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 Waiting…and waiting…and waiting for your man to wake up and realise his desperate need to marry you?
Fingers itching for a ring? Well, this could be your year. While your lovely, but slightly slow-off-the-mark man is taking his sweet time, you can be planning the proposal of the century (or at least the next four years). A little general knowledge…It takes the earth 365 days to orbit the sun, right? Well, actually it takes 365 ¼ days, which is why we have a leap year. Every four years we need to tack on an extra day to make up for the lost four quarters. Julius Caesar made this Roman law in 46 B.C on the advice of the Greek astronomer Sosigenes.  And some obscure history… So what does this have to do with proposing? Well, back in the days of inequality, women were not actually allowed to propose to their beaus, they had to wait for a proposal to come their way. However, the story goes that girls grew tired of this rule, and decided that since February 29 only came around every four years, it should be a day when those unfair traditions did not apply. This was called Sadie Hawkins Day. You go old girls! In the middle ages, Queen Margaret of Scotland made it legal by passing a law that if a woman proposed on Sadie Hawkins Day and was turned down, the miserable man had to give her a kiss and a silk gown as penalty. Sounds like a win/win situation!  Popping the question…Nowadays, of course, it is fairly common for a woman to propose to a man, any day of any year. According to statistics, 9% of proposals are from women to men, and 80% of men say they would accept a proposal from their girlfriend. Chandler said yes to Monica on Friends, and Miranda proposed to Steve on Sex and the City. I mean, if they’re doing it on TV, it must be acceptable! So if you’re thinking about popping the question, here are a few tips and options... Make it special If you are sticking to the Sadie Hawkins Day idea, then your date is already decided - and it is a romantic notion at that. For that reason, the way you propose shouldn’t be any less special than you would expect from your man. Think of something that you can do together. It doesn’t have to be spectacular (actually, it’s probably best to keep it low key - remember girls are the ones who generally cry during romantic movies), but it should be something to remember. A picnic is always nice and intimate, or perhaps ask him at his favourite beach, or during a weekend away in a flash hotel suite. You know him best; think about what he would appreciate. Do…  Have something to give him. He probably doesn’t want a Tiffany diamond ring, but a nice band with a stone inset could make an impression, or perhaps a special necklace. Think of what he would like and make it something that will last a lifetime.
- Present the question (and the offering) in a special way, but forget the tradition. Getting down on one knee is so done - but if your man is a traditional sort of guy, the embarrassment of doing it in a public place could show
him how serious you are. On the other hand, if he is a
 relaxed type, it might be best to just choose a lovely moment and hand it over, without the fanfare. Make sure you say the words though - you wouldn’t want him to miss the point!
- Have a sense of humour. It could be fun to try a humorous way of asking him to marry you. Try writing ‘marry me’ on a cake and presenting it to him after dinner, or you could write it in toothpaste on the bathroom mirror and surprise him by jumping out of the shower naked while he reads it. Use your imagination!
.jpg) Don't... - Propose unless you know the answer will be positive. Getting married is not going to solve your relationship problems, nor is it going to make him love you. If you are really sure he wants to marry you, you will know about it.
- Do it if you haven’t been together long. You could still be in the honeymoon phase and be seeing the world through loved up lenses. You might regret it, and worse, he might say no!
- Be too forceful about telling your friends and family immediately after. You have taken the initiative and asked him to marry you, so you should leave most of the declarations to him. He might want to wait a while to let it sink in before he tells his mates. He might be nervous about telling his mum. Be prepared to exercise patience.
Camille
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