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11 do's and don'ts for the perfect proposal
Fed up of waiting? Why not bite the bullet and take marriage proposal into your own hands. But before you do...
These days women don't need a Leap Day to tell them its okay to do the asking. Nearly one in 10 of all marriage proposals are by women, and female characters are regularly seen popping the question on TV. Remember Miranda proposing to Steve in Sex and the City, and Monica to Chandler in Friends?
So, just as you don't have to wait until Christmas to eat chocolate, you no longer have to wait until Leap Day to ask for your man's hand. But if you are going pop the question, stay cool with these essential dos and don'ts.
DO keep it casual. Men are freaked out by 'big talks' and OTT gestures. Standing on a table in a packed restaurant and shouting 'marry me!' may seem romantic to you, but most blokes would curl up in embarrassment at such a public proposal.
DO make like a spy and edge in casually. Sidle up while he's doing the washing up, put your chin on his shoulder and say: 'Hmmm, I want to keep you'. Does he respond positively? Throw in the word 'forever'.
DON'T assume that he knows what you're talking about. Men are slow to pick up on hints. If he's still looking pleased after 'forever', look him in the eye and ask simply: 'Would you marry me?'
DO remember that men are weaker after good food and great sex. Cook him a fabulous dinner, take him to bed and mention marriage in the cuddly afterglow. If he doesn't say yes then, he isn't ever going to!
DON'T assume that marriage will fix a failing or stale relationship. A wedding may give things a boost, but reality will bite back as soon as the corks are popped. That's a recipe for a lot of unhappiness.
DON'T get down on one knee. You'll look like you're begging, and he'll be able to see up your skirt.
DO it when he's high on life. A friend got a 'yes, YES!' after reuniting with her boyfriend after he'd been to a sunny music festival. He was full of the joys of summer and desperate to see her.
But DON'T do it when he's just been promoted at work, bought a hot new motor or won the lottery. It'll just look like you're after his cash.
DON'T propose to someone you've known only a few months. You're still in the honeymoon phase, where you're full of butterflies and blind to each other's faults. Wait until you've spent at least six months putting up with his snoring.
DO turn the situation around and make him do it. If you're sure of your relationship and of his commitment to you, he'll probably be grateful for the push!
If all else fails, DO wait until Leap Day itself. When the Leap Day proposal tradition was introduced by Scottish law in 1288, men who said 'no' were fined, with penalties including having to buy a silk dress. So if you don't get your man, at least he'll owe you a posh frock.
Single this Leap Year? Meet singles near you for fun, love and romance.
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