How did you approach proposing to a Muslim woman without having a Muslim family? As-salamu alaykum - asking reverts for real experiences

As-salamu alaykum - I’m hoping to hear from brothers who actually went through the marriage process after reversion. I don’t want theory or fatwas, just personal stories and practical advice. I’m talking to a man who reverted a bit over two years ago. He’s practicing, serious about his deen and genuinely planning for a future. The challenge is he doesn’t really have a Muslim family or a strong Muslim community around him. His family is non-Muslim and they don’t know the cultural traditions that usually happen when a man visits a woman’s family to ask for her hand. In my culture the man usually doesn’t arrive alone - he brings someone with him: a respected Muslim brother, a close friend, an uncle, someone who can represent him in a culturally appropriate way. But as a revert he doesn’t have male relatives who are Muslim. He has one close Muslim friend who was with him when he made Shahada, but beyond that he lacks community and has never felt comfortable at the local mosque because things are in a different language and he hasn’t felt included. So I’m curious - if you were in a similar spot, how did you handle it? Did you go by yourself? Did you bring a friend? Did you involve an imam even if you weren’t part of a mosque? How did the woman’s family react when you didn’t show up with a whole group the way people born Muslim often do? I’m especially interested in how you balanced cultural expectations with what Islam actually requires. I know the religious side is straightforward, but the family and cultural side can be tricky. If you’ve been through this, please share how it went: what helped, what didn’t, and what you wish someone had told you beforehand. Jazakum Allah khair.