When you think of a romantic proposal, you may conjure up images of warm, sandy beaches, tropical sunsets and exotic locations. However, that’s not what the majority of people have in mind.
According to a recent study conducted by Goldsmiths, 54% of men and 64% of women say that the best season to propose is winter. And half of the respondents said the best day to do this on is Christmas Day.
So why is winter so popular for proposals? And what destination should you be heading to if you’re thinking of popping the question this winter?
The Season of Romance
Even though the majority of couples will have special dates that run throughout the year, e.g. their first date, their first kiss or their first holiday together, it appears no date (or season) evokes as much romance as winter. Whether you’re wrapped up in front of the fire with your loved one or you’re heading out for a stroll through the snow, the festive season is one that’s filled with love.
What’s more, with most of us taking time off over Christmas and looking forward to seeing friends and family, the mood that surrounds these cold winter months is often quite buoyant. This heightens our sense of romance as we treasure those closest to us and lose ourselves in nostalgic memories of previous Christmases.
And if the snow does start to fall, it’s easy to feel as though you’ve stepped into your own little fairy tale.
What Destination?
Now we’ve established why winter is such a favorite amongst lovebirds, let’s take a look at what the survey said about the go-to destinations for proposing.
According to the respondents, Paris is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the most romantic place to propose (it is the city of love, after all). 21% of men and women agreed on this location, while 16% opted for Venice and 9% chose Florence and Rome.
What else did the survey teach us? That 75% of people would rather have a traditional proposal that’s done in private (only 9% want a big show), and if you’re going to stick to any tradition, it needs to be spending an entire month’s salary on the engagement ring, as 57.4% of respondents deemed this the most important. However, don’t worry too much about the latter, because if your fiancé(e)-to-be wants a winter proposal, flights are often cheaper around this time, so the money you save on your romantic getaway can be put towards the all-important ring
