He realized that when he arrived at his relatives and said "A man's gotta do what a mans gotta do." Love Actually was a silly but sweet movie and it's fun to watch.

Yes timing is everything, "the time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself" and I think it should go both ways if both partners have the feels for each other.

I can only speak for myself but I went all chips in with my future wife when we hiked up an arroyo that had a rare wildflower bloom in Joshua Tree, CA. Everything aligned that summer day, in the desert sun, and I knew deep down that I was going to do whatever I needed to do to 'make her mine'.

When passion is met with passion, when its truly reciprocal, it touches the divine.

PS: I didn't know who Colin Firth was, I had to rewatch that scene again just to rememner.