26% of couples get engaged over the holidays. 
That means that if he's going to pop the question over the next twelve months, there's a pretty decent chance it's going to happen SOON. That's right, even now anxious grooms are palming velvet boxes all across the Hudson Valley.
Why over the holidays? Is it the chilly weather that makes him want to get a little closer?
Well, according to this New York Times article, the holidays are a time for reflection on family and the future. Your whole family is gathered together and it makes sense to share it with them. Plus, don't forget that healthy dose of family expectation pushing him over the edge.
"Think about it. You're about to spend the holidays with your in-laws. There's a little pressure there to step up and propose," said Mark Vandon, CEO of Blue Nile, the online jewelry retailer.
Those poor guys feel a lot of pressure to get the proposal just right. But according to the Robbins Bros. Annual Survey On Engagement Trends, they're sweating the wrong stuff; guys should be worrying about the ring, not the proposal.
50% of women prefer more bling rather than an elaborate proposal.
If you just happen to get engaged over the next couple months...what's the first thing you should do?
Well, here's what you should NOT do...
Don't tell.
It's tough to do when you're just dying to blurt it out to everyone you meet and flash around Mr. Sparkly, but as soon as you leak the news, everyone starts filling your head with exactly what you should do, and where, and how...
Everyone means well. You know they do. But faster than you can say Jordan almonds, your mother, future mother-in-law, girlfriends, aunts and cousins have planned the whole day for you.
If you can keep your lips sealed, take a little time out with your fiance to talk about your wedding day dreams before the peanut gallery chimes in.
One of our couples shared their experience. He proposed just before a long weekend they spend camping, just the two of them. Megan and Jeff were
able to share a few days savoring their secret, talking about their dream wedding around the camp fire.
"Even though our wedding plans changed a lot before the actual wedding day," Megan said, "it was the perfect way to get engaged. No one was around to influence us and tell us what to do. We just talked about our wedding dreams. It was wonderful."
So if a new, shiny ten karat friend takes residence on your ring finger over the next few weeks, try to steal a few moments for just the two of you before you shout the news from the rafters.
Did you have a holiday engagement? Leave a comment to share your story.
