For many men the thought of proposing to your girlfriend can be a very daunting and nerve racking time. They will want to make sure that the time is right and all importantly that the girl is going to say yes! This is why you may notice your boyfriend acting a bit suspicious in the weeks leading up to an engagement proposal. There are many different signs to look out for to help you tell if he is about to ask you to marry him.

·         He may start acting differently to usual; perhaps he is much more loving towards you or much more open to do what makes you happy. Some women may get mixed signals from this sort of behavior change and think that he is having an affair. However this change in behavior is triggered by the fact that he is nervous and therefore wants to be extra nice to you so that you say yes to his marriage proposal.

·         You may notice him talking more about long term plans for the two of you. Perhaps he has asked questions about how many children you would like to have or discussed plans about opening a joint bank account so that you can start saving for your future together. This is his way of putting out the feelers to judge whether you are ready and prepared to settle down or not. 

·         If he hasn't already done so he may want to introduce to his family. He will want to get used to you being a part of his family and also get his family members used to idea of you being around as more of a permanent fixture.  

·         It may suddenly come to your realization that he has started to notice and comment on other people's rings and perhaps is asking your opinion on what you think of them. If he does this make sure you give a truthful response as he will probably be taking note of what type of rings you like and if you don't want to end up with a ring you absolutely hate make sure you casually let it be known what rings you definitely don't like.  

·         A good indication that he is ready to settle down and will soon be popping the question is that you may notice his priorities in life are changing. Whereas before he may have been happy to spend all his money down the pub with his friends, he may now be more inclined to have a quiet meal out with you or spend an evening snuggled up on the sofa with a good film. This is also a good indication that he may not want to be wasting his money on nights out anymore but may instead be saving for that special something. 

Of course each individual is different but both partners should be aware that marriage is not something to be taken lightly and therefore if you think he is taking a little longer than you would like, just be patient and know that when he does propose it will be because he is definitely ready to make that commitment, and if you do pick up on his signals don't ruin his surprise.