jaq > ask for her hand ... ermmm we kindoff took the short cut. The day after I proposed, we went to her house and told her parents "We are going to get married", then went to tell her grandparents "Grandpa, I am going to marry your grand-daughter" (its a statement, not a question ...). after that then told my parents.
My wife's colleague did it the traditional way, which was he + parents went to the wife's side to formally ask.