As February is known as “the month of love” and if you think you’re ready to get down on one knee and ask the love of your life to marry you, you might want to familiarize yourself with these do’s and don’ts guidelines before diving into your wedding proposal, courtesy of the Granny Mouse Country House & Lodge General Manager, Sean Granger.

Marriage Proposal Don’ts

• Don’t share your plans with everyone: People are naturally bad at keeping secrets, so don’t risk the surprise by sharing your plans with everyone and their brother. After all, you’ve got the rest of your lives to tell other people about your marriage, but you’ve only got one chance to make your engagement perfect.
• Don’t be a copycat: You should definitely try to be unique and creative with your proposal. Don’t copy the marriage proposal that went viral on social media because chances are, your soon-to-be fiancé saw it too!
• Don’t propose without a ring: If you’re looking for the perfect way to ruin a proposal it’s doing it with no ring. Showing up empty-handed suggests poor planning. If you aren’t sure of what style your partner might prefer or what size they are, rather purchase your ring from a jeweler with a flexible exchange policy.
• Don’t propose in front of an audience: Carefully consider how your partner feels about privacy and personal display of affection. Unless you are 100% certain they would want a public proposal, don’t propose in front of an audience! It is much easier to make the proposal personal and most people would prefer to have that magical moment be intimate.

Marriage Proposal Do’s

• Make it sentimental: Another reason not to copy another couple. No two couples are exactly alike, neither should two proposals be the same. Go to your favorite spot for a night out or the place you first met. Present a family heirloom rather than a brand-new piece of jewelry. Incorporate your song. There are lots of ways to customize this moment – make sure it’s memorable and unique to you!
• Speak directly from your heart: When it all comes down to it, the proposal is one of the biggest moments of your relationship, and it’s important to speak from the heart when doing it. For some people, this will mean beautiful words that wouldn’t seem out of place in a movie. For others, it’s enough to just say: “I love you and want us to be together forever. Will you marry me?” And if you’ve picked the right person, either approach – or something in between – will be more than enough. Now is the perfect opportunity to tell them why they’re the one for you, what marriage means to you and what your hopes for the future are.
• Get down on one knee: As much as times have changed, there is still something so charming and romantic about your partner getting down on one knee, asking the love of your life to marry them. Even if you’re not a traditionalist, it will make the proposal more memorable.
• Capture the moment! Even though this occasion is incredibly intimate, your proposal is something you definitely still want to have pictures of. Why not secretly have a camera man who can capture the moment as you propose and hopefully, get a YES!

Now that you have a basic guideline, the perfect location to do a romantic proposal or even your wedding is of course Granny Mouse, just as a suggestion! (hint hint)!