremony & photographer than on flowers & favors. If you wedding is small then your catering bill won’t be so high as a big wedding, so you can allocate more money to other things.

Ways to Save on Your Wedding Budget

If, after you have drawn up your budget, you discover that the final figure is way above what you can afford then it is time to make some compromises. Go through the budget & take out anything that isn’t really necessary or that you are prepared to do without. Things like the number of bridesmaids - do you really need 12 attendants? Think about how much twelve dresses, 12 pairs of shoes, 12 set of accessories & 12 bouquets will cost. Keep attendants to a minimum, if they are really good friends they will understand. Look at having your ceremony & reception in one place, which will save on transport costs & you will get a better rate at the one venue than paying for two. If after doing that the numbers are still too high, then it is time to go back & look at what is really important to you on your wedding day. Maybe consider a small wedding now & renewing your vows in 5 or 10 years time, when you could afford a bigger party.

Once the figures add up, set your budget & stick to it. This is easier said than done, but it is vital to achieving the best wedding you can afford.

5 Recently Engaged Celebs in the News

Looks like love is in the air in Hollywood these days. Celebrities are deciding to take the plunge and get engaged. Read the scoop and find out which star couples are making it official.

1. Christina Applegate and Martyn LeNoble

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty

Actress Christina Applegate and her boyfriend, musician Martyn LeNoble, are engaged and planning a trip down the aisle. He pooped the question on February 14, 2010. Christina and Martyn have been together for about two years and are now ready to take things to the next level.

2. Hilary Duff and Mike Comrie

Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

After two years of dating, singer/actress Hilary Duff and hockey player Mike Comrie happily became engaged to be married. Mike popped the question in February 2010 while he and Hilary were on vacation in Hawaii.

3. Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Together since 2008, actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are officially engaged. At the 2010 Grammy Awards show, the former Veronica Mars star proudly wore a diamond sparkler on her left hand. Her rep confirmed the news to People and said, "Yes they are engaged. Over the holidays."

4. Charlotte Church and Gavin Henson

Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Singer Charlotte Church and her longtime boyfriend rugby player Gavin Henson are officially engaged. Gavin asked Charlotte for her hand the day after her birthday in February 2010 at a romantic restaurant in England. Together since 2005, they are the parents of two children; Ruby, born September 2007 and Dexter, born January 2009.

5. Carrie Underwood and Mike Fisher

Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

After a year of dating, singer Carrie Underwood and hockey player Mike Fisher are engaged to be married. "I'm happy to confirm that Carrie Underwood is engaged to Mike Fisher, and the couple couldn't be happier. No wedding date has been set at this time," Carrie's rep told People. He asked for her hand in December 2009 at his home and she happily accepted.

Pre-Wedding Planning - Keeping the "I do's" in Place!

Other than a few oddballs out there, I believe we all go into marriages with the intention of remaining there forever. Interestingly enough though, we will do more research and planning on which car to buy, which neighborhood to live in and which flower is the most perfect for our wedding than how to stay married once the big day is over.

Marriage is hard work. Very hard. It has enormous rewards for those who put in the hard work, but can turn appallingly sour if we sit back and assume that it will just live and thrive on it's own. Premarital counseling is a great start for any couple, regardless if you have been together only 6 months or you have been cohabiting for 10 years and have just now decided to make it legal.

Have you talked about how many children you each hope to have (or if either of you don't want any at all...)? Do you have similar child rearing techniques in mind?  Will you keep separate bank accounts, only a joint account, or a mix of both? How will you budget your income(s)? Do you have unique religious views - how will this be handled? When outside family and/or friends try to offer (or push) advice on your relationship how will this be handled? This list could go on and on...

Most religious institutions offer premarital classes or one-on-one counseling. If this is not the route for you, many therapists also offer the same options. If you happen to be establishing a blended family it is even more highly recommended that you take part in some sort of counsel beforehand to fully realize and prepare for the unique situations that are bound to arise. 

There are also numerous books and video packages you can obtain if you feel that getting started on your own is a better choice. It can do no harm to at least try one of these options to get your impending wedded bliss on the right track!

