do's and don'ts for the couple to make perfect proposal

Nearly one in 10 of all marriage proposals by a lovely couple are by women, and female characters are regularly seen popping the question on TV.

So, just as you don't 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'.

DON'T assume that he knows what you're talking about. Men are slow to pick up on hints. If he's still looking blurr, 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.

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.

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.

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 money.

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.

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.