14 Creative Proposal Ideas to Inspire You

Searching for creative proposal ideas that feel genuinely original and personal can be tricky. A marriage proposal is a deeply meaningful and momentous milestone in your relationship, so of course you’ll want the way you propose to reflect the unique bond you have with your partner. There are a myriad of creative ways to propose, but we’ve curated a list of imaginative and slightly unconventional suggestions that you can really make your own. Whether you prefer a grand, adventurous gesture or something slightly more intimate and private, explore our list of creative proposal ideas and find the inspiration you need to make your engagement truly unforgettable.

1. Create a special short film or animation

2. Organise a private museum or gallery tour

3. Deep dive to your proposal

4. Decorate a rowing boat in botanics

5. Propose at a beautiful historic venue

6. Plan a photography adventure

7. Arrange a magical evening at the theatre

8. Have your pet pop the question

9. Propose through poetry

10. Rewrite the stars

11. Prepare a secret pottery proposal

12. Personalise an unforgettable wine-tasting experience

13. Devise the perfect proposal for literature lovers

14. Concoct a ‘coincidental’ musical moment
    
    

If you’re always at the cinema watching the latest releases or cosying up at home rewatching your favourite rom-coms with your partner, then this could be a really surprising and meaningful way to propose. You can go big or small with this idea, editing the video yourself from home video clips and showing it privately, or you can arrange a private viewing or slip it in before the previews at the cinema. A video of an incredible animated Sleeping Beauty proposal went viral a few years ago, and while we’re not promising 7.7 million YouTube views, we can point you to the method behind the brilliant idea.

Prefer still-life to motion pictures? Arrange for a private after-hours tour of your favourite museum. You could even align this with a special exhibit that you’ve both been eager to visit, or one dedicated to your partner’s favourite artist. Conclude your tour with a proposal in front of an artwork that holds special significance to you both or in an area of the museum that resonates with your relationship’s journey. If you want to go the extra mile, you could even conclude with a temporary canvas piece (painted by yourself or in collaboration with an artist) that reveals your proposal.

Scuba diving is a pretty unforgettable experience in itself, but coupled with a marriage proposal will certainly take your partner’s breath away (metaphorically speaking we hope). Once you’re underwater, surrounded by marine life, you can hold up a waterproof sign with the big question or help your partner discover a chest containing your message – and even the ring if you’re feeling brave.

Read Queensmith Couple Reef & Sam's unbelievable underwater proposal story for some more inspiration.

Prefer to stay above water? Inspired by another Queensmith Couple proposal story, find a scenic lake and hire an adorable canal or rowing boat, which you can bring to life with botanics and flowers, to create an idyllic, picturesque proposal. If you don’t believe us, just take a look at the photos of Anique & Shamil’s proposal on Lake Bled in Slovenia.

If you’re a couple that loves exploring the rich history of significant sites and buildings across the world, then one of your favourite locations could be the backdrop to your proposal. Whether it’s a castle, an ancient ruin or a historic estate, the setting itself will help to add a profound sense of depth and incredible impact to your proposal. To a bit more excitement, if the location has a maze or labyrinth in the garden you could arrange for a private walk, whereupon reaching the centre is a personalised proposal display to surprise your partner. This is a meaningful way of turning the walk through the labyrinth into a metaphor for your journey together.

Whether you’re both avid photographers with all the equipment or just enjoy taking simple photos for the memories, plan a trip abroad or a day out to a scenic or significant location to capture some beautiful moments together. Pick your special picturesque spot in advance and set your camera up on a timer, or even have a photographer hidden, to make sure you capture everything perfectly.

We’d recommend something a bit more romantic than a pantomime in this instance, but whether you’re seeing a favourite musical, emotional opera or moving symphony performance, such an evening is bound to give your partner goosebumps – especially if you add a proposal into the mix! For something more public, you could ask the cast to announce your proposal at the end of the show or even excuse yourself just before the end and appear on stage to pop the question yourself. If you’re not the type of couple that likes having all eyes on you, then you might want to choose a point during intermission or after the show to propose.

A trusted furry companion can share a special place in someone’s hearts, and so it makes sense for them to be included in this special moment. Collars are very handy for attaching a personalised tag or even specially-made ring boxes. If your pet is the type to swallow things they shouldn’t, we suggest sticking with a tag for this one!

If poetry is your shared passion, arrange to attend a poetry reading event together and write a poem about your relationship in advance. Don’t worry, you don’t have to read your poem in front of everyone – you can coordinate for the host to read it instead and watch as your partner catches on, before asking the all important question at the end (we’ll leave this bit to you).

Organise a romantic evening of stargazing for your astrology-obsessed partner. Write a custom horoscope or name a star after them beforehand, and while they’re looking through the telescope, get yourself ready to propose when they turn around. You could even create a custom star map with the proposal written in the stars – a frameable memento to match your sparkling engagement ring.

Arrange to attend a pottery class, giving the instructor prior warning about your surprise proposal. During the class, collaborate on a piece that will help reveal your proposal, or have the instructor present your partner with a piece you created beforehand that asks the question. If you have more patience than us, you could hide a hidden message in your creation (perhaps a message at the bottom of a mug or bowl) and wait for your partner to discover it when using it at home!

If your partner thinks themself quite the sommelier, organise a special wine tasting for them at a renowned winery – this could be at their favourite winery at home or somewhere completely new abroad. Each wine can represent a different year or milestone in your relationship, with a personalised tasting menu or even wine bottle labels. The final wine can be served with the big question and your engagement ring – just make sure not to drink too much before this point so you can still get down on one knee!

Whether you have a preference for romance, fantasy, thrillers, classics or non-fiction, we’re certain you’ll have the imagination to plan the perfect proposal. Perhaps you’ll give them a special edition of their favourite book with the engagement ring hidden inside, or organise an after-hours visit to their favourite library or bookshop, or at a location written about in your favourite book. You could even create a book bouquet with their favourite flowers and a selection of books they’ve always wanted to read.

Picture this: you’re walking past the Tower of London, on your way to a lovely dinner with your partner, and a group of buskers are singing your favourite song. You stop to listen, and realise they are singing especially for you. This was the reality for Queensmith Couple, Ryan and Kelly. Ryan then bent down on one knee to propose, presenting Kelly with a spectacular princess cut trilogy engagement ring. It was a really touching moment, one that received over 1 million views on TikTok. You can watch the full video below.