-- when it comes down to proposing to a woman some men will pull out all the stops.

After all, this is probably the one time that a man wants to make sure everything is done to perfection.

He has made up his mind that this is the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with, he has purchased the ring, and now it's time to pop the big question -- and he's hoping the answer will be yes.

Women don't really realise what goes through a man's mind when he has decided he wants to propose. Often the hours and minutes leading up to the actual asking are spent pacing, sweating, or just being extremely nervous.

Artist Mike Swan proposed to his wife Mary 13 years ago in a way that most would think unusual, except maybe a dentist.

"I was 27-years-old when I proposed and we had been dating for five years.

There were attempts of pressure from both sides of the family, her family worried because after five years nothing had transpired, but I didn't bow down to pressure,'' Mike said.

He added: "I met Mary when I was in university in Canada. When I proposed, Mary had come to Bermuda for a two-week vacation and she was staying with me in my apartment.

"I figured that she hoped that something would happen -- women tend to get a little desperate wondering what is happening after a few years into a relationship -- and I decided to propose on her final night.

"I chose that night because if you give someone what they want when they want it then it is not a surprise. I knew she was hoping and I purposely wanted to build up anticipation, I wanted to send her off with a smile on her face.'' Mike tells of the night: "We were getting ready for bed and people tend to clean their teeth beforehand. I made a point of getting into the bathroom before she did.

"I took care of my personal bathroom duties, and I had the ring with me. I took it and very carefully placed it within the bristles of her tooth brush then left the bathroom and she went in.

"I expected to hear some scream or something which did not materialise and I began to wonder what was going on. She was probably trying to make me sweat, to make me pant for a few minutes before acknowledging the ring.'' End result: "While she was in there I turned the lights down and created a nice atmosphere and then she finally came out and sauntered into the room with a bit of a chuckle. I said `Mary will you be my wife' and she said `yes I will'.'' Thirty-two year old Thomas Webb proposed to Michelle Jackson, 26 last November while vacationing in Las Vegas -- hours after having a small tiff.

"In November we went to Las Vegas, we chose that destination for a holiday because our parents went there and we heard great things about it -- it was also a place that neither one of us had been.

"On the day I decided to propose we had had a minor scuffle which put us in a bad mood, we were just tired and I had said something to get her thinking but I didn't expect it to get as blown up as it did. I wanted to do it that day and I wanted to throw her off track.'' Thomas added: "After a long day I took her into a secluded gourmet coffee shop at the MGM Grand Hotel to unwind and I told her that I wanted to talk.

"I asked her where she thought the relationship was going and how she felt about it, and due to our fuss earlier she thought I might be calling it quits.

"She looked at me like she wanted to say what are you getting at and then she said she thought the relationship was fine. I basically got her in the position of being unsure about everything.

"I told her I really don't want to be boyfriend and girlfriend anymore and that is when I said I would like for us to be husband and wife and then I took the ring out of my pocket.'' End result: "She was dumbfounded and I proceeded to get on one knee. We were by ourselves, and she looked at me like I was crazy, she thought I was joking but when she saw that I wasn't she said `yes' and her eyes welled up.'' This next proposal is definitely the most romantic.

Wayne Smith 32, also proposed to Nicole Williams, 26 this past November in an atmosphere that was out of this world, filled with enough ambiance and romance to last a lifetime.

Wayne's story: "This past November I took Nicole to Elbow Beach Hotel, which is significant because that is where I met her.

"I had known her for three and a half years and I was certain that she was the woman that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

"So then I set about planning what I thought would be a unique, romantic and memorable way to propose.'' Different proposals "I sent a letter to her father -- Nicole is from Canada -- via UPS asking for his permission to marry his daughter. I wanted to buy the ring when I was in New York in October.'' Wayne added: "I spoke with a few people to get ideas and finally I came up with a plan. I told Nicole that we had to attend a black tie dinner at Elbow Beach on Tuesday November 5.

"I did not have a tuxedo so I went out and bought one, I called Elbow Beach and arranged to have the Presidential suit wherein I planned to have a private romantic dinner for two.

"I had selected a menu which I had printed up and I ordered a dozen red roses, I arranged to have a violinist play and prior to that night I also practised my guitar (which I hadn't played for some 16 years) so I could play her a song.'' Wayne continued: "We got into the room and she was a bit curious so I told her there was no black tie dinner and that I had brought her there to say I was sorry for being away on business for most of the month of October.

"The food was late so I started pacing and then the dinner finally came. We had the meal with champagne and then the violinist came and played a song that we both liked.

"While the violinist was playing the waiter brought a cake in and I told him to rest it on the side where she couldn't see it. I was extremely nervous and I wanted to get the whole thing over with.'' After the violinist left Wayne said he asked Nicole to close her eyes and not open them until he told her she could do so.

"I placed the cake in front of her, then I positioned myself strategically -- I got down on my right knee with the ring in the box on my left knee, I opened the box and said OK open your eyes and on the cake was written `will you marry me'.

"I said Nicole Williams will you marry me and she said, amid tears, of course I will. Later I serenaded her with a song `You Light up My Life' while playing the guitar.'' Andy McConnie, 29, proposed to Marcia Tucker, 25, last July while vacationing in Las Vegas. They had been together for two years.

Andy had originally planned, with the help of Marcia's mother, to propose during a nice dinner with her wearing a red dress that her mother had made for her specifically for the proposal. But the plan changed.

"I decided that this was the girl that I wanted to marry and I chose Las Vegas because it was convenient. I had had the ring for about three months prior and I was tired of hiding it.

"While we were away she kept calling home to tell her mother she was losing money, then on this one day she called again to check on her daughter.

While she was talking to her mother I got down on my knee and pulled the ring out.'' End result: "Her words were `oh gosh mama I don't believe this I gotta go, I'll call you back.' She didn't have any idea that I was going to do this, and she was speechless.'' Andy added: "I decided to propose this way because it was unique and it was not the usual restaurant thing.

"I knew her mother was expecting a call saying we had been engaged but I decided to do it while she was on the phone.'' A TOOTH BRUSH PROPOSAL -- Mike Swan, with his wife of 13 years Mary, proposed by leaving her engagement ring on her tooth brush. Luckily she found it before she brushed.