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Hey lonely hearts, looking for love in all the wrong places? One woman has been proposed to NINE freaking times, and she's finally figured out what the secret is.

British author Adele Parks, now 40, had already been proposed to seven times by the time she was 23, starting with a 17-year-old boyfriend at a roadside cafe. Her trick was easy enough -- she just wasn't herself.

It turns out that by acting however the guy you're with wants you to, and presenting yourself as something you're not, is a great way to get proposals!

Winning Over Mr. Wrong
Of course, like Adele, you probably wouldn't want to accept those misguided marriage offers, so maybe they shouldn't really count.

Writes Parks, "My fault was that I gave each boyfriend the part of me I knew they'd find palatable, but never the whole package. I should have had the confidence to present myself wholly, truthfully, faults and all. Instead, I was living like a trainee Stepford Wife."

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Weird Ways Guys Popped the Question

    Jason got his girlfriend Maui's favorite author, Neil Gaimain, to help out with his proposal. After waiting in line to meet the author at a book signing, Maui turned her newly signed copy around to reveal Gaimain's message: "PS, Will you marry Jason?"

    http://diveabout.multiply.com/journal/item/13/The_Proposal_co_Neil_Gaiman

    The guys behind the geeky comic Joys of Tech let one of their fans (Tony) propose to his girlfriend (Steph) through one of their issues. After waiting by, the creators posted her response on their site.

    http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joystuff/proposal.html

    We don't want to choose favorites, but JP definitely gets a shout out for over-the-topness. After deciding to propose to his girl in a Super Bowl commercial, he created a website to raise the needed funds. He actually achieved his goal, but not before ads sold out. Instead, he bought air time during her favorite show, Veronica Mars. Check out the commercial and her reaction here.

    http://mysuperproposal.com/

    Tasha got the shock of a lifetime while on board a flight back home from Africa when her boyfriend Ubie showed up on the plane and asked her to marry him over the intercom.

    Flickr, mischiru

    Through work connections, James had an engagement ring for his girlfriend Joy designed by famous video game artist Yoshitaka Amano. He also got Final Fantasy soundtrack composer Nobuo Uematsu to write a little ditty for him to play in the background while proposing.

    http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8951187&publicUserId=4549175

    Alexander proposed to his space loving girlfriend while on a zero-gravity flight that cost him a whopping $7,000. Good thing the ring didn't float away!

    Flickr, Rose Davies

    While all of our guys went to extremes, Todd is the only one to put his life in danger while proposing. At an annual 4th of July bash with family and friends, and with the help of a trained stuntman, Todd lit himself on fire. After diving into a pool of water, he told girlfriend Malissa that he is "on fire" for her and then dropped to one knee. He later made a website for the occasion.

    http://www.hotproposal.com/

    This computer science major inserted a new area into the game Chrono Trigger by hacking into the game in order to create a special proposal for his girlfriend, a fan of the game. He made it so all of the NPCs (non-playable characters) were her and him reliving the highlights of their relationship. Then, one of the NPCs proposed to the player (his girlfriend). Oh, just watch for yourself.

    Flickr, kulafire

    Jeff took Michelle to a local theater to see a showing of her favorite film Say Anything. Thing is, it was a slightly edited version; Jeff replaced John Cusack with an imagine of himself and entered "Marry Me, Michelle" into the frame.

    Flickr, .scarlet.

    As a favor to a fan, Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings) asked Amy to marry "Jordan." He did it over the phone, while Amy was in another city and "Jordan" filmed the whole thing. While sweet, the bit was apparently a con. In fact, it seems there was much fooling of the LOTR cast going on.

    Getty




Parks started her serious self-examination when she realized the disconnect between her relationships and the guys' perceptions of them. "I tried to figure out what on earth was going on," she told the Daily Mail. "Some of these men didn't even know how many siblings I have, but believed I was their ideal woman."

Figuring It Out From Within
It seems that being yourself, and being completely honest and up front about who you are is the best way to find real happiness in a relationship, a lesson Parks learned after her first divorce. That may not get you a variety of shiny engagement rings, but it will probably wind up better in the end.

Just ask the Indiana woman who holds the world record for most marriages after going down the aisle 23 times. Born Linda Lou Taylor and now known as Linda Wolfe (see her picture here), she has been married to a convict, a preacher, a musician, a homeless man and even two gay men. Still, she says, "I would get married again, because, you know, it gets lonely."


10 Outrageous Theme Weddings

    Football Wedding This couple was married at the Cincinnati Bengals' Paul Brown Stadium. No word on whether the bride wore a sports bra.

    Hello Kitty Wedding Never moved past your Hello Kitty pencil case? You can pay to have two giant creatures escort you down the aisle, like this couple.

    jennfc.com

    Star Wars Wedding We hope Yoda presided over this wedding ("Take the bride, do you?"). The London Telegraph reports on one such union where a Princess Leia was the ring bearer, clad in the infamous gold bikini.

    klobtime, Flickr

    Biker Wedding Why leave your Harley at home for the big day when you can ride down the aisle in style? This couple takes leather to the altar and shows their guests exactly how to ride off in to the sunset, without chafing.

    Mad Man Dan / FaithRiders

    WWII Wedding Time to party like it's 1942? All 100 guests at this wedding got into theme, donning fur wraps, berets and caps adorned with feathers. For authenticity they piped in the sound of sirens and Lancaster bombers flying overhead.

    Hartlepool Mail

    Zombie Wedding If the undead get married, then it really is a union that will last forever. To make it authentic you could even get carried in a coffin to the altar. Consider eating beforehand if you don't like brains.

    wedlog.com

    Disney Princess Wedding For your Cinderella day, you can buy a gown from the official Disney fashion line, or have your wedding at the actual theme park for 10 grand and up. Next up: "Lion King" groomsmen!?

    bridezilla.com

    Gangster Wedding Bonnie and Clyde made being a gangster romantic and now you can too with some vintage duds and smart pinstripes.

    thebreadline, Flickr

    Renaissance Wedding Grab your lute and mount your trusty steed! If you're donning a garter, run swiftly. One rather aggressive medieval tradition called for guests to grab a piece of the garment by any means necessary.

    youandyourwedding.com

    Lord of the Rings Wedding "One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them." Take your "precious" to the altar and recite lines straight from Tolkien's classic as the vows. These LOTR superfans earn bonus points for their Minas Tirith cake.

    Sarah and Patrick Needham