Are You Ready To Pop The Question?
Thinking about proposing to your SO? Before you make all the romantic preparations, have you asked yourself the important questions? This is both an exciting and daunting decision that you certainly want to make sure you’re ready for. Here are 20 telltale signs you should propose to your partner.
Photo by Seth Reese on Unsplash
1. You Can’t Imagine Not Being With Them
If you can’t imagine your life without your partner that’s usually a good indication that you should be with them forever. On the flip side, if it’s easy for you to picture growing old with them, it’s also a good sign.
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels
2. You Agree on Whether or Not To Have Family
This is a topic that makes or breaks couples. If having kids or not having kids is important to you, make sure your desires are known. If you can’t see eye-to-eye on this one, it may be a deal-breaker.
Photo by Vidal Balielo Jr. on Pexels
3. You’re Excited About The Idea
This one probably seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people propose without stopping to consider if the idea of marriage excites them. Put all the family or societal pressure aside and ask yourself how you truly feel about the notion of marriage.
Photo by Jonathan Borba on Pexels
4. You’ve Put Your Relationship To The Test
Life is full of ups and downs and you want to be sure that your relationship is strong enough to survive the tides. It’s easy to be a great couple while everything in your life is going well but before you’re married, it’s good to make sure your partner is going to stick by you even when times get tough.
Photo by Vinícius Vieira ft on Pexels
5. You’ve Met Each Other’s Families
It’s important that you’ve both made the effort to meet each other’s families before you get married. Although family approval isn’t everything, it’s definitely a plus for many people and your family can help give you advice if you’re not completely convinced of whether to pop the question.
Photo by Askar Abayev on Pexels
6. You’re Comfortable Being Vulnerable With Them
Vulnerability is one of the most important aspects of a healthy relationship. You need to be able to show your authentic self even when you’re not feeling your best.
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels
7. You Have A Balanced Life Together
When you’re in love, it’s normal to be obsessed with each other. However, it’s important to still be able to respect each other’s personal space and individual hobbies. Otherwise, unhealthy dependency might arise.
Photo by David Bartus on Pexels
8. You’re Honest With Each Other
Trust is the foundation of any strong relationship. You need to feel you can tell your partner anything in order to foster open communication, emotional connection, and long-term stability.
Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels
9. You’ve Discussed Marriage
Imagine you make all the preparations and plan a perfectly romantic proposal only to find out your partner never wanted to get married. This is why it needs to be discussed (subtly) beforehand.
Photo by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels
10. They Bring Out The Best In You
Do they bring out the best version of you? Are they always inspiring you to be better? That’s a sure sign you should be married.
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels
11. You Support Each Other’s Goals
One of the main expectations from a lifelong partner is that they will stick by you and support you as you strive for the things you want to achieve. You only live once so you want to make sure you’re not giving up the things you want in life and vice versa.
Photo by Kampus Production on Pexels
12. Everything Is More Fun With Them
Are simple chores like grocery shopping or cleaning the house a thousand times more fun when your SO is with you? That’s another sure sign you belong together.
Photo by Miriam Alonso on Pexels
13. You Can’t Imagine Ever Getting Bored
It’s not about the things you do together, it’s about the way you do them. Whether you’re sailing the world or just sitting in a waiting room together, if you’re never bored with them that means you will have a great life together.
14. You’ve Been Together For a Significant Amount of Time
There’s no exact amount of time you should be together before proposing and that’s not the point. The point is that you should have known each other long enough and deeply enough that you have certainty that you can stand each other's annoying habits.
15. You Know Each Other Better Than Anyone
Marriage is the most sacred bond. Before you’re ready for it, you need to already know your partner intimately–know what makes them tick, what they love, and what they hate. If you feel no one knows you better, that’s a good indication that your bond is deep enough.
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels
16. You Share Similar Values
This is something that’s bound to come up in life. If you find later down the road once you're married that your values are completely incompatible, you’re bound to have problems.
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels
17. You Know How To Resolve Conflicts
Compromise is vital to a relationship. Finding that comfortable middle ground in your inevitable conflicts strengthens your bond and shows mutual respect so it’s something you want to make sure you’ve put into practice before you propose.
Photo by Antoni Shkraba on Pexels
18. You’re Ready For a Lifelong Commitment
Before you propose, check in with yourself the know whether you’re ready for a lifelong commitment. There’s no shame in not being ready just yet and making the jump prematurely could be disastrous.
Photo by Git Stephen Gitau on Pexels
19. Your Friends Are Their Friends
It’s a good sign if you have a community of people who support your relationship and enjoy spending time with you and your partner. It means that you’re enjoyable to be around as a couple but it also promotes your relationship’s health and happiness.
Photo by Helena Lopes on Pexels
20. You’re In a Financially and Emotionally Stable Place
It’s easy to get swept up in the throws of romance, but don’t forget to make sure you’re in a stable place in life both financially and emotionally. Otherwise, you’d be forcing your partner to stomach unpleasant baggage that may prove harmful to your relationship.
