You have met the perfect woman, and you know that she is the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Proposing over a fancy, expensive dinner isn't all it takes to make a proposal count. Dropping a ring in a glass of champagne, wine or Thumbs Up works too, but it's probably just as clichéd. So if you're looking for an interesting, fun way to propose to your loved one, read on for great ideas. But first:

Does she want to marry you

Find out is she is really interested in getting married to you before purchase the ring. You don't want to propose to her with ring in hand, unless you know for a fact that she wants to marry you, or you will only end up heartbroken, not to mention, quite a few thousand rupees poorer. If you know she is looking to settle down, is deeply in love with you, and would happily tie the knot, by all means, pick up the nicest ring you can afford.

Don't forget the ring

Once you know her mind, and have decided to propose to her, make sure you give her a ring. It will be something she will cherish for the rest of her life. In any case, you will probably be presenting her with a ring on the engagement/shagan ceremony, so you might as well purchase something a little earlier, to make it more romantic and memorable.

Get down on one knee

Get down on one knee and propose to her. It makes your proposal so much more romantic and special. Even if you are not a very romantic person, try it! It's not that much of an effort!

Innovative Ways to Propose

One gentleman was flying down to meet his girlfriend, and enlisted the help of everyone on his flight to make his proposal more special. He handed out her photograph to all passengers, and requested them to hand her a rose as they passed her on their way out, and to give her his love. He was the last person to exit the plane, and when he reached her, she was standing there, delighted, her arms overflowing with roses. He then got down on one knee and proposed to her. She accepted, and everyone in the airport cheered. They made the headlines in the local newspaper the next morning, and everyone was pleasantly surprised to read some good news for a change!

While such an elabourate scheme requires some planning, and given that most of us are not very organized, here are some other simple yet innovative ideas:

1. Put the ring in a balloon and give it to her. Pop the balloon when she realizes something is inside, and wonders what it is.
2. Propose to her at the place you first met her.
3. Give her a series of little gifts. The ring could be the last gift you give her.
4. Show up at her office with a bouquet, and surprise her! Don't do it when she's in the middle of a hi-power meeting though!
5. Propose to her on New Years Eve.
6. Take her for a fun evening out, and pretend you've suddenly found something on the ground. Present her with the ring.