What Proposal Planners Really Do!

Have you ever thought about how much work goes into planning a marriage proposal? Or what a proposal planner really does? A marriage proposal is a mini event that requires careful coordination, creativity, styling mood boards, location sourcing, logistical planning, contingency planning, supplier sourcing, supplier briefing, run-sheet coordinating, onsite set up and pack down and everything in between! 

So, to pull off an amazing marriage proposal with a “WOW factor”, every aspect of the proposal needs to be carefully thought about and managed. That is why our jobs exist as marriage proposal planners; to help our clients create the perfect proposal! 

So what is actually involved in creating the perfect marriage proposal? And what does a proposal planner do?

1.The Idea

The first step is coming up with an idea. Some client’s come to us with their own idea, which we elaborate on to help bring it to life. Other clients are open to suggestions, where we come up with gorgeous proposal concepts to wow their partners! Depending on the scale of the proposal, it could be a simple, elegant picnic in a park or a horse and carriage ride to a secret location where light up letters, spark machines and a stunning proposal setup are waiting for our clients. 

2. Logistics

Secondly, it’s time to work on all of the logistics to make sure that the proposal is planned to perfection! This includes things like:

• • Finding the perfect location 

• • Recommending jewellers if the client hasn’t got the ring yet

• • Sourcing suppliers

• • Working out the best time of the day to propose

• • Locating a wet weather back up location in case of rain on the proposal day

• • Picking up the clients proposal items such as, French champagne, a bouquet of flowers from the florist, catering, grazing boxes and balloons just to name a few!

• • Creating personalised love notes or custom “Marry Me?” signs

• • Helping our clients come up with a ‘fake story’ to get their partner to the proposal location without suspecting anything. This might be a work event, a family member’s birthday celebration or an anniversary dinner. We have even created fake tickets for a fake event for our client!

• • Organising what to do after the marriage proposal – whether it be celebrating the occasion at a five star restaurant or staying at a beautiful hotel in the city 

• • Creating a personalised music playlist with a chosen song request for the proposal moment

So, once the logistics are in order – what’s does a proposal planner work on next?

3. Finer Details

Leading up to the big day, it’s important for our proposal planners to go over the finer details such as:

• • Giving our clients tips to help them nail the proposal moment such as, what to wear, what to say, how to do it and where to stand in the setting to get the perfect proposal shot if they have a photographer

• • Finding the best parking at the proposal location to ensure our clients arrive on time

• • Making sure that everyone is briefed and undoubtedly understands their role on the day 

4. Final Tasks

When the big day finally arrives, it’s time to click into gear and for our proposal planners to get those final tasks done like: 

• • Polish the glassware and tableware for the proposal 

• • Organise rose petals that will be scattered around the setting

• • Pick up the final items e.g. delicious cheese platters from the grocers or flowers from our florist

• • Prepare the floral arrangements

• • Collect all of the props for the proposal

• • Set up the proposal setting 

• • Put all the final styling and romantic touches in place 

• • Making sure the ambience is just right, with the perfect lighting, music and setting

• • Test all the gear like the music or the sparks 

• • Coordinate everyone on standby

• • Make sure tourist and passers-by don’t come up to the setting to take photos

• • Following up with the photographer & make sure they have taken beautiful shots of the setting and is waiting in a good location

As client’s will evidently be with their partner on the proposal day, it’s important to be super secretive during the planning to ensure that the surprise isn’t ruined. We will have our clients save our contact numbers under something inconspicuous like “Dan from work” so that we can contact them via secret text message if needed and so they can let us know when they are on their way – just another task for our talented proposal planners!

5. The Moment!

Then comes our favourite part of the job – the big moment! Even after witnessing over 750 proposals, our team still gets all teary-eyed when clients arrive. Once our client gets down on their knee and their partner says “YES!”, we know that it’s another rewarding job well done! 

Once our clients are happily engaged, we head off to give them their privacy and return once they have left the proposal setting to continue their celebrations with their new fiancé! Then our team packs up the setting, takes everything offsite and heads home from another perfect day at work. We love what we do every day and seeing our client’s and their partner’s faces after the big moment makes it all worth it!

So, hopefully you have a better understandign now of what proposal planners do!

If you are ready to propose to your partner and want the perfect proposal, why not engage a proposal planner to do all the nitty gritty stuff so that you can focus on what you are going to say on the day? We can’t wait to work with you and help you pull of the ultimate marriage proposal!