When you’re in a relationship, there are always signs that things are getting serious.
The most obvious sign is when your guy finally pops the question, but sometimes there are other clues that he’s ready to take things to the next level.
Really, though, the thought of being engaged is exciting.
What will the ring look like?
Where will he pop the question?
Will it be a family affair or just the two of you?
But what are some signs he bought an engagement ring and will soon propose?
And how can you prepare yourself for the big moment?
Here are 23 tell-tale signs that your boyfriend has purchased the perfect engagement ring and will soon propose:
23 Signs He Bought an Engagement Ring: Signs He Will Propose Soon
1. He starts to act differently around you
If your partner starts to become more attentive and loving towards you, it could be a sign that he’s preparing to propose.
He may start showering you with compliments and doing small things to make you happy.
This behavior change is usually a sign that he’s ready to take your relationship to the next level.
Because, if you wanna ask someone to marry you, you have to be sure things are fine between the two of you.
2. He’s always asking what ring size you are
What’s the point of buying a ring if it doesn’t fit?
If your boyfriend is regularly asking you about your ring size, he’s likely trying to find out what size ring he should buy for you.
Or he’s been shopping for an engagement ring and wants to make sure he gets the right one.
Whether he’s coming right out and asking what your ring size is or he’s casually sneaking it into conversation (e.g., “Do you have any rings I could try on?” or “Whose hands are bigger, yours or mine?”), this is one of the signs he’s planning to buy an engagement ring.
He might also likely ask your friends and family for advice.
3. He asks what type of ring you like
If he’s getting ready to pop the question, he’ll want to make sure that the ring he gives you is one you love.
He may ask you if there are certain types of rings that you like or dislike.
He might ask if there are certain types of stones you like and dislike or whether you’d prefer a gold or silver setting.
4. He talks a lot about marriage
If your guy starts talking a lot about marriage—whether it’s weddings or marriage in general—he may be testing the waters to see if you share his feelings on the matter.
It’d be a costly mistake to assume that every woman dreams of the big white dress, so he’s likely trying to gauge your opinion on marriage and if you’d be open to it.
If he’s a smart guy, he wouldn’t want to find out your opinion on marriage during the proposal (rejection). lol
5. He suddenly becomes interested in your family and friends
This is a biggie.
You don’t just marry someone; you marry their family and friends as well.
When you marry, you gain a whole new set of family members and friends.
So it only makes sense that if your guy is serious about marriage, he’d want to get to know the people in your life.
He may start asking questions about them, trying to attend events that involve them, or making an effort to meet and build relationships with them.
This is also to make sure that they like him and will approve of the relationship before popping the question.
He will probably want them to know who he is and what he does for a living before he goes ahead and asks for your hand in marriage.
This is a definite sign that he’s thinking of getting married.
6. He shows an interest in where you come from
If you have never talked about where you grew up but suddenly notice that your boyfriend is very interested in hearing all the stories of your childhood, then this could be a sign that he’s planning on becoming a part of your family.
He might want to know all about your parents, siblings, and extended family in order to make sure he feels comfortable with them.
He may also be thinking of how you will fit into his family and what sort of role he wants you to play in it.
If he’s a really thoughtful, intentional, and sentimental guy, he may want to know more about where you are from because he could be thinking about proposing there.
7. He surprises you with a trip
Proposing on romantic, exotic trips is one of the most popular ways for couples to get engaged.
If your boyfriend has been planning a surprise trip for you two and speaking about it excitedly, bro may have marriage in mind.
He may also have been telling you to pack certain things that you never would have thought to bring before, such as a nice dress or suit.
8. He starts to talk about the future
Proposing is just one part of marriage.
It’s also about a couple’s future together, which I believe is even more important.
If your boyfriend has been talking about the future a lot, such as where you two will be living and how many kids you may have, it could be because he’s thinking about asking for your hand in marriage soon.
This is a sign of a man who knows what he’s doing, not one who just wants to propose for the sake of it.
He wants to make sure you’re both on the same page before he pops the question.
9. He starts looking at rings online
When a man gets serious about proposing to his girlfriend, he’ll often start looking at rings online, sometimes even while he’s sitting next to you.
He may start researching rings in his spare time when you are not around.
If you notice the search history on his phone or computer, this could be a clue that he’s onto something.
10. He becomes close with one of your friends
Unless you’re in a super-close group of friends, this can seem like a red flag.
But, if you trust your friends, this is a positive sign.
So, if your boyfriend starts hanging out with one of your best friends more often than usual, he might be asking her for advice on how to propose.
Your friend might also be helping him pick out a ring or plan the proposal.
After all, who knows what women want better than other women?
I once helped my friend’s ex-boyfriend to buy an engagement ring for her!
So, if one of your friends asks you questions about your dream proposal or what kind of ring you’d like, she knows something is up.
A good way to tell if your guy is close with one of your friends is that all of a sudden, that friend will start acting weird around you.
They’ll be all nervous and jumpy, and they won’t be able to look you in the eye or make conversation.
