15 Feminine Must-Knows to Propose to a Man & Get a Yes and Not Pop His Ego

Have you ever wondered how to propose to a man and make it classy? It’s becoming more commonplace to shun tradition, and why not?

If you’re totally in love and want to spend the rest of your life with your partner, you’ll need to know how to propose to your man without emasculating him.

After all, society says that it’s the men who are the ones to drop to their knees and ask the question, but we’re not in the dark ages anymore, right?

However, moving with the times may not stop your man from feeling emasculated by you asking this important question. Many people will judge him based on that and even think he’s not “manly” since he wasn’t the person to ask.

So, if you really want to be the one to propose, you’ll have to do it in a way that won’t make him feel like less of a man. Luckily, we’ve got all the tips you need. [Read: 53 proposal ideas and ways to propose to your girl in a way she’ll never forget]

Can a woman propose to a man?

Of course! Society says that it should be the guy but who made that rule exactly?

If you’re sure that your guy is on the same page as you with regard to marriage and he’s taking to long to pop the question, we say go for it!

Now, that doesn’t mean it won’t be nerve-wracking. Some guys may not take kindly to this type of situation as they want to be the ones to do it.

But you know your man better than we do, and that’s why it’s important to think carefully before you propose to him. [Read: 30 relationship rules, secrets, and tips to make your love life way, way better]

How does a guy feel when a girl proposes?

Well, this can go either way. The proposal could totally overwhelm him in the best way possible, leaving him thrilled that you asked. Or he might feel totally emasculated and embarrassed.

We know that’s not really what you wanted to hear, but we have to be honest.

However, it often comes down to how you do it. A huge, public show of affection ending with you getting down on one knee might embarrass him.

But be honest, would you want his proposal to you to be some huge public display, with hundreds of strangers’ eyes staring at you in this intimate moment?!

However, if you do it privately, just between the two of you, he’s more likely to be thrilled with the question.

How to propose to a man without fear of emasculating him

Since you’re here reading about how to propose to a man without emasculating him, we’re willing to bet that your biggest worry is hurting his feelings.

You don’t want to make him feel as though he’s less of a man because you pulled the trigger and asked first.

You shouldn’t feel this way. But since the society we live in is very stubborn in what it means to be a “man,” it can be a little tricky.

Here are our tips for knowing how to propose to a man without making him feel emasculated or embarrassed. [Read: Do you emasculate your man? Things women do that break a man]

1. Do it privately

Since there is such a big stigma attached to women proposing to men, it would be best if you did it in private.

There’s no need to make it some big extravaganza. It’s a special moment between the two of you and it should be kept private.

You can do this at your home, while you’re together on vacation, and even while you’re taking a late-night stroll. The bottom line is that if you want to avoid emasculating him, it’s best to do it privately. [Read: Marriage traditions – their not-so-sweet origins and our modern choices]

2. Make it meaningful

Instead of just asking him before going to sleep one night, make it more meaningful. Oftentimes, men don’t think women are serious unless it’s a bit more of an event rather than a passing comment—especially as there may not be a ring to present to them.

You can still make it simple while making it meaningful. All you have to do is put a little more thought into it. Do something that means a lot to you as a couple. This could be reliving your first date or even going to the place you had your first kiss.

3. Don’t worry about anyone else

If you really want to know how to propose to a man without making him feel any less manly, you need to stop worrying about what other people think.

Everyone will judge. And since most people are close-minded, they’ll have opinions.

You can’t really let them get to you. If you love your man and want to spend your life with him, that should be all that matters. There’s no reason anyone else should even comment on your relationship. It’s yours. [Read: 41 signs and steps to stop caring what people think and start living your life]

4. Explain how much you care for him

This is a big step you’ll have to take when learning how to propose to a man. If you forget to mention how much he means you to and how much you care for him, he may see your proposal as you just wanting a wedding.

If you take the time to actually stop and tell him what he means to you, it’ll be less weird that you’re the one asking for his hand. Since he’ll know how much you love him, he’ll be more likely to say yes.

5. Know him inside and out

You should know him deeply if you want to marry him anyways, but it’s essential that you know how he’d react to a proposal. If you know he won’t be very happy with you doing the asking, then you obviously shouldn’t ask.

