Proposing to your girlfriend or significant other is a once-in-a-lifetime moment that should be special and unforgettable – for both you and her. If you’re looking for a unique and creative way to pop the question for her to marry you, a treasure hunt proposal might be just what you need!
A treasure hunt proposal is a fun and exciting way to lead your significant other to the final location where you will pop the question & propose. It involves creating a series of special, preferably romantic, clues that lead to the final location and hiding them in places that hold special meaning for you both.
In this guide, we will show you how to plan and execute a treasure hunt proposal that will surprise and delight your girlfriend or significant other – and hopefully lead to a “yes” answer in response to your big question!
Creating a Treasure Hunt for Marriage Proposal
Step 1: Overall Pre-Planning
The process of planning a treasure hunt proposal will be much easier if you have an idea in your mind of what the overall experience will look and feel like for your girlfriend. Rather than cobbling a few random things together – you want to have an overall vision of what this treasure hunt will look like.
Some questions to consider:
- Will your treasure hunt have a theme? (maybe a chronological review of your relationship…)
- Will the hunt involve multiple locations?
- Will your girlfriend have to drive from location to location?
- Will you be driving along with her?
- Will you be there right by her side for the entire hunt, or will she only find you at the final location?
- Will a friend of hers be recruited to assist you?
- How will she learn of the hunt?
Step 2: Plan the Route
The second step in creating a treasure hunt proposal is to plan the entire route. Decide on all of the locations where you will hide the clues and map out a logical order for your significant other to find them. Give particular thought to the starting point and an ending point for the treasure hunt. Try to choose locations that have some particular sentimental value. Maybe the place that you asked her out first, the place you first held hands, the place where you first kissed, etc.
Step 3: Create the Clues
Once you have mapped out the route, it’s time to create the clues. Write the clues in a way that is creative and fun. You can include riddles, puzzles, or even song lyrics that hint at the next location. You can also include pictures or drawings to make the clues more visually appealing. Try to incorporate physical objects that have special meaning for the two of you to make it extra special. For example- you might have a note rolled up in an empty & re-corked bottle of wine that is one of your favorite wines to share as a couple. We will cover clues in more depth below.
Step 4: Ensure the Clues Create a Trail to the Final Location
Once your girlfriend starts the treasure hunt, she should be able to follow the clues, one-by-one, in the right order, ultimately leading her to the final location where you will finally take a knee and propose. the LAST thing you want is a logic gap or oversite in your clues to leave her stranded somewhere without a next destination.
Step 5: Hide the Clues
Carefully hide the clues in the chosen locations. Make sure they are not too difficult to find, but also not too obvious. I would recommend that maybe you use unique physical “containers” for each of the clues – such as a wine bottle, favorite book, DVD sleeve, etc. This will only add to the special experience for your girlfriend.
If the clues are going to be hidden in public places – make provisions to ensure they aren’t stolen by other people. If there is staff present at the location – maybe they would be receptive to keeping an eye on the hidden clue for you so some unintended person doesn’t walk off with it. Or maybe you can simply hide in the shadows to keep an eye on it yourself. Finally, maybe you need to recruit a helper to only hide the clue in the designated hiding spot immediately before you girlfriend arrives at the location. Have your assistant keep a set of eyes on the clue – until the intended recipient has it safely in her hands. I have had to do this for several treasure hunts we have done in public spaces for the kids!
The point is – you need to put some thought into how they will be hidden and how to ensure that one piece of the puzzle doesn’t go missing – because that could derail the entire hunt!
Step 6: Prepare the Final Location – the Point of Proposal
The final location should be a special place that has a lot of meaning for both of you. It could be a place where you first met, a place where you shared a special moment, or even a place you have always talked about visiting together. Make sure you have everything set to be there when you need it to be. If you are going to have special decorations there – make sure they are there and put up. If you plan on recording the proposal – have your camera set up and charged so you can capture the moment and look back on it in the future.
Step 7: The Proposal
Do the deed! When your significant other reaches the final location, you can get down on one knee and ask her to marry you. If you have taken care to plan this event – you can have confidence in knowing you have done everything that you can do and have control over. The rest is up to her!
Step 8: Celebrate!
Provided you got the answer you wanted – have plans to celebrate your new engagement! You might need to already have made reservations at your favorite restaurant – so you can celebrate the engagement by having a romantic dinner together. Or have a time and place set up to go out with friends and family. You can also include a small gift or keepsake to make the proposal more memorable.
Types of Romantic Clues you can use for a Treasure Hunt Proposal
There are many types of clues that you can use in a treasure hunt proposal – but because you are asking your girlfriend to marry you – you might want to make them as romantic as possible, Here are a few ideas and examples of the types of romantic clues you might want to use for a treasure hunt proposal:
Poems: Write a short poem that describes your feelings for your girlfriend and includes a hint about the next location or the final proposal location.