They probably can’t wait to tell you all about what happened, but they don’t want to give anything away.
11. He gets nervous around you
If your boyfriend is planning to propose soon, he probably feels a little nervous when he’s around you.
He might get tongue-tied occasionally or say silly things when he’s flustered.
He might even avoid eye contact because he knows his plan is top secret and doesn’t want to give anything away by accident.
Keep an eye out for these little slip-ups.
12. He pays more attention to his appearance and style
This is one of the oldest signs he has bought an engagement ring.
A guy who’s about to propose knows he should go out of his way to look his best.
He might get a new haircut or start wearing clothes that make him feel more confident.
Even if he doesn’t say anything, he wants you to notice the changes and be impressed with how handsome he looks.
This is a surefire sign that something’s up!
13. All of a sudden, he has a lot of secrets he needs to hide from you
He isn’t necessarily hiding anything major from you (although he might be), but all of a sudden, you’re noticing that he is being secretive about little things.
You may notice that your boyfriend is suddenly trying to hide his cell phone or computer screen when you walk into the room.
He doesn’t want you to see the sites he’s been browsing for rings.
14. He hints that he is saving up for something special
If your boyfriend can’t keep a secret, he may start dropping hints about something he’s saving up for.
He wants you to know that he is planning something big and special but that he’ll need some help from you if it’s going to work out.
He might have a hard time looking you in the eye when you ask him directly what he is doing with all that money.
At other times, he may be very open about telling you that he wants to save up enough to buy something nice, but he won’t tell you what it is.
15. Lingering at the jewelry department
The next sign is that when the two of you go shopping together, he will linger in the jewelry department longer than usual, and you may even see him looking at engagement rings or wedding bands by himself.
He may even try on a few rings for size or just to see how they look on his hand.
If this happens more than once, then this could be a sign that he has already made up his mind to marry you.
16. He’s been asking your friends and family a lot of questions
Friends and family usually have the best insights into the lives of their loved ones.
If your man has been asking them a lot of questions about marriage or proposing, then it could be a sign that he is ready to take the next step in your relationship.
For example, if he asks your dad how he proposed to your mom, this could be a sign that he wants to propose soon, too.
Or if your friends are planning their weddings and he starts asking lots of questions about the details like where they found their venue, who made their cake or even what kind of flowers they have in their bouquet, this could be because he’s starting to get ideas for his wedding.
17. You find a ring box hidden at home or in his car
Many men prefer not to carry the ring around with them all the time for fear of losing it or damaging it.
They might keep it in a safe place at home or in their car until they are ready to pop the question.
So if you find a ring box in either of these places, this might be a sign that he’s planning to propose soon.
18. He invites you to spend the holidays with his family
If your boyfriend has started inviting you over to his parents’ house for Christmas and Thanksgiving, it could mean he’s trying to get his family used to the idea of having you around (as their future daughter-in-law).
After all, no guy wants to propose if he knows his parents won’t approve.
19. He is crazy about you
No sensible guy will propose to a woman unless he is absolutely crazy about her.
So, if your boyfriend is always talking about how wonderful and amazing you are, it could be a sign that he’s getting ready to take the plunge.
He might also shower you with gifts and compliments, make grand gestures for no reason at all, or just let his guard down around you in ways he never has before.
He probably can’t wait to make you his wife!
20. He makes plans with you in mind
If a guy wants to propose to you, he won’t make plans without you in mind.
Since he’ll be making you his wife soon, he won’t take a job that’d force him to be away from you for long periods of time.
He won’t move to another city without having discussed it with you first.
He’ll check in to make sure that the plans he’s making are ones you both agree on and will be happy with.
This is a sign that he’s committed to creating a future together, and that could very well end up with him getting down on one knee!
21. He introduces you as his girlfriend
If your boyfriend introduces you as “my girlfriend” instead of “my date” or “my friend,” it means that he wants people to know that he is committed to you and only to you.
And he is proud of having a relationship with you.
22. He starts asking for your opinion on things more frequently
Perhaps when you guys first started dating, he struggled with taking your advice on things.
Now that he is serious about you, he will likely start asking for your opinion on all sorts of things and really value what you have to say.
Having a life partner means that you have to make decisions together, and if your boyfriend values your opinion and thoughts on things, it is a sure sign that he wants to move your relationship in the direction of marriage.
23. He says he can’t imagine life without you
Awwwn..
As cheesy as it may sound, this phrase means a lot more than just being overly romantic.
When your boyfriend says that he can’t imagine life without you, it shows his seriousness towards committing to the relationship and making you a permanent part of his life.
It’s like telling you that he is prepared to take on the commitment and responsibility of a serious relationship.
24. He gets down on one knee
This is the most obvious sign that your guy has bought an engagement ring!
If he gets down on one knee and proposes to you, then you know what’s up.
All of these signs don’t necessarily mean that your guy is ready for marriage, but they do point to the fact that he is taking your relationship in the direction of marriage.