Choosing a date that works for everyone will NEVER happen!

He or she asked, and you answered in the affirmative! Now's the time to bask in the romance, and enjoy the first phase of your new life together. But soon, you'll need a response for that timeless question: "When's the wedding?"

For some couples, it's easy - they know just when they want to tie the knot. For others, it's less clear. After all, you have a lot of options. Even more than you might think, since it's really not necessary to get married on a Saturday. Friday and Sunday afternoons are good choices too, and less expensive.

So if you're looking at the calendar ahead and seeing a hundred alternatives, all about equally attractive, here's how to narrow them down.

Must-have venues

No matter how flexible you are, there's bound to be things you won't compromise on. Maybe it's a particular church, temple and officiant for your ceremony. Maybe it's a special venue for your reception. And there are certain indispensable guests, like your parents.

Luckily for you, putting just these three things together is bound to reduce your choices. Once you call on the church/temple, ceremony venue or reception hall, you'll probably find many dates already filled, especially if you call less than nine months in advance. Good. That makes things easier!

Must-have ambiance

But maybe you don't have a must-have venue. Maybe you just have an image in your mind of the perfect wedding. Maybe it involves falling snow, ermine mantles, a horse-drawn carriage, and a crackling fireplace. Maybe it involves stacks of shiny apples, heaped pumpkins, a scattering of leaves and the scent of cranberry-apple cider. Or delicate pastels, gossamer pashminas for the bridesmaids, and a dove release. In this case your time of year is set: all that's needed it to work out the logistics of venue, local climate and the availability of your most important guests.

Must-have flowers

Some people know exactly what floral arrangements they want at their wedding. Flowers are such an enormous part of the wedding budget, if particular ones are important to you, you might want to arrange your date around them. Unless you're an heiress, for example, you'll want to avoid buying roses for your Valentine's Day wedding. On the other hand, December and January are great months to buy calla lilies. To study flower availability charts, Google for "flower availability by month."

Must-have honeymoons

If you have your heart set on a certain destination, you'll probably find the honeymoon helps set the date for you. Chances are, some dates are good for travel but others involve the risk of hurricanes or lengthy rains.

Limited budget

For now, winter is the slow wedding season. So it's often (though not always) true that you can get a break on expenses by having your ceremony during the holidays. Brides often find that by marrying near Christmas, they benefit from already-decorated churches and don't need to add much themselves. Plus, if they shop the year before, they can stock up on decorations at incredibly discounted post-holiday sales. The trick is to avoid competing with office parties for reception venues and limousines (New Year's Eve is particularly competitive).

Another factor to consider, besides the possibility of dismal weather, is how many guests are due from out-of-town. Flying in for a holiday wedding can strain any family's Christmas budget, plus airlines often charge extra during the season.

If you need to keep expenses in check but want to avoid winter, make sure you steer clear of proms, graduation, "parents' day" at colleges, major sporting events and other local events.

"Life" dates

You might find your own life gives more guidance than you think. Are you a teacher, with set vacation times? Are you graduating from college or ending an internship? Are many of your relations students, available only during the holidays or the summer? If you're working, is your vacation time limited to a certain time of year? If many guests are flying in, will Labor Day weekend or Memorial Day weekend give them time to get acclimated and enjoy your big day? If none of these apply, is there a date that has special significance to you as a couple, such as the date you first met or first dated?

"Auspicious" dates
Many people find little extra jolt of comfort in picking auspicious days for their wedding. In India and China, this is standard practice. But even in the West, people often find it reassuring to pick numbers or dates with personal meaning. A Chinese custom is to select a date with as many even numbers as possible (such as 2-18-2006). The Irish believed that New Year's Eve is luckiest for weddings. The Romans (and consequently, modern westerners) favored the month of June. For Victorians, it was lucky to marry on the groom's birthday.

Ten Tips For Planning a Simple Wedding

1. Set your budget with money that you already have in a bank account. No one, under any circumstance, should go into debt for a wedding. If you only have $500 to spend on a wedding, then plan a $500 wedding. If your parents are paying for the wedding and say that they have $5,000 for your wedding, then plan a $5,000 wedding. Best case scenario, spend less than you have budgeted.

