The average woman now expects her wedding proposal to be on a romantic break, with a ring worth over £1,000 - in Cornwall, it has been revealed. A study was carried out amongst 2,000 unmarried women who are hoping their other half will soon pop the question.
Researchers found the average girl wants to be whisked off on a surprise weekend away in the UK, on a break which has been planned for the previous three months.
Gone are the days when men are expected to ask Dad for his daughter's hand in marriage - the majority of women don't want their parents to know about the engagement before they do.
But traditionalists still want their partner to be down on bended knee, and to be proposed to with an engagement ring he selected beforehand.
And if the proposal is WRONG in any way - either because it isn't romantic enough, is in the wrong place or takes place on the wrong day - a quarter of women will say NO.
Anna Blackburn a spokeswoman for Beaverbrooks the Jewellers, which carried out the research said:
''Women dream of their perfect proposal for years leading up to the main event.
''In fact, most girls know exactly what they want from a proposal, as they do the actual engagement ring and wedding day, long before they meet the man of their dreams.
''So if the proposal isn't well thought through and planned with the girl in mind, it won't be as special as their partner would like it to be. A proposal story is often retold hundreds of times after the event and the more romantic it is the more it's remembered.
"Similarly, if the ring isn't as she had imagined, it is likely it will have to go back, and the sharing of the engagement will have to go on hold.''
This study indicates most women want an engagement ring which is worth £1,046, has a white gold band and an impressive diamond.
The proposal should be made approximately three years and four months into a relationship, after the couple have been living together for a while and after a few discussions about marriage.
But while girls like to have had a couple of deep and meaningfuls about marriage, they also want the proposal to be a complete surprise, and something their partner has given great thought to.
The proposal should take place in private, and after just one alcoholic drink.
The survey suggests that half of women want the engagement to be so romantic they are reduced to tears, while 19% want their partner to be so moved by the event they cry too.
For many women the date of the proposal isn't important, although a third did say they'd like it to be the anniversary of when they first got together.
And while the majority of girls are happy for a simple "will you marry me" one in 10 would love it if their partner serenaded them with a song.
A further 7% would quite like their partner to recite a poem and one in 20 want a flash mob organised on their behalf.
Only a third of girls would be happy with other people knowing about the engagement before they do - and even then he is only allowed to confide in a maximum of two good friends.
For 69% of women polled, while they dream of getting a romantic proposal it is getting to the point where they don't care how it happens, as long as they finally get the chance to walk down the aisle.
And 26% claim that if their partner doesn't propose soon they would think nothing of doing it themselves.
Six in 10 girls admit mum is the first person they would phone to share news of the engagement, while 16% would ring their best friend.
Anna Blackburn the spokeswoman for Beaverbrooks continues:
''This research shows that picking the perfect engagement ring is the icing on the cake of the perfect proposal.
''That's why we make sure that we speak to our customers to understand exactly what they want and combine this with our expert knowledge to help them get it right the first time.
''Some of the findings have been a surprise, for example we often find that a lot of women prefer their diamond set in platinum as it lasts a lifetime. An engagement ring is such an important purchase, if you get it right it will be worn forever.
''Traditionally a man would usually spend the equivalent of 1-2 month's pay on an engagement ring; however we do find that it's the thought that counts and women love having a diamond that they're proud to show off to their family and friends.
''With Christmas just around the corner we expect to see an influx of proposals, it's such a romantic time of the year and if last year is anything to go by there should be plenty of happy women over the festive period.''
THE PERFECT PROPOSAL SHOULD BE/INCLUDE:
*UK based
*A complete surprise
Engagement ring to be worth £1,046
*He would choose the ring for you
*Ring to be a white gold band, with diamonds
*Proposal should be made 3 years and 4 months into relationship
*Doesn't need to ask Dad for permission
*Should plan the proposal for 2-3 months
*Proposal should take place on a romantic break
*Proposal should take place in private
*He should be down on one knee
*Cornwall is the most preferred UK proposal destination
*Proposal should be made after just one alcoholic drink
*Marriage should have already been discussed during the relationship
*Couple should have already lived together before getting engaged
*They should be wearing casual clothes
*Proposal should take place somewhere special to the couple
*50 per cent of women want to cry because the proposal is so romantic
*19 per cent of women want their partner to cry during the proposal
*10 per cent want their partner to sing a song
*7 per cent want their partner to read a poem
*One in 20 want a flash mob
