Founder & Editor of proposal website Engagement 101, Severine Ferrari, weighs-in on taking the next steps towards an engagement, and why women are proposing to men now more than ever.
By: Emily Goldman
Photo Courtesy of Engagement 101
BG: What are ways to drop hints that you are ready to take the next level with your partner?
Severine Ferrari: It’s okay to drop hints about your engagement ring, but when it comes to committed relationships, open and straightforward communication is the best way to go. If you are too passive aggressive when articulating what you want, your partner might not take you seriously or might not really hear what you have to say. Chances are that the more assertive you are, the quicker your relationship will get to the next level.
BG: When did you see the trend of women proposing to men start taking off?
SF: We [Engagement 101] communicate often behind the scenes with just-engaged or soon-to-be engaged women. We started noticing that several of them had proposed first to their boyfriend or were thinking of doing so. However, just a few would come forward to tell their story because of the stigma of doing so. I watch the Bachelorette, and she pretty much proposes, so why aren’t more women taking the lead IRL? I felt that we needed to create a platform to show that it is okay to talk about proposing first, and we can share more stories and motivate more women to start the process.
BG: Why the "Propose Too" movement?
SF: Propose Too is an initiative to empower women to propose back or propose first to their boyfriend. Same sex couples are having double proposals. It is so romantic when women decide to propose back to their boyfriend. Why just say “yes?” Let’s make it about him, too. And for women like me who are confident and in a relationship with a man who supports women’s empowerment, there’s no reason not to initiate the proposal. Lastly, I believe that young millennials and generation Z will embrace Propose Too. Gender roles are being redefined, and there’s no way that this generation of women will choose to wait for guys to pop the question.
