If you're wondering how to let your partner know you're ready for an engagement ring, here are six not-so-obvious hints you can try dropping.

People who have been dating their significant other for some time now and feel confident they've found ‘the one’ often come across one common problem—how to let their partner know they’re ready for the next step in the relationship.

The engagement ring is a big step, so how do you discuss it without making your partner feel obligated or jeopardizing a surprise proposal?

As with any other major milestone in the relationship—officially becoming a couple, getting to know each other's families, and taking a vacation alone together—talking about marriage is nothing short of exciting. However, it's understandably scary for most people to bring up the matter as it comes with inherent vulnerability and the risk of possible rejection.

Marriage talk should be fun and engaging for couples. But when a couple begins expressing their long-term relationship goals, they are often met with disappointment upon realizing they may not really be on the same page. And sadly, many women may avoid broaching the topic altogether out of fear of being labeled as a demanding nag.

So dropping subtle hints is fairly common and feels less intimidating when opening up the conversation about such a big life decision.

Here are a few ways to start your discussion about taking the relationship to the next level that is guaranteed to minimize feeling pushy or awkward.

Allude to Wedding-Related Matters

Talking about marriage is usually a serious conversation, but it helps lessen the pressure by easing into it or any talk of an engagement ring rather than bringing it up abruptly out of the blue. When the girlfriend does decide to broach the subject, she should make sure there are already wedding-related things to talk about.

For instance, when attending a wedding together, she can drop seemingly innocent comments. She can joke about who would be the most social at their own wedding or admire the wedding gown the bride wore. She can even tell her boyfriend something along the lines of, "I love the local band the couple hired! Maybe we could have them play at our wedding too!"

Another fool-proof approach is to bring up current events. If there are family members or friends who got engaged recently, the girlfriend could let her significant other know what she thinks about how the proposal went or share her thoughts about the engagement ring.

At this point, she should only initiate a general conversation about weddings, so keep it low-key, broad, light, and fun. This way, the girlfriend can show her partner that wedding nuptials are on her mind without making it seem like he needs to pop the question with an engagement ring right away.

She can also include less subtle hints. She can try searching engagement or wedding-related topics—such as wedding theme guides—and letting the boyfriend stumble upon it. For instance, when he borrows her laptop, she should have the browser open on that specific page.

Reference the Future Together

Rather than concentrating on how to get him to propose, the couple can discuss matters relating to their future that can possibly prompt the boyfriend to shop around for an engagement ring. The girlfriend can begin talking about the bigger picture of future life together and ask him to visualize the next five or so years.

Will they have any kids? Do they think they'll move out of the city anytime soon? What does their dream house look like?

By asking him open-ended questions like this, the girlfriend can gain a sense of perspective about where he's at and if his vision resonates with hers. Hopefully, this will inspire him to talk about marriage without even realizing it.

But the girlfriend should remember not to expect him to commit to anything concrete yet. These chats are merely ways of opening doors for conversations about marriage to take place.

Enlist Help From Family and Friends

The couple's family or close friends can gently encourage the boyfriend to consider looking up an engagement ring. They might clue him in about the girlfriend's openness to get engaged, compliment how amazing they are as a couple, and nudge him to propose before it's too late.

However, the girlfriend should make sure to weigh the advantages (as well as potential risks) of involving close friends or family members from either side. It wouldn't be good if everyone were constantly asking him when the proposal is going to happen.

When men are consistently pestered about this topic, they often feel they are being cornered. This will increase pressure where it isn't required. Let the boyfriend make this crucial decision on his own.

Spend Time With Happily Married Friends

When it comes to making the boyfriend feel at ease with the idea of tying the knot, the key is to hang out with healthy and happily married friends and family members. Consider inviting them to dinner or going out for drinks.

When he is around such couples, he may begin to see himself doing the same with his partner. He'll start picturing their wedding and the rest of their life together. Hopefully, hearing about their married friends' inspiring love life will tempt him to consider proposing marriage with a beautiful engagement ring.

The couple’s friends can also reassure him that marriage is a positive next step in life as a couple. This can then prompt conversations about the type of life the girlfriend hopes to achieve as a married woman.

Set Relationship Goals Together

The desire to get engaged typically comes down to the couple wanting to build a future together. Creating a romantic vision board together is a fun way to check in with each other to ensure you are operating on the same page about the direction of the relationship.

The girlfriend can start the conversation by talking about the goals she has set for herself. Then, she can begin working with her partner to make goals for the both of them as a couple, whether that's planning their next anniversary or committing to a weekend getaway every month.

When the couple talks about their goals and works towards them together, the girlfriend is subtly showing her partner that they are both in this together for the long haul. This can then lead to a discussion about strengthening their bond with an engagement ring and ultimately through marriage.

Nurture Open Communication

Regardless of how the girlfriend decides to let her partner know that she is ready to take the plunge, establishing a solid foundation in honesty and transparent communication is absolutely essential if they're planning to spend a lifetime together.

An engagement ring will not cure an unhealthy relationship.

However, it's totally fine to get the conversation going in a less obvious way too. Either method is acceptable as long as the girlfriend is upfront and honest with her partner.

If the girlfriend prefers to tackle the matter head-on, she should go for it. In fact, directly stating what she wants and her desire to get engaged soon is the best way to find out if her partner shares her goals.

After Your Engagement Ring Fitting, Shop For Your Dream Dress at Afarose

If the couple decides getting marriage is on their horizon, they can then start by discussing the fun wedding details, like looking for an engagement ring with matching wedding bands or shopping from home for bridal party attire such as the dream wedding dress from Afarose.

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