10 Unique Holiday Proposal Ideas

There is something about the holiday season that turns up the romance. Christmas is a wonderful time to get together with loved ones but it is also a favorite time of year for people to get down on one knee to ask the most important of all questions; “will you marry me?”.

Of course, the very fact that Christmas proposals are common can also mean that coming up with special seasonal marriage proposal ideas can be difficult.

Because Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the whole period running up to New Year’s Eve are such popular times for a surprise proposal, you need to make an extra effort to ensure that your big moment turns into a proposal story that your significant other will be able to tell at dinner parties for the rest of your lives!

If you are already breaking out in a cold sweat at the thought of wedding planning and trying to think of the perfect opportunity for your special moment, then don’t worry, we are here to help you achieve the perfect proposal!

Here are 10 holiday proposal ideas for asking the big question at the perfect time of the year. We love the holidays, and that is why they have unofficially been labeled as engagement season!

1. Spell It Out In The Snow

If you live in an area that gets a lot of snow at Christmas time, then make the most of the winter wonderland around you by writing out your proposal in the snow! There are a lot of different options for doing this depending on the size of the space that you have to work with.

You can go simple and solid with a shovel, carving out the letters for all to see, or you could go for something a bit more delicate by placing flowers or rose petals in the pattern that you need to spell out your question.

The only thing to be careful about is making sure that you create your snow proposal in a spot that isn’t going to be immediately disturbed and ruined!

2. Propose At A Christmas Tree Farm

One of the most fun things to do around the holiday season is taking a trip to a Christmas tree farm with your loved one to pick out the perfect picturesque addition to your home over the festive period.

They are usually very festive feeling, with plenty of trees to surround you and Christmas music playing over the loudspeakers. If you and your partner love to spend time together doing the most ‘Christmassy’ things possible, then we can’t think of anything more appropriate than getting down on one knee in a place so associated with this time of the year.

3. Be inspired By The 12 Days Of Christmas

The 12 days of Christmas carol is something that a lot of people like to incorporate into their festive preparations, giving people little gifts almost in the same way that an advent calendar does but not quite for the entire month of December.

If you have some time to plan your big moment, you can go all out for 12 days of Christmas, starting with little gifts that mean something special to you as a couple, and then leading up to the final gift day where you will present them with the engagement ring. These small gifts can be things like their favorite scented candle, favorite candies, a fun day trip, and even personal things like love letters and poems. Careful though, If your partner is smart, they might just realize what is happening before you even pop the question!

4. Say It With Lights

One of the regular festive sights is the twinkling lights that people put up around their homes and gardens and the ones that you see in public spaces.

If you have the willpower and enthusiasm to arrange it, one of the most amazing ways to propose is having it spelled out in fairy lights in a public place!

Of course, this will take a lot of connecting and communicating with the establishment or business that you want to use, but if they say yes and are willing to help, a proposal for Christmas lights can be one of the most magical surprises. Not to mention, if things go well and you get the answer you are hoping for, the setup makes for an amazing engagement photoshoot.

5. Ask Through Christmas Tree Ornaments

If you decide not to pop the question at the Christmas tree farm as we suggested above, you can still utilize the tree in other ways!

Buy a customized ornament or bauble that says ‘will you marry me’, and place it up on the tree without saying a word!

The challenge is then in waiting to see how long it takes your partner to notice that it is there! This can be nerve-wracking for the person who placed the ornament, but at the same time, it can be fun to create a photo album of how long it is there before your intentions are revealed. Definitely not a proposal idea for the impatient!

6. Ask During The New Year’s Countdown

Of course, Christmas isn't the only time of celebration over the holiday period, with many people choosing to party harder on New Year’s Eve instead. Attending a big party with friends, family and loved ones can be the perfect opportunity to get everybody together without letting on to them that you are planning to propose.

As the countdown to midnight begins, you can steal the limelight by getting down on one knee and popping the big question with seconds to go. Your partner will then have the fun decision of saying yes right away or making you wait all the way until ‘next year to give you an answer!

7. Go On An Ice Rink Date

Going ice skating is a popular festive activity all over the world, with classic locations like London and New York having iconic rinks over the holiday period.

If you can’t get to New York or London, most cold winter cities around the world have outdoor rinks these days, so you can plan a rink-side proposal no matter where you are based. Be careful, though, the last thing you want to do is drop the diamond and have it go skidding across the ice!

8. Put The Ring In A Christmas Cracker

If you follow the classic English tradition of having Christmas crackers to pull at the table when you eat your festive meal, then a really fun idea is to place your diamond engagement ring inside your partner’s cracker so that they receive it as their prize when they pop it open!

They might be confused at first (diamond rings are not usually the kind of gift you get in a cracker!), but if you can be ready and wait on one knee as they start to understand, it can make for a magical moment before you dig into all of your favorite holiday foods!

9. Propose Under The Mistletoe

Kissing under the mistletoe is one of the most romantic traditions that we have at Christmas, with it being something pretty much everybody understands.

If you can plan your Christmas morning to culminate in a moment where you and your partner are standing under the mistletoe in your home, it gives you the perfect opportunity to get down on one knee to propose.

We can promise you the kiss you receive after they say yes will be the best kiss of your life. Pucker up!

10. Take A Romantic Sleigh Ride

There are plenty of Christmas-themed parks that pop up over the holiday period where you can shop at market stalls, sip a nice cup of hot chocolate and maybe even see Santa.

Something else that these places offer is a couple’s sleigh ride, and we can’t think of a more romantic way to propose to your loved one.

The thing about a holiday proposal is that you can make it truly memorable by not having to go crazy mad with an effort to try and create the right mood or be in the right place. The festive season has a magical atmosphere and everywhere is usually decorated to the nines. Aim for the element of surprise and don’t forget to take photos. A holiday proposal is something to remember forever and will give extra depth of meaning to a special time of year.