How. One of the most surprising statistics out there concerning wedding proposals is that more than 80% of brides report some level of disappointment about their marriage proposal. Yep, you've decided to ask her. Now take some time to plan a strategy to make the event memorable. A marriage proposal should be a special occasion for both of you, and not just part of the daily grind.

Consult with others. If your girlfriend is close to her family you may well want to go the traditional path and talk to her father first. Close friends and family who can be trusted to keep a secret are great for proposal ideas and hints that you may not have thought of. If her friends can't be trusted to stay quiet, then leave them out of your plan.

Public or private. If your girlfriend is the retiring type who hates any form of attention she may not thank you for a billboard proposal or any form of public ad or question. On the other hand, girls who love public adulation would be thrilled at an ostentatious ad or display. If you are a more private couple perhaps it may be more appropriate to keep the question for somewhere more quiet and romantic.

Sentimental. Showing your girlfriend that you remember special places or events will score you extra brownie points. Revisiting special restaurants, places, or venues can be great ideas. Converting special memories into a DVD to watch on TV with your proposal at the end instead of the credits is another idea that any girl would love.

The engagement ring. Should you have a ring to pop the question with? Unless you are extremely sure of what she wants, for example she has pointed it out to you in a window or ad, then that may not be such a great idea. An engagement ring is supposed to be a piece of jewelry to last a lifetime that both of you love and admire. If you buy your girlfriend something she doesn't like she will probably be too polite to tell you. Then you have invested all that money into something she may well not wear once she has a wedding ring.

If you really want to have a diamond or engagement ring to show her when you pop the question, there are a couple of safer alternatives. Firstly, you can buy a diamond that is in your price range and explain that you can select a setting together to put it in. This can also work well if you have your Granny's engagement ring or diamond that you would like her to wear. She can have the stone without the out dated or possibly very worn engagement ring setting.

Another option is to select a setting and purchase that, and then select a diamond or center stone together. Tacori and Verragio both sell engagement rings as semi-mounts. Meaning, that you can purchase a Verragio or Tacori engagement ring without a center stone. Any girl would be thrilled at either of those engagement ring suggestions.

A little bit of thought and planning can make your wedding proposal a memorable event that, like the engagement ring, you will be able to share proudly with others for years to come.