2. When choosing bridesmaids dresses, remember that the dresses will only be worn the day of the wedding. (No matter how many times a bride tries to convince her bridesmaids otherwise.) Asking your bridesmaids to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress and matching shoes might not be the best way to treat your friends. Consider letting them choose their own dresses, or buy them matching floor length skirts and ask them to buy coordinating tops in any style they want.

3. When hiring a photographer, work with someone who will shoot your wedding digitally. You won’t have to pay for printing proofs.

4. When choosing groomsmen tuxedos, consider letting them wear their own if they have them instead of forcing them to rent.

5. Be sure to ask your wedding venue their policy on flowers and musicians. Many churches require that you leave altar flowers after your ceremony and pay for their staff musicians even if you don’t use them. We coordinated with the other couples who were getting married on the same day at our venue and the three of us split the costs of two large arrangements that worked with all of our flowers.

6. Be willing to think outside the box. You and your future spouse are unique individuals and your wedding should reflect that. Just because everyone else has their wedding a certain way, doesn’t mean that you have to. Be sure to manage guest expectations, however. If you’re getting married on the side of a mountain in ski gear, your guests won’t appreciate it if you forget to provide this information. No one likes to ride a ski lift in a dress.

7. Consider having flowers that are locally grown and in season — you’ll save a lot of money if they don’t have to be flown in from the tropics.

8. Remember that your marriage is what is most important, not your wedding day. Keeping this in perspective will save you time and stress when it comes to making decisions about minute details.

9. If you choose to have party favors, consider something edible or consumable.

10. Keep in mind that even if your cake is destroyed or your friends start a fight or your organist doesn’t show up and everyone has to sing a cappella that at the end of the day, you’re still married.

Off to the party, but what to wear??

So the party is planned, guests have been invited and the menu has been set. Yet, the most important choices is still up in the air. What are you going to wear to accent that beautiful ring upon your finger?? Depending on your theme and venue, here are some ideas to get you started:

A Heavenly Marriage

This was passed on to me by a close friend - I had to share...

An elderly Italian man lay dying in his bed. While suffering the agonies of impending death, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite Italian anisette sprinkle cookies wafting up the stairs.

Gathering his remaining strength, he lifted himself from the bed. Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort, gripping the railing with both hands he crawled downstairs. With labored breath, he leaned against the doorframe, gazing into the kitchen. Where it not for death's agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven, for there, spread out upon waxed paper on the kitchen table were literally hundreds of his favorite anisette sprinkled cookies.

Was it heaven? Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted Italian wife of sixty years, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?

Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself towards the table, landing on his knees in a crumpled posture. His parched lips parted, the wondrous taste of the cookie was already in his mouth, seemingly bringing him back to life.

The aged and withered hand trembled on its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when it was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife..... 'Back off!' she said, 'they're for the funeral.'

Engagement Party?

You just got engaged and now you want to celebrate. What better way to celebrate with your friends and family than to have an engagement party. You can show off your new engagement ring and get ideas for your wedding from the girls. There is no rule against throwing your own engagement party. It is also okay for another person to throw you an engagement party. If you don't know what type of party you want, here are some ideas for engagement parties.

Have a beach party or pool party or a barbecue. Basically have a casual outside affair wherever you can find a place you can have fun at. This can be a relaxed outdoor gathering to just get together with friends and family and "shoot the breeze." This is a great way to announce your engagement if you have been dating your fiancée for quite awhile and people are just waiting for you to get married.

Have a cocktail party. Throw a unique party by naming a cocktail after the soon to be married couple. Have this cocktail be the featured one at the party. This can be a sophisticated way to entertain your friends and family and announce your engagement. You can have it at your house or go to a nice restaurant or hall. If you choose to have it at someone's house, set up a nice bar and consider renting a bartender for the night. Provide some hors d'ouvres and you are all set.

Have a wine tasting party or go to a brewery. This can be a fun and casual way to introduce your engagement to others. Try printing up some napkins for the drinks that announce your engagement. Have some appetizers with the wine or beer and people will definitely have a good time.

