Exetercation: What do you propose to do?

You’ve spent nearly a year in lockdown with each other and your beloved hasn’t developed any annoying habits, you’ve got on well just perfectly and you actually feel this time has confirmed your sneaky suspicions. Yes - you are absolutely smitten and never mind spending lockdown together, you want to spend the rest of your life together!

You don’t want to wait another minute before popping the question - you’ve been able to buy a ring online, use a family heirloom, or made one from a ring pull (recycle upcycle right?) or you forward to that special shopping trip together in the future.

But how to go about it, no hot air balloon, fancy restaurant or romantic trip away are on the cards anytime soon! Fear not, grand romantic gestures are all about the thought not the expense, so here’s our top tips to set the scene and make the moment magically memorable...

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Treasure hunt

This takes a little forward planning - you’ll need a series of clues that will lead on to the next clue, preferably something meaningful to the both of you. First of all you need to decide where it will start - at the front door when they arrive home from work, on their pillow as they wake up/go to bed or where they start their morning routine (bathroom mirror, kitchen kettle, next to the dogs lead, you get the idea!) You then need to decide are you going to be waiting at the last clue down on one knee or are you going to wrap a box with the question/ring inside. Top tip: It could be an idea to set up a camera to catch the magical moment or you could video the whole treasure hunt!

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Romantic meal for two

You can’t go wrong with a romantic meal for two. Make sure you set the scene with a nicely laid table, candles and low lighting! You could follow one of our Exetercation recipes or there are plenty of local food delivery services who will happily cater for a special meal. All you need to decide is - do you put the ring in the dessert, champagne or be safe and propose on one knee with the ring safely in its box! 

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Ask the man's best friend

Do you have a beloved family cat or dog? Why not tie or loop the ring and a note to their collar and send them over to your significant other.

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Get the children involved

If you have children, why not get them involved! Tuck a note into their pocket or ask them to take an envelope to your partner if they are slightly older, get them to hold up 'Marry Me' posters or you could even record a video!

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Breakfast in bed

This is a real treat for most people anyway, but you can easily make this extra special! Freshly brewed coffee, squeezed fruit juice, strawberries with melted chocolate or keep it simple with fresh toast/waffles with extra toppings! It’s all about presentation - so grab a lovely tray with napkin and tray cloth, a single flower in a vase or on the tray and tie the ring to the stem of the flower if you wanted to!

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Host a zoom quiz

Ask your friends and family to get involved in this special moment! Create a zoom quiz where the last question is 'Will you marry me' - not only will you get to share the moment but you can also have it recorded too!

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Write a letter

Does your partner always opens the post? Send the question in the post, disguise your handwriting and wait with the ring for when they finish reading your letter.

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Embark on a stroll

Use your daily exercise hour to go to for a romantic walk in Exeter, we live in such a beautiful city you will be spoilt for choice of beautiful parks and countryside as a backdrop! We suspect fellow local walkers will cheer at a social distance at such a lovely romantic gesture.

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Have a movie night

Instead of watching a film, present a slideshow/video of all your favourite moments and have the last slide say 'Will you marry me?'

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Draw a bath

Scatter petals and your partner's favourite products in the bath, light candles, pour a glass of their favourite drink and allow them to relax! Now you can either tie your proposal to their dressing gown, put it on top of the fluffy towels you’ve left or write it in the steamy mirror! You can do this in advance of running the bath by using wet soap - dab your finger in the soap, make the writing big enough to be clear (at this point it will be quite obvious so you need to remove most of it without smearing it), get some tissue on your fingertip and go over the writing until you can no longer see it, then when the mirror steams your proposal will show up!

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