In order to get to know him this well, you need to have been together for a very long time. Some men need more time than others to determine if you’re the person he wants to be with forever.

Be patient and make sure you’ve at least discussed marriage first. [Read: 94 super cute questions to ask your boyfriend for a fun, happy conversation]

6. Plan for his reaction

You have to be realistic. It’s possible that, no matter how well you know him, he’ll still be upset by the proposal. And that could be for a number of reasons.

Maybe he was planning to ask soon. Maybe he wants to wait a while before marriage. You’ll want to be ready for how he’ll react so you can alter your approach accordingly.

7. Be unique

As if proposing to a man isn’t unique enough already! But, you have to make it special and super-unique.

He’ll be less likely to be offended and emasculated if you plan a really cool proposal. If there’s a good story attached to it, he’ll be more accepting of it. [Read: Perfect date – 36 secrets to be a good date, plan an ideal one, and impress them]

8. Think about his ego

A lot of men have huge egos—that’s just how they are. You really have to make sure you’re not going to crush it by proposing to him before he’s ready. Make sure you’ve talked about the idea of marriage together before randomly popping the question.

9. Don’t do it if you know he’ll be offended

Some men are very traditional. They like doing things the old-fashioned way and will get upset if you stray from that. Sometimes you just have to be patient.

If you want to get married, have a discussion about the future together. This will get his mind moving in the right direction and if he feels the same, he’ll propose to you. [Read: Is your boyfriend going to propose? 21 signs and hints to get him to do it]

10. Make sure you 100% want to marry him

This should be obvious, but you’d be surprised how many women want to know how to propose to a man just so they can say they did it. They want to show how “badass” they are but don’t actually want marriage.

You shouldn’t want to propose to your man for any other reason than because you really want to spend your life with him. That’s the only time you should move forward with proposal plans.

11. Consider your partner’s stance on marriage

We mentioned that you should have discussed marriage at some point, but what is your partner’s stance on it? Have they voiced a dislike of marriage or have they told you they love the idea at some point in the future?

Don’t push things by proposing if you’re not sure he’s going to want to go through with it. Remember, you’ll have a marriage at the end of this—it’s not only about a wedding party. [Read: My girlfriend wants to get married, but I don’t!]

12. Buy two rings

And why not? A ring makes a proposal more real and it shows that you took the time to plan it. Plus, it will take the heat off him for not having got you a ring beforehand.

13. Be yourself

This really goes without saying. When learning how to propose to a man, you can read all the advice you want, but you have to be yourself otherwise it’s going to come across as super fake.

If you’re a generally humorous person, make sure you inject a little of that at the right time. If you’re ready at expressing your feelings, go for it. Just be yourself. [Read: 33 secrets to be true to yourself and 15 signs you need to unfake your life]

14. Practice your proposal speech

Proposals are pretty emotional things and you might end up getting choked up and forget your speech. Practice it beforehand and you’ll feel more confident about what you’re about to do.

You know your guy and you know whether he’ll react better to a long, gushing speech or something a little shorter and more concise. Go with your gut on this one. [Read: Subtle body language moves to appear more confident]

15. Decide if you want to kneel

Some do, some don’t. What do you think? Some people just aren’t comfortable with getting down on one knee and prefer to be face to face and at equal height with their partner.

If you’re more traditional, maybe getting down on one knee is for you.

Think about it beforehand and you won’t be stuck in a ‘should I/shouldn’t I’ cycle in the heat of the moment.

Don’t listen to so-called societal rules

For a long time, the idea of a woman proposing to a man was met with laughter. Then it became a little more mainstream and people didn’t see it as quite a taboo thing.

Yet, we’re still not at the total acceptance stage, and for many people, it’s something that shouldn’t happen.

But who decides all of this? So-called societal rules are nothing but myths. If you feel you want to do this and you know that your guy will react favorably, why shouldn’t you let him know how much you want to spend your life with him?

But of course, we can’t deny that some guys would feel emasculated by a woman asking for their hand in marriage. In that case, think carefully before popping the question.

[Read: Is he the one? 32 signs to know if he’s the one who’s perfect for you]

Knowing how to propose to a man without making him feel like less of a man isn’t the easiest thing. But if you follow the tips above, you’ll get that “yes!” and have one happy fiancé.