A marriage proposal is probably one of the most memorable moments in life.
But husbands-to-be may find the prospect of popping the question a daunting one.
Wedding planner Sonya Yeung, creative director at Bliss Creations, recalls clients' stories about proposals on African safaris, on hiking expeditions, in parks, at restaurants and in the most traditionally romantic city of all, Paris.
Her main advice to hopeful boyfriends is to speak from the heart. 'A good proposal is when someone expresses their feelings and doesn't just say, 'will you marry me?' They should explain why that person is important to them,' Yeung says.
Dr Ariane Davison, an immunologist who married a pilot last year after a fairy-tale proposal in Paris, appreciated the planning her husband put into his proposal, which took her by surprise.
The pair were on a winter holiday and he suggested they go to the top of the Eiffel Tower to watch the sunset.
After eight years together, she suspected something might have been going on. But when they got to the top, the ambience wasn't what she thought Daniel, her future husband, would have been aiming for. 'It was freezing cold and there were so many tourists that I thought this would not be the ideal time for him to pop the question.
'He didn't ask and after we watched the sunset, we came down from the tower.' It seemed that the moment had passed. But later that evening they stopped on the Pont Neuf, the bridge which offers spectacular views of the city. 'Suddenly, I looked down and he's on one knee and holding open a box with an engagement ring. He's making this lovely speech and asking me to marry him.'
It turned out he had intended to propose on the bridge. 'I thought it was perfect. I was completely surprised.'
Although she now has special memories of Paris, Davison says the sentiment was more important than the location. 'Most girls are going to be so elated that someone loves them so much that they put themselves in a vulnerable position and make that offer of a lifetime commitment,' she says.
Yeung agrees that sincerity is important. 'It should be special but, at the end of the day, it has to be you.'