If you and your boyfriend have been together for a long time and you think that the time has come to start planning for the future. If there has been no talk of a proposal and you think maybe it's time to give him a little nudge or hint. Just to get him started thinking in the right direction. Here are some suggestions on ways to get him to come around to your way of thinking.



You shouldn't rush in to anything; it takes time to get to know each other. However, if you have been seriously dating for over a year you might want to start giving little hints about the future. You can casually bring it up in a conversation that indirectly involves the topic of marriage.

For example, you can mention someone else who just got married or engaged recently. Or you could make a comment on a wedding gown in a window or a magazine or something similar. You don't want to rush in and set him down for a serious conversation, unless you have at least casually talked about it in passing.

Don't be too concerned if he expresses a little shock. It could just mean that he really hadn't given it much thought before; because he was happy with the situation as it is. Now on the other hand, if he jumps out of his seat and says, “What are you talking about?” don't be too alarmed, it is probably just a gut reaction. Don't pressure him to talk about it, just change the subject. You can bring it up again later, after he has had time to think about it.

Then after the initial talk and he has had time to think about the idea of marriage you can bring it up to him again in a non-threatening way. You don't want to make him feel like he is being pushed in a corner. If you say something like, “Where's this relationship going?” That will just make him defensive and he might put up walls to protect himself.

Now that you have gotten past the awkward stage; and both of you are on the same page. You are sure that marriage is in your future. Then it might be time to start giving hints on what type of ring you would like. One way to give him ideas is to discuss your preferences with your friends and family. He will probably ask one of them for their help and also make sure to let them know your ring size.

You can make comments on other people's rings or you can point out diamonds in a magazine. Or the next time you're in the mall together, you can browse the jewelry stores for fun and comment on the different styles of rings. You can do things like this just to give him an idea of what type of style of ring you prefer.