How would you grade your marriage proposal?

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Just 39% of Americans gave their marriage proposals an “A+”, according to new research.

A new survey of 2,000 engaged or married Americans examined modern proposal traditions and asked respondents to grade their engagements based on how successful they felt it went.

Results found that just two in five couples would give their engagements a perfect score, with the rest having some notes.

The average respondent graded their engagements an A-, but 29% said their expectations were simply not met.

Just 50% said they wouldn’t change anything if they could do their proposal all over again.

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Blue Nile, (https://www.bluenile.com/) results also showed that the average person would change two things about their proposal.

When asked what those things would be, one in 10 said they would change their ring, while 35% said they’d change the location of the proposal.

Another 18% said they would change how the proposer actually delivered the ring.

Surprisingly, only 36% of respondents said their partner actually got down on one knee.

Thirty percent said the “three months’ salary” rule — the idea that the person proposing should spend about three months of their salary on the engagement ring — is officially outdated, with the results showing that over half of the respondents did not follow the three-month rule when they bought their ring.

Respondents are also trusting their instincts when it comes to picking something their partner would like — the majority (68%) did not shop for their ring together.

“Proposals are evolving,” said a spokesperson for Blue Nile. “We’ve seen lab grown diamond and gemstone engagement rings grow in popularity. However, the most important thing to remember when creating the perfect proposal is that the ring should be a reflection of your unique love story.”

Data from the survey also shows social media use as a dividing factor among couples and different generations.

One in four Gen Z (24%) and millennial (24%) engagement pics and videos are on social media within an hour of the proposal.

The most common diamond selection was revealed to be princess cut and round brilliant, and the most common metals were white gold and yellow gold.

“It’s exciting to see how proposal trends change with each generation,” said a spokesperson for Blue Nile. “Mixed metals and maximalist styles are highly sought after right now. Still, finding the right ring is a very personal thing and remains a beautiful way to visually represent a lifelong commitment.”

TOP 5 THINGS COUPLES WOULD CHANGE ABOUT THEIR ENGAGEMENTS

Location (35%)
Delivery – e.g. getting down on one knee, sitting down, standing up, etc – (18%)
Friends and Family Involvement (16%)
Weather (15%)
Words partner said (13%)

Survey methodology

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 women; the survey was commissioned by Blue Nile and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Oct. 16 and Oct. 24, 2024.

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