Ask in person! It’s sad that this even has to be said, but unless you’re long-distance or having a celebrity ask over a video, you absolutely have to ask your date in person. Live action, if you will. It makes it so much more meaningful and you’ll save yourself from rejection.

Make a sign and make it heartfelt! You know the person you’re asking, right? Then add in a special personal touch! Find their favorite music artist, movie, celebrity, or literally anything, and incorporate it into your promposal. If you made a sign, make a pun around one of their favorite things. It might seem cheesy, but it really shows how much you know and care about the person you’re asking.

Bring flowers! You don’t have to have a huge bouquet or expensive flowers; it’s the thought that counts. Flowers aren’t absolutely necessary, but it’s always a nice touch, and who doesn’t like flowers! 

Please, please, please be creative! Take your time in planning your promposal, and make sure it’s creative and thoughtful. Pinterest is a great place to find some inspiration and make your promposal different. Add some photos of the two of you, add some props, and make it unique!

The biggest no-no is not promposing. Just because you’ve been dating for three years doesn’t mean you don’t need to prompose. Like, at least have a conversation about it. You can’t just assume that you’re going together; someone has to take the sacrifice and prompose. Believe me, if you don’t prompose, it probably won’t end very well.

Don’t make a sign that just reads “Prom?” and has checkboxes to answer. Where’s the creativity? This is literally the bare minimum. If you’re asking a friend, then maybe, but this shows no effort. And then it’s just awkward when you have to stand there and wait for them to check one of the boxes. It’d be even worse if you forgot the pen.

Do not embarrass the person you’re asking. This will not get them to like you. On the other hand, embarrassing yourself can be a romantic act. This can be like the scene in “10 Things I Hate About You” when Patrick embarrasses himself and almost gets arrested (please don’t get arrested).

Don’t make it about yourself. Make it about the person you’re asking. This is a controversial one, but it needs to be personal, and you need to make the person you’re asking feel special. Let go of your ego for two seconds and let someone else be in the spotlight for once.