Have an elegant open house. An open house means that people can drop by whenever they choose during a certain time span. This is a good idea if you want to invite a lot of people to the party but you do not have all the room in the world to entertain them. Make it an elegant open house so it does not feel so much like a graduation party or something of that nature.

Have an intimate sit-down dinner with close friends and family. You can actually announce your engagement at this time and not let on to your guest that you are now engaged until you give a toast. This is a cute idea if you are close to your family and enjoy intimate gatherings instead of huge parties.

So, you're engaged...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I'm sure that's not the first time you have heard it, but this is public - so it must make it just a little more important! Right??
What now? No, not head to the bar! That can be later. For now, sit back and relax, send mass emails to friends and family to tell them and glance down to check out the ring every 30 seconds or so. That's it. Nothing more! Okay, maybe go purchase one bridal magazine to peruse, but that's truly it.
Far too many couples (namely - the bride!) rush right into trying to set a date, choose their colors, begin picking bridesmaids and groomsmen, etc... Resist that urge for a bit. Take a couple weeks minimum and just be engaged. Relish the sweet memory of the proposal, or if it was rushed and worlds away from anything you had ever wanted, take some time to get over the shock. Once you hop on the train of wedding planning it becomes a very swift, confusing, and busy ride that is very hard to take a break from. For now, enjoy the peace.
I hope that you will come back to my blog often as I plan to offer a multitude of tips, hints, trends and laughs to help you along the way to "I do"!

In the Begining ~ The Proposal

Did you know that a man once hospitalized his girlfriend trying to propose to her?

It’s true! He slipped the engagement ring into her shot glass and as they toasted to his speech, she swallowed it! Now, she survived, but they did need a trip to the emergency room.

In fact, it’s ‘embarrassing yet funny’ proposals like these that remind me of the 5 ways that guys totally DESTROY this precious moment for women by making horrendous mistakes. Please don’t make these mistakes.

1. Creating a Public Spectacle

Whether it’s a party, family get-together or Yankee game, realize that you should never propose to your beloved if she wouldn’t feel comfortable with a public proposal. Not only may it embarrass her, but she may feel pressured to say “Yes,” only to tell you the truth later. Bottom line, think about what sort of person your lady is: Is she shy, cautious or a little reserved? Then maybe a private proposal is the better way to go.

2. Overdoing the proposal

Some men’s idea of an amazing proposal is slapping together all the “usual” romantic things into one big event and calling it a “marriage proposal.” Sadly, this couldn’t be further from the truth. For example: A man serves the candlelit dinner, presents her flowers, chocolates, a teddy bear and then proposes to her.

Yuck. I’m sorry, but if you believe your lady deserves the most magnificent experience of her life, then understand that normal “everyday romance” is only good for. everyday romance! – not a proposal. She’ll never admit it, but she’ll most likely be disappointed.

3. Being unprepared

You usually only get one shot at your proposal so you MUST get it right! No pressure . Always rehearse through the things that could go wrong, create backup plans and please make sure your proposal idea is safe! If you’re creating a more elaborate proposal, you’ll need extra caution. Physically rehearse through the situations, discover what could go wrong and work out solutions around them. Get your friends together and brainstorm the sticky situations that could come up on the day. Of course, life is unpredictable and things may change but be prepared the best you can.

4. Spending too much money

Hang on! You’re probably wondering, “How is spending TOO MUCH money on a proposal a problem?” Well it all depends. The problem with money is that it often becomes a substitute for creativity. As a result, you get a “nice” memorable proposal but nothing that’s “jaw-dropping!”

5. Using a “done to death” proposal idea

Now here’s the biggest mistake of them all. Yes, coming up with creative and original ideas to propose is tough, but it’s a must if you want your moment to be remembered and talked about for years to come!

Your proposal needs to be personalized to your girlfriend. What are her favorite hobbies, music and interests? These are the starting points to an incredible proposal that everyone will talk about for years.

While the Eiffel tower, hot air balloons and getting the waiter to bring out the ring on a platter are “okay” ideas, they’re not creative and original enough for the most important and memorable moment of both your lives.