The holiday season is a big time for couples to get engaged, and if you’re someone planning a big grand gesture to pop the question in the next few weeks you may want to listen up. 

A new survey of 300 women by The Knot and De Beers Group finds:

• Most women want their proposal to be personal and unique.
• They are not necessarily as down with grand gestures and big public displays.
• In fact, the ideal proposal consists of:
  • One person proposing to the other (98%)
  • One that’s planned ahead of time (66%)
  • And in a private place (66%) 

And when it comes to the ring, you may want to think twice about surprising your gal:

• 96% of pre-engaged women say they want some involvement in selecting the ring.
• Three-fourths of those women have had some thoughts about their engagement ring.
• The majority of women still pick diamonds as their first choice, although more are concerned with the shape, setting and style rather than the size.
• 76% of women expect their partner to pay for the diamond, although 20% expect both parties to contribute to the cost.

Source: Business Insider