Chances are that you witnessed at least one marriage proposal this Valentine’s Day, whether in person at a popular romantic restaurant or virtually via social media. And, if you’ve been dating the same person for a solid amount of time, you may be a bit bummed if the holiday passed without similar fanfare taking place in your own life.
But don’t be discouraged — while V-Day proposals are obviously awesome, the day you get engaged will be special no matter when it falls on the calendar. If you’re hoping that your partner gets down on one knee ASAP, here are five things you can do to make sure that it happens sooner rather than later.
Be clear about wanting to get hitched – Make sure your beloved knows that you’re ready for marriage. It’s easy to assume that your partner understands your desire to take your relationship to the next level but he or she isn’t in your head. Break the ice and have the talk—it will ease any fears you may have about your partner’s commitment and relationship goals and it will get you closer to getting that ring.
Go ring shopping – Speaking of rings…a great way to ensure that a proposal is on the horizon is to start scoping out that engagement ring bling. Your partner may need some guidance on what styles and settings you like and not knowing what ring to choose could be what’s causing the hold up. Set some time aside to get to a store or browse online together. (You may even consider making a Pinterest board of rings you like that you can show him or her, too.)
Send a messenger – Sometimes, you need to enlist reinforcements to get the message across. Your best friend or your partner’s sibling may be a good messenger to coax your significant other into marriage territory. He or she may be holding back for a number of reasons—financial worries, family issues, long-held insecurities—and having someone to talk through these things with (who’s not you) could help.
Create romantic opportunities – Plan a special trip together or make a point to celebrate your next anniversary in style. That way, you’ll create an ideal setting for a proposal. It’s easy to get stuck in the humdrum of everyday life so having something to look forward to will not only provide the chance to get a break from it all, together, but it could also lead to something more.
Keep the pressure off – While you may be tempted to bring up engagement or even nag your partner about when he or she will finally ask you that big question, try to resist the urge. The more you push, the more it may seem like you care about the act of proposing (and the bling you’ll get to sport) over the feeling and meaning behind it. Your partner will ask when he or she is truly ready—when both of you are good to go on the marriage front, that’s the right time to get engaged.
This post originally appeared on Robbins’ Brothers Engaged blog