Jennifer Aniston’s love-life has often mirrored those romantic comedies she’s so famous for. Dumped by her A-list husband Brad Pitt for his sexy movie co-star Angelina Jolie, Jen was then forced to watch from the wings as Brad became cast in real life as dream dad to six cute children. Meanwhile, she endured a string of failed relationships with the likes of Vince Vaughn, John Mayer and Gerard Butler.

But, just like in the movies, she never gave up hope that one day she’d find "the one". "It will happen," she promised Vanity Fair in 2005. "There's an amazing man wandering the streets right now who’s the father of my children." And last year, she found him in the form of quirky scriptwriter/actor Justin Theroux — her patience had paid off. Last week, Justin surprised Jen by showing up unannounced to her movie set and proposing on his 41st birthday.

The pair later celebrated at a restaurant. And this time, Jen knows she’s in this marriage forever. "The proposal totally melted Jen’s heart," says a source close to the actress. "She couldn’t resist — she screamed out, 'Yes!'" The overjoyed couple confirmed the news two days later, with his rep saying, “Justin had an amazing birthday on Friday, receiving an extraordinary gift when his girlfriend accepted his proposal of marriage."

It’s no secret Jen, 43, has had a hard and humiliating time trying to find the perfect man. And even when she first met Justin back in 2007, introduced by their mutual friend Ben Stiller, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight. "I remember thinking he was very dark. At first, you think he could be, like, a serial killer,” she recently revealed. "But he’s actually the nicest person in the world!"

Read all the details about Justin's proposal in this week's Woman’s Day on sale Monday August 20, 2012.