Photo: Getty Images
Ready to put a ring on it, but he hasn't dropped to one knee yet? Who says you have to wait? Women are breaking down cultural taboos across all platforms — from where we work to what we're paid and how we can dress — so it should come as no surprise that more ladies are taking matters into their own hands by popping the big question to their boyfriends (um, remember Monica and Chandler?). So if you're pondering the path less proposed, consider these tips from Michele Velazquez, owner of The Heart Bandits, a company that helps men and women plan their proposals (She's helped two female clients successfully ask their men to marry them.)
1. Make sure you're doing it for the rights reasons. If you're madly in love and ready to take the next step — and feels he is, too — then by all means, move forward. "If you don't think he's ready to propose and you just take matters into your own hands, that's a bad reason," says Velazquez. "If he's not ready, he's not ready."
See More: Why Your Boyfriend Isn't Proposing
2. If your man is traditional or conventional, the idea of being on the receiving end of a proposal could be off-putting rather than romantic. "Some men really do value the traditional and would find it weird if the woman took on that role," says Velazquez. "So just make sure he is the type who can handle it first."
See More: Our New Hero: The Guy Who Proposed to All of the Disney Princesses
3. Can you a handle a no? If not, popping the question may not be for you. "Just as a man has to be prepared for that, a woman should also be prepared for the fact that her man may say no," Velazquez reasons. "In this case, he may say no because he wants to be the one to ask."
4. If you do get a yes, don't reach for your phone. Instead, let him announce the big news. "He may need time to digest that you popped the question on him," Velazquez says. "Let him be the one to figure out how we wants to announce the big news."
Would you ever propose to your boyfriend? Tweet us your thoughts @BRIDES!