Rules of Engagement

As a new fiancé, naturally I am now the expert on the perfect proposal.  If you are expecting (or hoping for) an engagement in the imminent future, you may want to check out these top 5 rules for him and for her:

For the Bride-to-Be (the Proposee):

1. Do shower and look pretty. When your man-love tells you to pack an overnight bag, definitely shower and freshen up before venturing to the undisclosed spot.  Even if he tells you that you look fine, do not listen!  Take your own advice (and mine) and get a shower before you go to the surprise location.  Of course your man loves you no matter how you look (duh! he's about to propose!), but you will feel better and prettier if you smell and look your best :)

2. Do not try to guess surprises.  Even if you suspect an engagement is upon you, do not try to anticipate every move. Allow me to illustrate.  On Saturday, after Fiance-Matt (ahh!) told me that we were going away for the night to an undisclosed destination, we hopped in a cab.  At this point I had an inkling of what was going to happen. I thought I heard the cab driver say to Matt, "Are you going to where Tim Tebow is?  You look like him."  My heart both dropped and skipped a beat:  suddenly I thought we were not going to get engaged, but rather Matt was surprising me by taking me to meet Tim Tebow, which would be both terribly disappointing (no proposal) and also a little exciting (meet Timmy Teebs!).  Or, maybe we'd have the best of both worlds and we would meet Tim Tebow and then get engaged! Or maybe Tim Tebow would deliver the ring to me? My mind was racing, and so was my mouth.  I asked Matt, "Are we going to meet Tim Tebow???" over and over again, ignoring his denials.  It turns out the cabbie actually said, "Do you know who Tim Tebow is?" not "Are you going to where Tim Tebow is?" Leave it alone. Tim Tebow is not involved in your engagement.

3. Do say "yes" (not "of course"). Self-explanatory :)

4. Do pack toothpaste. You do not want your first kiss as an engaged lady to be breathy.  You may not know your engagement is upon you, so always travel with a mini toothpaste.

5. Do not forget to call any of your close friends or family members before posting a public announcement to Facebook, Twitter, etc.

For the Husband-to-Be (the Proposer):

1. Do wake your woman up the morning of the proposal with the best snuggles ever and extra loving kisses.  It will prime her for the day of love ahead, and believe me she will notice (I did).

2. Do propose in a way that is unique to your lady.  For example, if you know your wifey-to-be loves coffee and fire, find a way to incorporate fireplaces and coffee  :).

3. Do come up with an adorable nickname for your new fiancé (i.e., Fiance-la-vie :)

4. Do tell all strangers you encounter that you just got engaged. Even if they don't care.  Your woman will love that you want all the world to know.

5. Do enjoy it. Even if things don't go exactly as planned, just know it doesn't matter. It is perfect anyway.  She now has you... FOREVER!

For both him and her: Do savor the moment. It will hopefully only happen once, and you will want to have soaked every ounce of joy from it.