Proposals are kind of a strange thing when you think about it. Most of us want them to be a surprise, but the reality is that if your partner proposed without you expecting it at all, you’d be likely to panic and run a mile! If you and your partner are going to get married, then one of the most important things that you need to do is to communicate with each other so that you know that you’re ready. This means that you normally at least have some idea that a proposal is in the cards. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you don’t want the perfectly spontaneous proposal, does it? (I told you they were kind of strange.) But getting the right proposal can be pretty tough. In order to make sure that you get the proposal that you really want, here are a few subtle ways that you can avoid leaving things to chance.

Drop Hints

There are a lot of little details that go into a proposal, and you want all of them to be just right. Short of providing your partner with a plan of exactly what they need to do, the best thing that you can do is to drop little hints here are there for them to pick up on. Things like pointing out engagement rings that are in a style that you really like, or perhaps telling them about particularly romantic spots that they could take you to. It can be tough to find the balance between being subtle and getting them to take the hint, but pointing these kinds of things out to them can make their planning of your proposal a whole lot easier.

Express Your Tastes

As wonderful as a proposal can be, if it goes wrong it can be a truly awful experience. If your partner decides to get down on one knee at the wrong moment, then that can completely ruin the whole thing. Make sure that you’re clear with your partner about how you do and do not want to be proposed to. If you’re a private person, then make sure that your partner knows that making some kind of big deal out of their proposal and doing it in front of everyone that you know really isn’t the best way to go about it!

Be Honest With Each Other

Of course, the most important thing when it comes to a proposal is knowing that you’re actually ready for it. Make sure that you and your partner are totally honest with each other and that you both know that you’re ready to take this huge step towards spending the rest of your lives together.

The funny thing is, even if you’ve been surprisingly involved in planning certain aspects of your own proposal, that doesn’t make the moment where it actually happens any less wonderful and magical. When your partner gets down on one knee and asks you to spend the rest of your life with them, that’s always going to be one of the most amazing and romantic moments in all of your lives.