"If the answer is Yes, send me an e-mail" is the message from 100 would-be husbands and wives who are taking the institution of marriage well and truly into the information age.
It is hardly the most romantic way to propose, but 100 readers of ireland.com yesterday ditched the more traditional "bended-knee" approach and opted to pop the question over the Internet.
"I share your domain and your e-mail address. So why don't you share my life - marry me and let's interface into the future?" a gentleman from Germany asked. Readers from Canada and India, as well as many from Britain and the US, used The Irish Times Valentines 2000 Website to propose.
One lucky Donegal man was told he would be the "happiest man on that green island" if he accepted a proposal of marriage from a lady friend in the US, who cited the leap year in her public display of love.
She was not alone: some 40 women took the initiative and asked the men in their lives to marry them over the Web.
The style of proposal was varied. Roses are Red, Violets are Blue received quite an airing, as did the distinctly Irish question, "Do you want to be buried with my people?"
But whether on bended knee or over the Internet, the global question "Will you marry me?" was the most popular choice of words among online proposers.
It is not known how many of the 100 proposees have answered in the affirmative, but for those on the receiving end of a No response, not being physically present to hear it is sure to be of some comfort.
Meanwhile, visitors to the Valentine 2000 site voted Casablanca the best romantic movie of all time, Titanic the worst, Elvis Presley's Love Me Tender the best love song, and Meatloaf's I Would Do Anything For Love the worst love song of all time.
Valentines 2000 can be accessed at: www.ireland.com/events/valentine
