Men think food more important than ring for leap year proposals

It's a Leap Year tradition that on February 29, women, rather than men, get down on one knee and propose to their other half.

And according to a recent survey, Britain’s men are a nation of lazy romantics who won’t mind the reversal of traditional gender roles one bit.

With the date fast approaching, 59 per cent of men in the UK are waiting for their girlfriends to get down on one knee. However 28 per cent of women are too scared to make a Leap Year proposal, in case they get a bad reaction.

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The survey, by restaurant chain Beefeater, also showed that men regard the method of proposal (56 per cent) and the location (26 per cent) as more important than the engagement ring itself.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, diamonds turned out to be a girl’s best friend - two in three women (67 per cent) said that the ring was their top priority - compared to just 18 per cent of men.

Only 17 per cent of men said that candles, flowers and romantic gestures would be important to them, while 40 per cent said that their proposal would involve food - proving that the stomach really is the way to a man’s heart.

Beefeater’s research ties in with their launch of a ‘Leap Year Proposal Package’ aimed at making the proposal process easier for women. It includes a steak, branded with the words ‘Will you marry me?’, swaps beer for champagne, and comes complete with an onion ‘ring’.

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If you’re not convinced that presenting your other half with a ring of deep-fried onions is romantic enough, don’t get too stressed out about choosing the perfect engagement ring first time.

According to Deborah Jarrett, of Jewellery firm H. Samuel, many people prefer to chose their engagement rings together:

“Choice is key when deciding on the perfect engagement gift, especially for a Leap Year.”

The high street jewellers have even launched a product catering to people looking to keep the proposal a secret from their partner and also choose the ring together.

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The Marry Me collection allows someone to propose with a temporary ring, costing £50, which can later be redeemed against the cost of a diamond ring.

Said Deborah: “Getting into a tight spot about deciding on the perfect engagement ring is something we’ve helped resolve with the Marry Me collection.”

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