Marry me!

• If you drop the ring down a grating or stumble over your words just laugh it off and carry on.
• If your man reacts badly - don't panic. He may want to say yes but simply feels put on the spot. Give him a big hug and calm things down. When the dust has settled, talk through what he really feels.
• The big risk of proposing - a risk that men have taken for centuries - is that your proposal will be refused. If the question 'will you marry me? gets the answer 'no', you need a serious 'where are we at?' conversation.

What if it goes right?

• If your man's response is a huge 'yes', celebrate with hugs and kisses. Create a joyful, passionate memory of the moment you committed yourselves to each other.
• Expect to have to adjust to what being engaged means. It is a new stage in your relationship, with different rewards but also different challenges and responsibilities.
• You may want to read Elizabeth Marten's excellent book: Before You Say I Do written with Relate and published by Vermilion (£7.99).