Did you know that a guy ended up taking his girlfriend to the emergency room after trying to propose to her?

It’s true!. He slipped the engagement ring into her shot glass and as they toasted his speech, she swallowed it! Yes, she survived, but they did need a trip to a hospital emergency room.

In fact, ‘embarrassing but funny’ proposals like these remind me of the 5 ways that guys totally screw up this most memorable and precious moment for women by making huge and stupid proposal mistakes.

1. Creating a public spectacle

No matter if it’s a party, family get-together or Yankees game, you shouldn’t propose marriage to your gorlfriend if she wouldn’t feel comfortable with a public proposal. Not only could it embarrass her, but she may feel pressured to say “Yes,” only to tell you the truth later. Think about what sort of person your lovely lady is: Is she shy, cautious or a little reserved? Then a private proposal is the better way to go.

2. Overdoing it

Some men’s idea of an amazing proposal is slapping together all the usual romantic things into one big mess and calling it a “marriage proposal.” Sadly, this couldn’t be further from the truth. For example: A man serves the candlelit dinner, presents her flowers, chocolates, a teddy bear and then proposes to her.

Hey, I’m sorry, but if you think your lady deserves the most magnificent experience of her life, then you need to know that normal “everyday romance” is only good for everyday romance ­ not a marriage proposal. She’ll never admit it, but she’ll most likely be disappointed. She wants something memorable that will make all of her friends jealous and make all of her dreams of the proposal come true.

3. Not being ready

You usually only get one shot at your proposal so you need to get it right the first time! No pressure . Always rehearse the things that could go wrong, create backup plans and please make sure your proposal idea is safe. If you’re creating a more elaborate proposal, you’ll need extra caution. Physically rehearse through the situations, discover what could go wrong and work out solutions for them. Get your friends together and brainstorm the sticky situations that could come up on the day. Of course, life is unpredictable and things may change but be prepared the best you can.

4. Wasting a lot of money

You’re probably wondering, “How is spending TOO MUCH money on a proposal a problem?” Well it all depends. The problem with money is that it often becomes a substitute for creativity. As a result, you get a “nice” memorable proposal but nothing that’s jaw-dropping.

5. Same old same old

Now here’s the biggest mistake of them all. Yes, coming up with creative and original ideas to propose is tough, but you need to if you want your moment to be remembered and talked about for years to come!

Your proposal needs to be personalized to your girlfriend. What are her favorite hobbies, music and interests? These are the starting points to an incredible proposal that everyone will talk about for years.

While the Eiffel tower, hot air balloons and getting the waiter to bring out the ring on a platter are “okay” ideas, they’re not creative and original enough for the most important and memorable moment of both your lives.

About the author:

Michael Webb is the author of “The Romantic’s Guide To Popping The Question,” a book filled with 101 Creative and Unique Marriage Proposals, hand-picked as award-winning stories from a total of 7,329 entries in his worldwide competition. To learn more, visit: Michaels Webiste