Popping the Question

How to Pull Off a Long-Distance Marriage Proposal

Stephanie Bregman

September 16, 2020

Proposals are important events that signify a major step forward in your life and relationship with your partner, so they must be seriously contemplated. When you and your partner are in a long-distance relationship and separated by miles of distance, marriage proposals require even more creativity, patience, and meticulous planning. Fortunately, it is possible to pull off a romantic long-distance proposal. Read below to find out how!

Are You Ready to Pop the Question?

When planning a long-distance marriage proposal, the first and most important element to consider is preparedness. You must decide if you are ready for the responsibility, commitment, and obligation that comes with asking your partner for their hand in marriage. After finding the perfect wedding ring and proposing, you will likely need to discuss future plans and logistics for yourselves, such as relocating and living in the same place.

Whether living in your city, their city, or both of you relocating to somewhere new, you must be ready to discuss and come to a conclusion together because it will impact other areas of your life such as social relationships and career opportunities. This feeling may be difficult to gauge in a long-distance relationship, so be sure to mull it over to avoid rushing into a decision.

 

What About the Ring?

Once you’ve decided that you’re ready to propose, you should purchase an engagement ring. No matter how you pop the question, the engagement ring is arguably the most important part of any proposal; it is a symbol of your love, undying affection, and commitment to each other for the rest of your lives.

Engagement rings can be purchased online or at a local jewelry store, but be sure to research extensively and shop around. There are many different types and styles of engagement rings available, and each one offers a different look and feel. You should also know your partner’s ring size beforehand, as you want to ensure that they can immediately slide their new ring right on their finger.

While you can purchase a traditional engagement ring for your long-distance proposal, there is another option. Placeholder engagement rings have recently emerged in popularity and can be especially beneficial for those in long-distance relationships. They allow you to present a ring made from cheaper material like cubic zirconia instead of a traditional diamond ring at the time of the proposal. This lessens any financial burden of your proposal, as placeholder rings are not nearly as expensive as diamond engagement rings.

For those in long-distance relationships, placeholder rings give you the option of having a ring for your proposal but waiting until you are physically together to present the official engagement ring. Using a placeholder ring also allows you and your partner to pick out a dream engagement ring together after the proposal.

How to Propose from Far Away

After purchasing the ring, you must decide how you plan to propose. While it may be harder to come up with the perfect proposal because of the distance that separates you and your partner, there are options.

For example, there are many ways to use the internet to your advantage when proposing in a long-distance relationship. You and your partner likely primarily communicate through various digital means such as texting, email, video chatting, and social media, as technology can make the physical distance between the two of you seem much smaller.

Since you are probably familiar with the intricacies of different platforms and their tendencies or preferences, you can romantically propose over video chat platforms such as FaceTime, Skype, Google Hangout, and Zoom. A video chat proposal gives you the option of presenting when it is just you two speaking, but some platforms allow multiple people to be in the same chatroom, which could allow friends and family to witness and contribute to the wonderful moment.

For example, you could pop the question on a “Zoom happy hour” in front of everybody. You could also incorporate other romantic on-camera elements into the video chat, such as a pet, a sign, or another decoration.

Proposing via mail is another option for those in long-distance relationships. For example, you can ship your partner a package featuring the engagement ring. You can even include other romantic items such as a handwritten note or flowers. You could also order them a special personal gift and include the engagement ring in the packaging.

Since you are not proposing in person, you have to get creative with your distanced proposal. There is no shortage of ideas, but be sure to consider your partner’s emotions when coming up with an idea. This is an important moment for them, as much as you, and you want to create the memory of a lifetime.

Wait Until You’re Together

You could also wait until the next time you and your partner are physically together to propose. Long-distance couples have been particularly affected by the travel restrictions related to health and safety concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic. Summer vacations and trips to visit one another have likely been postponed or canceled entirely, which could have impacted your plans to propose in person.

Instead of proposing remotely, you could simply wait until the next time you see each other. However, this will require patience and diligence. It is currently unclear when any travel restrictions will be lifted, plus many feel uncomfortable traveling due to health and safety concerns. If you are willing to wait for the next time you are together in person to propose, it will certainly be worth it.