A brand new survey conducted by diamond specialists 77 Diamonds has revealed the nation’s views on engagements, weddings and marriages – with some surprising results! The survey was undertaken to explore the changing trends with engagements and weddings within the UK.
77 Diamonds asked a range of men and women across the country, in a variety of relationship statuses, what they have done or would do when it comes to popping the question, planning the big day, and maintaining a successful and happy marriage.
What did people say about the proposal?
- 80% of people in a relationship said that they would not feel comfortable buying their partner an engagement ring without them seeing it first.
- People in Leeds, Norwich, London and Liverpool are the most likely to spend more than the average (£1,772) on an engagement ring; and the most generous men in the UK are from Brighton, with more than 6% of them saying they would spend around £7.5K! Wow.
- Many men may think women want a flashy, public marriage proposal, but 47% of those surveyed said they would prefer it to take place somewhere intimate and special - even if that was just in bed with the papers on a Sunday morning.
What did people say about the wedding?
- 55% of the women surveyed said they would not want a traditional wedding; instead they favoured a smaller, civil ceremony with close family and friends only.
- In the past, most women would take their partner’s last name when they married. But, more than half of the women surveyed said they would like to keep their maiden name; although the majority of men said they would definitely want them to take their surname.
What did people say about maintaining a happy relationship or marriage?
- Older people (aged 55+) considered sex to be one of the most important factors of a long and happy marriage; compared to just 10% of younger couples (aged 16-24).
- Laughter and communication were two other key ingredients, along with working together to build trust and as well as respecting the other person’s independence or individuality.
David Allen, the Creative Director at 77 Diamonds commented on the survey and the results...
“We conducted this survey to shed some light on how people across the UK think when it comes to proposals, weddings and marriage – from budgets for engagement rings and the wedding day, to ideal locations to pop the question. Not only does this survey look into what people would hypothetically do, but also looks into what some people have actually done in their own relationships – and this provides some valuable advice for us all!”