Deciding where and when to propose to your (hopefully) future spouse is always challenging.
But there’s one place you’re probably considering, which you should definitely avoid: At your favorite restaurant.
Here are six reasons why this is the worst idea you’ve had yet.
1. An audience
If you’re proposing in a restaurant, you’ll always have an audience. As soon as you pull the ring out your pocket (we really hope it is in your pocket and isn’t being served in dessert), you will have many, many sets of eyes on you. You better hope the response to your question is “Yes.”
2. Attention-seeking
While you may not mind being the center of attention of the wait staff, kitchen staff, and restaurant guests, your partner may not be so thrilled. Especially if the answer they want to give isn’t resoundingly positive. Propose somewhere more intimate and personal, further away from the public eye, and then go and celebrate at your favorite restaurant, rather than asking the question in front of what may feel like the whole world.
3. Nerve-wracking
If you plan to propose before dessert (as at least this way you avoid the risk of being rejected before you’ve even eaten your appetizers), then you’ll spend the entire evening leading up to the big moment stressed and nervous. This will make your other half think that something is wrong, creating the wrong atmosphere, and meaning that this is not the perfect, enjoyable evening you wanted it to be.
4. No overreaction
If you’re proposing in a refined and intimate restaurant, it’s not really acceptable to overreact to the proposal as you may want to. With the word “Yes” you may want to jump up and embrace, to squeal with delight, to burst into tears… But doing any of these in a restaurant involves attracting unwanted attention, receiving disapproving looks from other diners, and probably knocking over several glasses and plates.
5. The competition
If the restaurant where you have reserved a romantic table for two is a well-known date spot, or if you’re planning to propose on a holiday such as Valentine’s Day, you’re running the risk of sitting next to another soon-to-be-engaged couple. No couple wants their proposal to feel like a jealous copy-cat move.
6. Unoriginality
Ultimately, proposing in a restaurant is incredibly unoriginal. Yes, it may be where you went for your first date, or your favorite date night spot, but you could come up with a more creative way to pop the question than opting for chocolate writing on a restaurant’s dessert.
