It’s the most romantic day of the year, with many choosing it as the perfect opportunity to pop the question.

But – with a cost of a meal at a restaurant on the rise – living rooms may become centre stage for proposals across the country.

To help those nervously anticipating a ‘Yes’, experts have revealed a formula for getting down on bended knee at home.

Dr Tom Crawford, a mathematician from Oxford University, believes his method can boost the chances of a Happy Ever After.

‘If you follow this recipe for success, you’ll be giving yourself the best possible chance of getting that “Yes”,’ he said.

It's the most romantic day of the year, with many choosing it as the perfect opportunity to pop the question. But – with a cost of a meal at a restaurant on the rise – living rooms may become centre stage for proposals across the country (stock image)

It's the most romantic day of the year, with many choosing it as the perfect opportunity to pop the question. But – with a cost of a meal at a restaurant on the rise – living rooms may become centre stage for proposals across the country (stock image)

It’s the most romantic day of the year, with many choosing it as the perfect opportunity to pop the question. But – with a cost of a meal at a restaurant on the rise – living rooms may become centre stage for proposals across the country (stock image)

To help those nervously anticipating a 'Yes', experts have revealed a formula for getting down on bended knee at home

To help those nervously anticipating a 'Yes', experts have revealed a formula for getting down on bended knee at home

To help those nervously anticipating a ‘Yes’, experts have revealed a formula for getting down on bended knee at home

The perfect proposal, according to the formula

  1. Spend 2.5 months’ salary on the ring
  2. Plan the proposal for 68 days
  3. Start the meal at 8:06pm, with the proposal between the main and dessert 
  4. Give a heartfelt speech
  5. Set the mood with lighting and flowers
  6. Play good music
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The formula, based on an Asda survey of 2,000 people, calculates a ‘proposal score’ (S) out of 100, with 100 being as close to a ‘Yes’ as possible.

It is based on four key factors – the time of the meal (M), the timing of the proposal (T), the amount of planning (P) and the cost of the engagement ring (C).

A fifth bonus variable (B) is scored between -50 and 25 based on a series of eventualities that could take place over the course of a romantic evening at home.

Based on survey responses, Dr Crawford recommends starting the meal at 8:06pm with the proposal occurring after the main course but before dessert.

The optimum amount to spend on an engagement ring is 2.5 months of your salary, and you should have been planning the proposal for 68 days, he said.

People hoping to seal the deal can boost their chances of success by giving a heartfelt speech (+8 bonus points), creating a romantic setting with mood lighting and flowers (+7 bonus points), and playing good music (+5 bonus points).

The optimum amount to spend on an engagement ring is 2.5 months of your salary, and you should have been planning the proposal for 68 days, he said (stock image)

The optimum amount to spend on an engagement ring is 2.5 months of your salary, and you should have been planning the proposal for 68 days, he said (stock image)

The optimum amount to spend on an engagement ring is 2.5 months of your salary, and you should have been planning the proposal for 68 days, he said (stock image)

However, smitten Brits hoping to seduce their partner should avoid checking their phone (-20 bonus points), having the TV on in the background (-14 bonus points), burning the food (-10 bonus points) and having kids in the house (-6 bonus points).

Dr Crawford said: ‘To maximise your proposal score and achieve the perfect at-home proposal, you will need to concentrate on four key ingredients: the time of the meal, the timing of the proposal, the amount of planning, and the cost of the engagement ring.

‘Asda’s research suggests starting the meal at 8:06pm is your best bet, with the proposal itself occurring after the main course, but before the dessert.

‘To make sure everything is perfect on the night, you need 68 days of proposal planning time, and ideally you would spend 2.5 months of your salary on the ring – although it was lovely to see that over a quarter of respondents don’t care about the cost of a ring or would be happy with whatever their partner could afford.

‘You also want to be sure to get the music right, prepare only the best food, and give a heartfelt speech to really win your partner’s favour.

‘In terms of things to avoid, keep those phones switched off and out of sight, drop the kids off with a babysitter, and don’t burn the food!’

Asda has created Bistro Valentine’s Day dine-in meal options which they say could also boost odds by 5 points.

They recommend Bistro sirloin steaks with garlic and herb love heart butters and parmesan fries for the main, and Bistro chocolate and salted caramel cheesecake slices for dessert. 

Asda is offering a £100 voucher to any love-struck shoppers who can prove they secured a ‘Yes’ from their partner by using Dr Crawford’s perfect proposal formula on Valentine’s Day.

To claim the voucher, shoppers will need to submit the receipt of their Valentine’s Day dine-in offer from Asda and redeem it along with a time-stamped image of the moment they sealed the deal.

The retailer is also re-launching its £1 engagement ring that sent shoppers into a frenzy in 2023.

Scientists reveal the surprisingly simple task that could reignite the spark in your relationship 

When you’ve been with someone for many years, it’s all too easy to let life get in the way and the spark fizzle out.

But, psychologists at the University of Missouri–St. Louis in the US have discovered a surprisingly easy way to reignite the passion, and all you need is a photo.

A study has found that looking at pictures of your partner for just a few seconds can boost feelings of infatuation, attachment and marital satisfaction.

‘Looking at spouse pictures is an easy strategy that could be used to stabilise marriages in which the main problem is the decline of love feelings over time,’ the authors wrote.

Read more here

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

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