Love Letters: Write a heartfelt love letter to your significant other and include a clue to the next location or the final proposal location.
Memory Lane: Create a clue that takes your girlfriend down memory lane by mentioning a special date or place that holds significance for the both of you.
Romantic Quotes: You can use romantic quotes that have special meaning to you and your significant other, or quotes that hint at the final proposal location.
Music &/or Song Lyrics: You can use a special song that holds a special meaning to you and your girlfriend, or song lyrics that hints at the final proposal location.
Riddles: These can be fun and challenging clues that will require your significant other to think creatively to solve. You can include riddles that hint at the next location or the final proposal location.
Puzzles: These can be word puzzles, crosswords or Sudoku puzzles that will keep your girlfriend entertained as they work to find the next clue.
Photos, Drawings or Picture Clues: You can include photos (of things, places), drawings or romantic pictures of the two of you together that depict the next location or the final proposal location. This will make the clues more visually appealing and also add a personal touch.
Maps: You can create a map that leads to the next location or the final proposal location. This is a great way to add a sense of adventure to the treasure hunt.
Scavenger Hunt Style: A scavenger hunt style clue can be a list of romantic items or tasks that your significant other needs to find or complete before they can move on to the next clue.
Personalized Touches: You can include personal touches like inside jokes, special dates or things such as a favorite flower, a special place or a favorite dish in the treasure hunt proposal. These personalized touches will make the clues, locations and indeed, the entire treasure hunt more romantic and personal for your girlfriend.
QR Codes: You can use QR codes to provide clues, which can be scanned to reveal the next location or a video message from you. I have used this approach in some of our treasure hunts over the years. It sort of allows you to be there playing another role, or in another capacity. Pretty easy to do – and it really shows that a lot of thought and energy has been put into her very special treasure hunt!
These are just a few examples of the types of clues that you can use in a treasure hunt proposal. You can get creative and come up with your own unique clues that suit your relationship and the specific location you have in mind.
Romantic Clue Container Ideas:
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- A piece of jewelry that holds a picture (something like a heart shaped locket).
- A small velvet or silk pouch for holding a ring or other piece of jewelry (but there is actually a clue inside).
- A romantic decorative picture frame with a letter or picture containing a clue…
- A special photo album or memory book (maybe empty – so you can fill it with memories).
- A DVD sleeve from a movie – say something like “Father of the Bride“…
- A romantic book or poem, or even a marriage book with the clue hidden inside.
- A wine or champagne bottle with the clue hidden on the label or cork.
- The recorked bottle of a favorite wine of you as a couple that is empty -except for a clue inside.
- A custom-made piece of art or sculpture.
- A unique and meaningful item that holds special significance to the two of you.
- A special candle with the clue hidden on the bottom or inside the wax.
- A heart shaped box of chocolates with the clue hidden inside.
- Nested heart shaped boxes – maybe have them get larger as she gets closer to the final destination…
- A music box with the clue hidden on the bottom or inside the lid.
- A flower with the clue hidden inside the petals.
Other Treasure Ideas
So maybe you are thinking at this point – that you do a treasure hunt for something different than just a marriage proposal. Maybe for a significant or milestone anniversary, maybe to announce you (the wife) are pregnant, or really any other momentous life event.
Or maybe you want to ask your significant other to marry you – but still want there to be a big treasure at the end of the hunt – in addition to you on bended knee.
Here are some ideas:
- A romantic getaway / vacation / honeymoon package.
- His & Hers towels, mugs or other items.
- A diaper/bottle/stuffed animal – announcing you are expecting!
- A heartfelt letter or poem.
- A picnic setup with champagne fluted glasses.
- A new electric car!
Other Thoughts & Considerations:
You might want to quiz your girlfriend regarding special dates, places & relationship milestones a couple of weeks before you plan on treasure hunt proposal. That way you can make sure that you both remember things the same way and you don’t make any embarrassing mistakes when creating your clues! She might find it very distracting if you don’t have your facts & figures correct – and it might detract from the overriding goal here!
If you are going to be using some public places – you really might want to enlist the help of an assistant or two as I mentioned above. You don’t want any of your clues to walk away by themselves. Having a second set of eyes could really help in both policing the clues &
Conclusion:
By following these steps, you will be able to create a treasure hunt proposal that is creative, fun and romantic, and will make your proposal an unforgettable moment for both of you.
A treasure hunt proposal is a unique and creative way to pop the question. By following these steps, you will be able to create & plan a surprise treasure hunt proposal that will surprise and delight your significant other. Good luck and happy proposing!
Sincerely,
