"You'll just know," says one groom. "I guess I just knew," says another. "It sounds cliché, but...." So, how can a groom tell if his girlfriend is "the one"? It's a question every guy contemplating marriage will ask. GroomGroove.com deconstructs the question to help you figure out the answer to one of life's big questions.

From girlfriend, to fiancée, to bride-to-be and retirement in Florida: Yup. You'll "just know"

Without wanting to toss in the towel too quickly, there is an element of truth to the idea that a groom-to-be will just know that his girlfriend is the right person for him to marry. Knowing is that feeling you get when you've got the right combination of characteristics in a woman and in the relationship itself.

What is it about this particular woman?

In terms of your girlfriend, only you can really define the characteristics you're looking for. Frankly, you've probably never given it much thought, other than "Man, I really love Jen!" GroomGroove.com suggests digging a bit deeper. What is it about this woman, over and above any others that have already danced around in your life and dumped you, that makes your heart jump? Is she smart, sporty and funny? Is she ballsy? Is it her looks? Is it only her looks? If you will be truly proud to call this woman your wife and she has the characteristics in a woman that you are looking for, you may be on to something. "There was a magic moment," says Ryan T., from Montreal, happily married for 3 years. "I was sitting on my balcony having a smoke after my last year of law school, after my last law school exam. Romantic, I know. But in that moment of happiness, I just decided that she was the woman that knew me the best, that I felt totally comfortable around and adored who she was and who we were together." (ed. - Get out the Kleenex etc.)

Your relationship

You aren't talking about puppy love. You're not getting married after one whole month of dating. No, you've sown the seeds, so to speak, for a relationship that is going to last a long time. If you've got shared goals and desires (aka - on the same wavelength), for key elements of a successful marriage (including support for respective careers, views on having a family and everyday life), you're in good stead. If you enjoy being with your girlfriend and she enjoys being with you, but you're both secure enough to have lives outside of the relationship, you've got something to hang on to. Make sure to read our article about having 'The Conversation' with your wife-to-be. It covers a series of questions to consider with your bride-to-be on whether you the prospective groom and bride are ready to be married.

But she's not perfect...

We men often search for perfection. The perfect golf club. The perfect job. The perfect beer. Just as you aren't a perfect person, nor is she likely to be. If you're searching for perfection, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Over the course of your career (and hers), you're going to meet plenty of amazing women that will catch your eye, all of whom have elements of perfection. It's God's way of teasing us, we suppose. (ed. - If you do find perfection, send us an email. We'd like to talk!)

The trust factor

Trust is very hard to define. But in our view, trust begins when you can tell your girlfriend anything. Anything at all. Anything embarrassing. Anything that you are ashamed of. Anything that would make you, a grown man, cry. You've told her that one thing that you've told no one but her. She'd never reveal your most trusted confidences. She'd never abandon you if you had a terminal disease, and you'd never abandon her in the same situation. Do you trust this person to that extent? That's a pretty big test.

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