Involving your children or your significant other’s children in your proposal is a wonderful way to make them feel included in your decision, and is a great opportunity to illustrate your love and provide extra reassurance of their place in your heart. Here are some ways to include your children in a proposal…

Cook a family dinner

Another great idea to get all hands on deck is to make a family dinner, whether it’s complex or simple, five courses or a barbecue. And the main event, of course, is dessert. You could bring it out under the lid of a fancy piece of silverware and invite your partner to whip it off, revealing a ring inside. Better than any chocolate cake, we guarantee!

Create a treasure hunt

This is a great game to set up at home, or in a public place like a park. Simply write clues on note cards, spread them around and then ask the whole family to start playing sleuth. To build a little extra suspense, throw in a few ring boxes along the way, filled with fun trinkets, until suddenly they get to the final treasure – at which point they open the lid to reveal an engagement ring. Cue laughter, tears, family joy and a great story to tell at the wedding.

Stage a sandcastle building contest

If you want to bite the bullet under a beautiful sky, take a lead from the great outdoors and do it family style, with a beachy activity everyone can participate in, such as a sandcastle building contest. The idea is that you have prizes for everyone from last place to first. For children, it can be something fun like a toy. However, for your spouse, things get a little more grown-up, maybe with a ring or some other engagement token you can compliment by dropping to one knee then and there.

Write a love song

If you are musically talented, why not consider writing a love song and then buying easy instruments – such as flutes or tambourines – so the children can accompany your first performance of the tune. At the start, you partner might just be impressed by the Partridge Family style bonding, but when you end with the lyrics “Will you marry me?”, it’s swoon factor guaranteed.

Will you marry me onesie

If you have a baby with your significant other, one adorable option is to order a onesie that says “Will you marry me?” on the front and then dress your little one in it to serve as an oh-so-cute surprise. If the kids are older, on the other hand, you could create a T-shirt for each one spelling out a different word from the proposal. Again, it’s a great way to make them feel involved – and will also make for sensational photo memories.

Bake a cake

This is an ingenious idea for involving the family, because let’s face it – what child doesn’t like cake? When the chocolate, vanilla or other flavoured confection is done, use icing, choc chips or anything else you fancy to spell out a proposal on top of the icing. Other ideas include using cupcakes, coffees or muffins – whatever your future spouse likes best. Just make sure you get a photograph before all the evidence disappears in a bite or two.

Create a special photo album

In this era of smartphones and selfies, family photos are easy to find, so team up with the children to create a very special album showing the various stages of your blended relationship. On the very last page, feature a picture of the kids holding a sign asking your partner to marry you. There really is no better way to get them involved and sharing the spotlight will make them feel included and important.

Grab some sidewalk chalk

Does an inner artist lurk within? If so, grab some sidewalk chalk and use the driveway to propose marriage in writing. The best bit is the canvas has plenty of room for the children to also unleash their decorating skills. The proposal will then be waiting when you partner returns home, as long as you make sure that they don’t just drive straight over it – and also that the weather doesn’t wash it away. “Will You Arr e” just doesn’t have quite the same impact.

Play a family game

If you all share a love of Monopoly, Go Fish and beyond, set up a family games night, making sure one of your planned activities can be reworked around a proposal. One idea is to choose a ‘popomatic’ game, where the engagement ring can take the place of the dice inside the popper. Alternatively, you could set up charades, giving you the perfect opportunity to act out ‘Will you marry me’ when your turn in the spotlight comes…

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