We are honored to have seen an increase in requests to help plan marriage proposals.  While they are mainly the gentlemen who have come to us, we have had a few ladies come to us, too.  What’s unique about a Santa Barbara marriage proposal?  Just this:  that it’s incredibly difficult because there is so much to choose from.   Not just location-wise, but stylistically.  There are so many options.  Will you reserve the top of a tower overlooking Santa Barbara at dusk?  Go for a walk on the beach? Plan a scavenger hunt?  Rent a vintage car in wine country to drive you all over and pop the question at your favorite winery by candlelight in a barrel room? Propose while her whole family shows up to surprise and congratulate you both?

Here are my top three tips when planning your marriage proposal in Santa Barbara:

1.  Consider your fiancee’s feelings and style.  Grandiose, over-the-top proposals with a flash mob are fantastic and certainly memorable, but consider what she would consider memorable and make the memory of a lifetime for her.  She may be embarrassed and angry if you surprise her at a baseball game in front of thousands.  Or conversely, it is an insult to propose without thought – such as after an intimate experience- and not make it special for her.

2.  Don’t blow the bank.  While money is no object in your heart and you would give her the moon if you could, budget is a huge factor when planning a marriage proposal.  Will you make a weekend out of it?  A night?  A day? Will the activity /activities you choose warrant a more of a budget?  You needn’t have a huge budget- or really any at all- to make the moment one she will remember for a lifetime.

3. Hire a Proposal Planner.  By hiring a professional to help you implement a plan that will honor your budget and help you create a memory, you will save time and ultimately money.  Like a professional wedding planner who specializes in the area in which you will get married, a professional proposal planner who specializes in the area in which you want to get engaged can recommend all the venues and vendors and activities that would suit you best because they know the area best.  Proposal Planners range from $150 for a simple consultation to give you some ideas to jump start the process to  $10,000+, depending on the nature of proposal planning involved and what the individual needs to have done.  If you’re not sure what you may need, contact us for an interview to help determine your needs.