Yes, it’s true. The average woman dreams of the day when the love of her life will come to his senses and make it official. She conjures up every romantic detail about how he might execute this most important moment, and hopes to hell that he doesn’t screw it up. But ladies, let’s wake up! It’s 2011, and we’ve all seen Sex and the City. You want something? Then go out and grab it by the balls! OK, well, don’t literally grab him by the balls (unless…hmm…nah, nevermind).

Now, before you go off on a wild proposal spree, take a moment to think it through. Will your dude be disappointed that you beat him to it? Will a public proposal bruise his sensitive man ego? Chances are that if you are on the brink of marriage, you know your guy well enough to know if this is the right move. If you are ready to take the lead on your happily ever after, then here are some Man-posal ideas that will knock his socks off.

THE JOCK

As far as I know, it’s a pretty across-the-board nightmare for a girl to be proposed to at a sporting event, but when the tables are turned I have a feeling this might be a real homerun. You can put it up on the jumbotron at half-time (again, you must be weary of your guy’s sensitivity with all that active testosterone in the air). Or if you don’t feel like sharing the moment with tens of thousands of your closest friends, then see what you can do about gaining access to the field/court/rink pre- or post-game for a more intimate setting.

THE ADRENALINE JUNKIE

There’s no better way to ask him to make this emotional and physical leap with you than with an afternoon of sky-diving. You can either hold up a sign saying ‘will you marry me?’ during your freefall or have the words written across the ground where you will (of course) be landing safely. Just make sure you both have strong enough hearts to withstand the combined adrenalin rush of sky-diving and a marriage proposal.

THE ROMANTIC

Sure, it’s probably bad for the environment. OK, it’s probably a really old-fashioned way to get your point across too, but despite all that I am a firm believer in the absolute wonderment of sky-writing. Even if it’s for some sort of club promotion in Cancun, I always look up and dream of the day that the tiny plane message will be for me. Considering this tactic is decidedly unisex, this could be a fun way to surprise your bf while strolling along the beach.

THE WORDSMITH

Take the opportunity to turn his daily crossword or your weekly Scrabble night into the perfect man-posal setting. Replace his usual crossword with a list of clues having to do with your life together, or spell out the big question during your Scrabble match (this will be tricky to get the right pieces from the little velvet bag without him noticing, so you must be the slyest you have ever been).

THE TECHIE

This ultra-modern, and ultra-fun approach will drive the Mark Zuckerberg in him totally wild. It will require some creativity, effort, and maybe a little bit of cash, but totally worth it. Create a website (eg.www.willandkateforever.com) with photos, info, whatever content you can think of that pertains to the two of you and your relationship. Either pop the question at the very top of the site, right off the bat or have him click a few things before he gets to it. Send him the link at work or at home and he’ll have to figure it out. After he says ‘yes,’ you can use the domain name as a wedding website to communicate with your future guests.

THE MOVIE BUFF

Apparently you can rent ad space before movies these days – what a novel idea! If you and your dude catch every B-grade comedy on opening weekend (like someone I know) then this would be a fab spot to slip in a little ‘will you marry me?’ instead of another milk ad. Chances are you won’t be able to focus much on the movie after that, so make sure to leave the theatre within the first 30 mins so you can get your ticket money back (no sense in throwing any frugal values out the window – you have a wedding to pay for now!) Don’t worry, you can see it next weekend.

THE GOURMET

Let food be the medium of your love. Make/buy/prepare his favourite foods (think more like sushi, candy, popcorn, cookies than steak and potatoes) and have him arrive home from work to find them arranged on the table to spell out the big question. Then enjoy a wonderful feast together before popping the champagne and calling all your friends and family to tell them the happy news.

THE ADVENTURER

Set up an elaborate scavenger hunt for your adventurous stud. It can either be a series of clues/notes in your home, eventually leading up to the proposal, or you can take it to the streets and send him all over the city in search of his final prize – you!

THE OUTDOORSMAN

If it’s spring, summer, or fall, take him on a walk along the beach, or a hike in the woods and spell it out with shells, rocks, leaves, whatever. If it’s the other 9 months of the year (i.e. winter), then lead him out to the backyard or a freshly-fallen snowfall in a field where you will have your request spelled out in a water/food colouring mix in the snow.

If all else fails, a good old-fashioned intimate dinner while you tell him what’s in your heart will probably do the trick. Or reach into your memory bank to figure out if your guy ever confessed a specific thrill or fantasy; popping out of a cake? A tandem bike ride? Scuba diving? No matter what you decide, do it with sincerity, creativity, and passion and hopefully he’ll be happy you took the pressure off him.!