This is what it’s like when a woman proposes to a man

Laura Fudim and Byrne LaGinestra are a lot like most couples. They met on New Year’s Eve a little over four years ago. They shared a midnight kiss that year. They have a dog together. They live together in Sydney, Australia and they are engaged because Laura proposed to Byrne.

There’s nothing in the marriage handbook that says a woman is required to wait for a man to propose to her. A woman can get down on one knee and do the proposing whenever she pleases. Hell, she doesn’t even have to get down on one knee. She can lean over during a movie and be like, “do you want to marry me?” For Laura, she almost did just that.

There’s a little-known tradition that on Leap Day, women are especially empowered to take the lead and propose to their significant others. The holiday is actually known as Bachelor’s Day. It’s not a day when women are allowed to propose but rather that they can propose. For Laura, she took it as a sign that if she was going to propose, she might as well do it on Leap Day 2016.

HelloGiggles: How did you decide that you wanted to propose?
Laura Fudim: Byrne had asked me to marry him casually in the past, but I always thought he was joking, so I told him that I wasn’t ready. He told me that when I was ready, I should ask him. We went to New Zealand over the holidays and sadly, his mum passed away. It was then that I decided I was ready to propose. When I found out about the 29th being a traditional day where woman “are allowed” (pfffft) to ask the man, it sort of scooted my plans up a bit.

HG: How did you know when was the right moment to propose?
LF: I spent the whole day nervous as anything and just couldn’t get the words out. It took me about 10 tries before I could ask him. I tried to ask him in the car, but I couldn’t do it. Then I tried at dinner. Then while watching TV. Finally it was 11 p.m. and I was like “hey babe….umm. Yeah, so how was your day? I love you, sooo yeah…” and then finally I got it out!

HG: How did he react, did he say yes?!
LF: He said yes! He couldn’t believe it. It took a few minutes after I asked for him to realize I was being serious. When he realized I was being serious, he wanted to tell everyone and put it on Facebook. He was bright red and blushing, it was so cute. Afterward, we started asking each other back and forth and saying fiancé/fiancée in funny voices and giggling. We didn’t fall asleep for hours.

HG: Did you get him a ring?
LF: I didn’t buy him a ring but I proposed with one from my jewelry box. He’s going to get me one that I pick out which is making it all the more fun because we are looking together.

HG: How did everyone react when they found out you proposed?
LF: A lot of our girl friends, especially younger girls, kept telling me how it awesome that I switched up the “typical” gender roles. The next day when Byrne got to school where he’s a teacher, his entire desk was covered in confetti by the other teachers and his principal announced over the intercom that his girlfriend had proposed to him! Everyone’s really excited about it. I actually found out that Byrne’s aunt proposed to his uncle and my stepmom proposed to my dad.

HG: So, the reaction to your proposal was pretty positive all around?
LF: Well, some of our friends are really traditional and Byrne’s grandmother is too. But still, they were all supportive and said stuff like, “You guys are just a bundle of surprise” and “You’re both weirdos and we love it!”

HG: What would you tell other women who might want to propose to their significant others?
LF: I highly recommend!