New app teaches guys how to propose to their girlfriends

Things just got a little brighter for nervous young lads who have no clue what make a good marriage proposal.

A new phone app, The Proposal Pro, provides helpful tips on ring selection, how to ask her parents for their blessing, proposal writing and creative ideas for sharing the happy news with family and friends.

"Proposing marriage is the most important question you’ll ever ask," says Beryl Raff, chairman of the company that created the app, Helzberg Diamonds. "But there are not many resources available to guide you through the process. This app walks you through every aspect, from selecting the right place and time to determining her ring size. It is the only application of its kind."

Raff adds, "This is more than a way to browse engagement rings. It gives shoppers an engagement expert at their fingertips, not just to educate them about diamonds, but also to help them with the whole proposal process."

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The free app even provides a timeline to help ensure you're fully prepared for the proposal on the day to pop the question.

Unfortunately, even a proposal app can't ensure that the down-on-one-knee moment gets an affirmative response.

While the Proposal Pro may not be among the most ridiculous relationship apps available, Jezebel's Laura Beck has mixed feelings about an app telling a fiance-to-be what to do.

"On one hand, it's cool that there's something available to hold (in) the hand of a nervous person (man) who's ready to pop the question — everyone needs friends/robots to share in life's big decisions! On the other, proposing is so personal, and things like finding the right location and writing a memorable proposal are probably things an app shouldn't be able to help with," she writes.

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Carrie Denny of Philly Mag isn't a fan of having an app guide the proposal process, but concedes that one highlight of the app is the super-practical ring-sizer.

"It lets you drop one of soon-to-be bride-to-be’s rings onto the screen, and it’ll announce her ring size," she writes. "That, I’ve always thought, is actually one of the trickier logistical obstacles a guy must overcome before he proposes. If he doesn’t already know her ring size, he’s really either got to figure out a way to nab one of her ring-finger rings and take it to get it sized without her noticing it’s gone, or wing it and then get it resized afterwards — which is doable, of course, but then he’s got to pry a diamond off of a girl’s hand who’s just gotten it, and that’s not really a pleasant we-just-got-engaged task for any guy to have to contend with."

Since most people seek tips online anyway, employing a smartphone app in the proposal planning process wouldn't be much of a stretch for many.

Would you seek help from an app when planning to pop the question?