Saying yes to marrying someone is a huge commitment that requires plenty of thought.

But often, that important decision is made in the blink of an eye after a romantic proposal.

And for those who have to pluck up the courage to pop the question, the wait for an answer can be excruciatingly painful - and even more so when that answer is no.

Some of those men and women whose marriage proposals were rejected opened up on Whisper about how it felt - and those doing the turning down explained their reasons for saying no.

Men opened up on Whisper about the excruciating moment their proposals were rejected

One man revealed how his heartless girlfriend rejected him after deeming the ring he selected not expensive enough

Another man revealed how he was rejected after proposing in front of his parents and siblings

One man revealed how his girlfriend rejected him after deeming the ring he selected not expensive enough.

'Proposed to my girlfriend today. She said no and called me cheap after looking at the ring. It cost £400,' he wrote on the secret-sharing app.

'So I dumped her. Took it back and got an Xbox One instead.'

Others revealed how their proposals were not only rejected, but their girlfriends took the opportunity to rub salt in the wound by admitting to infidelity.

'Proposed to my girlfriend last night. She said no and confessed she was cheating on me with her ex from high school,' reveled one anonymous poster.

Another added. 'Proposed to my girlfriend today, she said no. Apparently she's been cheating for the last four months.'

Others revealed how their proposals were not only rejected, but their girlfriends took the opportunity to rub salt in the wound by admitting to infidelity

One man said when he proposed, his girlfriend revealed she had been cheating with her ex

It wasn't just men getting rejected - one woman said her boyfriend turned her down because a 'woman shouldn't be the one to propose in a relationship'

Others shared their heartbreak after planning elaborate or public proposals only to be turned down.

'I proposed to my girlfriend of three years last weekend,' one man explained.

'Candles, rose petals, the whole nine yards. I even got her a kitten with a ring tied around his neck. She said no.'

Another admitted: 'I got 100 people and all of our friends together for a flash mob proposal. She said no.'

'I proposed last month,' another man confessed. 'She said no in front of my parents and siblings.'

And it wasn't just men who have been rejected.

One woman said: 'I proposed to my boyfriend today. He said no and that a "woman shouldn't be the one to propose in a relationship." I'm so hurt.'

Others shared their heartbreak after planning elaborate proposals only to be turned down (stock image)

A man revealed he planned a romantic proposal for this girlfriend that even included a kitten with a ring tied around its neck

One man gathered together 100 people for a flash mob proposal and was then turned down

Meanwhile, some of the women on the receiving end of unwanted proposals did explain their reason for the rejection.

'My boyfriend of 2.5 years proposed last night, but I said no,' explained one young woman.

'He's the love of my life and I don't ever wanna be with anyone else, but I'm 19 and in college. I'm just not ready.'

Another said: 'My boyfriend proposed to me today and I said no, everyone is making me seem like a bad person but I just don't want marriage anytime soon.'

Another woman added: 'My boyfriend proposed to me but I said no because of his daughter. I'm not sure if I'm good enough to be her stepmom.'

One man explained: 'I proposed to my girlfriend and she said no because I was in the military and she didn't want the burden. Why the hell were you dating me then?'

Some of the women on the receiving end of unwanted proposals gave the reasons behind the rejection

One woman said she turned down her boyfriend's proposal because she's concerned about being a stepmother to his daughter

One man's girlfriend explained she was saying no because the proposal wasn't good enough

Another said: 'Just proposed to my gf this morning ... She said, "No, you can do a better proposal than that."'

But while some women at least gave a reason why the answer was no, one didn't even respond.

'My boyfriend proposed to me over text... I never replied,' one woman wrote.

One young woman said she turned down her boyfriend's proposal because she's still a teen

One man said he was told that the reason was because his job - in the military - was a 'burden'