TRADITIONALLY, the man spends a month’s salary on a ring then goes down on one knee to pop the question.

But on the most romantic day of the year these lovebirds went about getting engaged rather differently.

Thousands of miles’ distance didn’t matter to Michelle Spencer, now 23, while her then boyfriend, Private Rick Spencer, was in Afghanistan as a driver for the Royal Logistics Corps four years ago.

Mrs Spencer, who lives with her husband in Dalton Barracks, Abingdon, created a website video explaining how much she loved him – and a card saying Will You Marry Me – then emailed the link to him on February 29, 2008, the traditional day for women to propose.

She said: “He called me and said he couldn’t talk until the next day and hadn’t seen it.

“I thought it would be no good if he didn’t see it that day and I tried to delete it, but he logged on and rang me to say ‘yes I will’.

“I could hear everyone cheering in the background.”

The couple are now trying for a baby and Mrs Spencer said it was a story she planned to tell the children.

She said: “It wasn’t just the fact he was in Afghanistan – something mad inside me said ‘propose to him’ so I did.”

They were married in Salford in November 2008.

Last year on Valentine’s Day Mrs Spencer decorated the house with balloons and confetti – this year it is her husband’s turn to surprise his wife.

He said: “The proposal was unusual, I was shocked, but I’m chuffed how it happened.

“Married life is great, it’s been the best days in my life – I hope there’s more to come.”

Frances-Mary Pratt, 37, from Carterton, also took advantage of the 2008 leap year to propose, going down on one knee to partner Colin.

Mr Pratt, 42, had got her a ring as a Valentine’s gift but mislaid it at his father Tony Pratt’s house.

After findingthe ring, Mr Pratt Snr suggested to his future daughter-in-law that she pop the question.

She said: “It was a last-minute thing. He put the idea in my head then I decided to take the plunge.”

Mr Pratt said: “I quite liked the fact she proposed because it took the pressure away from me.”

And Andrew Ashcroft used the Oxford Mail to pop the big question to his wife Fiona in March 2010. Mr Ashcroft took out an advert asking her to marry him, then arranged for the couple, from East Oxford, to go to South Park for a picnic and read the papers.

Mrs Ashcroft, 30, a fundraising manager for Helen and Douglas House, said: “The way he proposed meant everyone would know.

“I came to work the next day and everyone had seen it!”

The couple were married near Cirencester in September and Mrs Ashcroft says the romantic surprises continue into married life. The day after their wedding, her birthday, he presented her with a mystery box with items representing treats to be taken up a month after their big day.

That included a Red Hot Chili Peppers CD, which represented a night out to see the band perform, and a toy crab, which was for a meal.

Are you planning to pop the question on February 29? Email reporter Debbie Waite at dwaite@nqo.com