By Kate Harrison
Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular days of the year to propose. As this special day approaches, men across the country are struggling to find the best way to pop the question. Take a load off boys, because Green Bride Guide eco-wedding expert Kate Harrison has some engaging ideas to inspire your inner romantic while reducing your impact on the earth.
“For a great proposal, the key is to be both thoughtful and creative,” says Harrison. “Like your wedding day, your proposal should be all about her, so put her first in every way and you can’t go wrong.”
1. Location: No one likes to say they got engaged next to the laundry machine. Pick a location or restaurant that she loves or take her to your favorite green spot. Whether a mountaintop or an organic restaurant, your soon-to-be fiancée will appreciate a carefully selected location.
Related: Date Idea: Star Light, Star Bright
2. Look the part: Shower with your organic bath products, wear an outfit you know she loves, and put on a non-toxic deodorant or cologne. (Check the Environmental Working Groups Skindeep database to see how yours ranks today.)
Related: 5 Ways to Get Him to Propose By Labor Day
3. Make it a party: Surround her with the people she loves the most for an engagement with an audience. Keep some chilled organic sparkling wine on hand to pass around after you pop the question.
4. Daily gifts: Create a count-down to Valentine’s Day with little gifts each day like fair trade chocolates, heart-inspired socks or underwear, movie tickets, and love notes.
5. Summon a crowd: Does she love an audience? Purchase tickets to a concert or theatrical presentation, and propose in front of a crowd.
6. Customize a puzzle: Once it’s put together, it reads, “Will you marry me?”
7. Go vintage: Buy a Lite Brite board on eBay and write the words “Marry Me” in pretty colors.
8. Flowers: Shower her with organic, fair trade or locally grown flowers. You can buy freeze dried petals online and sprinkle them in the tub, on the bed, or even in the car. Use them to spell out your proposal, or tie a note to a bouquet.
9. Candles: Light up the bedroom with soy, palm or beeswax candles.
10. Get nerdy: Create your own original poem, write your own song, or make a YouTube video to ask for her hand in marriage.
Kate wrote The Green Bride Guide (Sourcebooks, 2008), after planning her own green wedding in 2007, and founded www.greenbrideguide.com in 2009. In 2010, she created the country’s first green wedding professional certification class – a four week, online course – with the Wedding Planning Institute to help wedding planners learn about eco-friendly alternatives.
