Very few events in anyone's lifetime require as much thought and preparation as marriage. Consequently people want their proposals to be just right and perfect - the culminating point in their relationship.

TMen want their women to remember this day for all their lives, and women also want this day to be a memorable moment in their lives. But it seems that there are no new ways to get married anymore because virtually everything has been done. Well, guess again.

"Maria, will you marry me?"

We can all think of typical ways of asking our lovely girlfriends to marry us. The man gets down on one knee and gets out a box with a ring (probably worth a month's salary) before asking her to spend the rest of her life by his side.

This traditional way of proposing still works, and can be categorized as the conventional way of asking a woman to marry you. But these days, women want to be mesmerized with emotion, romanticism and originality. And not necessarily in that order either.

We give you 12 innovative and traditional ways to get engaged.

1. Can be called the extreme: If your woman is the sporty type, you can propose to her from the heights of a mountain after a day of rock climbing. Other possibilities would be during a parachute jump or a scuba-diving session in South America, or anywhere else for that matter.

2. Make a video: Making a personal video of yourself proposing to her can have a great effect, especially if you are watching it with her. She will likely jump from joy and want to skip straight to the honeymoon...

3. In mid-air: A more public display of affection is to have the captain of an airplane you are on recite your marriage proposal to your woman over the intercom. You can just picture it: "We are now flying over the Grand Canyon and will be arriving at our destination in approximately 45 minutes. And, by the way, Joanna, Michael would like to know if you would do him the honor of marrying him."

Of course, after this, all you should hope for is a "yes" and a safe landing.

4. My way or the highway: Just imagine driving home from work and seeing a billboard with the mention "Lucy, will you marry me?" This will have an amplified effect, and the rest of the commuters who see it will hope it works out for you.

They will also hope that she doesn't slam the brakes in excitement.

5. Marriage on the big screen: Let's say you agreed to go see the latest Julia Roberts movie, and right before the movie is about to start, as part of the previews, one frame action simply displays the words: "Maria, will you be my wife?"

6. Raindrops falling on my head : The popular Canadian Niagara Falls are a popular location for honeymooners, but few people actually think of it as a sacred place to ask for your girlfriend's everlasting love.

7. Valentine's Day surprise: Instead of offering a traditional card, flowers and chocolates, why not offer her the greatest sign of love by asking her to marry you? Your girlfriend will then remember this holiday for the rest of her life.

The only bad part is that it will be hard to surpass this gift every following year.

8. Indecent proposal: The ultimate way to ask your woman to marry you would be during an intense lovemaking session. Popping the question while bringing her to ecstasy is one of the ultimate thrills for a woman.

Imagine your woman climaxing physically and emotionally. She is not likely to forget that day anytime soon.

9. The love police: Although this one requires quite a bit of work and coordination, getting your girlfriend pulled over by a real cop to give her a "love ticket" is quite unexpected and very original.

Just make sure any outstanding parking tickets are taken care of beforehand.

10. Happy birthday to us: Proposing to her on her birthday is another great way to go about it. And another positive aspect of it, she probably won't notice that you forgot to get her a birthday present.

11. You've got love mail: The Internet era is upon us, driving us to adapt to the technology. So why not send her a love note by email along with the big question?

This list is by no means exhaustive. People are coming up with new and innovative ways to propose every day. Whichever way you choose, remember, the only thing you have to worry about afterwards is whether or not she'll say "yes".