Monday 3rd Feb 2020
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, our recent research lifts the lid on how people feel about getting engaged on the most romantic day of the year, where they would choose for their partner to buy their ring from and how much they expect them to spend.
The best and worst times to get engaged
The good news is that the majority of both men and women don’t mind when they get engaged – so timing isn’t everything.
After no preference at all, a ‘normal day’ came out as the top choice for both sexes, meaning for those looking to play it safe, avoiding major holidays and festivities could be the way to go.
For those up for more of a challenge, upcoming Valentine’s Day could win them some brownie points if their other half is among the 11.7% of women or 11.2% of men who would love to get engaged on the most romantic day of the year.
Valentine’s Day proved to be most popular with the older generation, featuring in the top 3 for those aged 65+, whereas the younger audience of 18-24 year olds would prefer an anniversary or a short city break as the backdrop to their picture perfect proposal.
However, Valentine’s Day isn’t always good news, as when asked for their least preferable timing for the question to be popped, 23.3% of women and 15.8% of men listed Valentine’s Day, so it seems it’s the marmite of engagement timing.
The older your other half is, the less you have to worry about, as our data shows a correlation between age and having no preference. 18.7% of those ages 18-24 said they didn’t mind when they got engaged, compared to 37% of 45-54 year olds, 37.7% of 55-64s and 43.2% of those aged 65+.
When it comes to how current relationship status affects timing, it seems singletons, divorcees and widows like the idea of a short break or holiday, compared to the more sentimental occasions of an anniversary for those in relationship and Valentine’s Day for those who are already married.
Across the board, Christmas Day and Halloween are the holidays best avoided, regardless of relationship status or age.
How much should the ring cost?
When it comes to the cost of the rock, men and women are mostly aligned, the majority of both expecting it should cost less than £1,000 (52.5% and 47.3% respectively). Although women do expect a little bit more, with 15.1% expecting it to cost more than £5,000 compared to just 12.8% of men.
Those who are single have the lowest expectation for spending, with 94.5% expecting their partner would spend less than £5k, compared to 90.1% of those in a relationship and 82.6% of those who are already married.
Spending attitudes are also very different depending on age, with a younger audience more likely to expect a higher amount. Almost a quarter (23.4%) of 25-34 year olds would expect the ring to cost more than £5,000 compared to just 4.6% of those aged 45 and over.
Where should the ring be from?
Across the board, it was pretty much universal that both men and women would expect their partner to buy their ring from one of the major high street retailers, with only a small subsection of age groups (25-44) showing a slight preference for a bespoke piece.
And those thinking of getting a helping hand when it comes to choosing the ring might want to think again. 52.4% of women and a huge 66.8% of men would only want their partner involved in picking the ring. If they were have to have anyone else involved, it would be themselves, with 23.3% of women and 14.3% of men saying they would expect to play a role.
The older the bride or groom to be, the more likely they are to want to be involved themselves, with only 15.4% of 18-24 year olds wanting to have their say compared to 30.7% of 55-64s.