For many of us, getting engaged is one of the most memorable and special days in our lives. Luxury jewellery brand Glamira has carried out new research using Instagram and Google Trends to learn where the most popular places to get engaged are right now, as well as finding out more about today’s trends when it comes to proposals.
The study revealed the top destinations across the UK that are attracting the most interest. The places that ranked the highest appealed both to people actually proposing there and people who were looking for inspiration.
Glamira counted how many Instagram posts about getting engaged were located in each UK region or city, with the hashtags #proposal or #engagement. They also used Google Trends to search for the popularity of different locations along with the keywords “proposal ideas”, “best place to propose”, “engagement ideas”, and “romantic proposal location”.
| Location | Instagram Posts | Instagram Ranking | Google Trends Score | Google Trends Ranking | Combined Ranking | |
| 1 | London | 332,000 | 1 | 97.5 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | Edinburgh | 146,000 | 2 | 87.3 | 3 | 2.5 |
| 3 | Lake District | 119,000 | 4 | 91.3 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | Manchester | 127,000 | 3 | 82.8 | 6 | 4.5 |
| 5 | Cornwall | 107,000 | 6 | 83.3 | 4 | 5 |
Based on the data, London was the most popular location overall, with a lot of Instagram content about proposals showing the capital’s major landmarks like Tower Bridge, Hyde Park and Primrose Hill – as well as upscale restaurants in Mayfair and Covent Garden.
In second place, it was Edinburgh, with posts featuring landmarks such as the Edinburgh Castle esplanade, Arthur’s Seat, Calton Hill and the Royal Mile.
While there were two cities at the top of the chart, rural destinations were also popular. Up next, the Lake District ranked in third place. Instagram posts focused on the area’s natural beauty, often showing Lakeside settings at Windermere and Ullswater, as well as mountain viewpoints in the fells.
Manchester ranked in fourth place. Proposal related Instagram posts focused on the city centre, with posts showing locations like rooftops with a view out over the skyline. Some posts also featured settings including Salford Quays and St Peter’s Square.
Finally, in the top five, Cornwall was another top engagement destination. The most popular places on Instagram were St. Michael’s Mount and beaches like Kynance Cove, as well as coastal paths by the sea.
In addition to identifying these top five places, the data also revealed further trends.
Despite having a much smaller population than London and other major cities on the list, both the Lake District and Cornwall attracted a high amount of searches for “romantic proposal location”. It suggests that people are keen to make getting engaged the highlight of a special holiday to either of these beautiful places.
While outdoor locations are very popular, this is very dependent on the season and the weather. In southern coastal areas, there are many more searches for “beach proposal” and “sunset proposal” – and the number of people searching for proposal or engagement related terms in both Cornwall and the Lake District drops in winter.
Google Trends data also revealed that “sustainable proposal ideas” and “eco-friendly proposal” are increasingly popular searches, which might go together with the high number of proposals that are taking place in beautiful natural scenery. This may be connected to the growing popularity of lab grown diamonds for engagement rings, which more and more people are opting for because they make less of an impact on the environment, requiring less energy to produce.
Today’s proposals also often have a DIY, Pinterest-inspired aesthetic, with candles, rose petals strewn on the floor, fairy lights and simple arches or heart-shaped flower stands. So even when the proposal is taking place outside, there’s been some preparation to make the setting look even more beautiful.
Yeliz Misirli, jewellery expert at Glamira, comments:
“While London, Edinburgh and Manchester all appear in this list, with couples heading to both the English and Scottish capital in huge numbers, it’s clear to see that a lot of people are also choosing the countryside as the place for their special day. This might often take place on a weekend trip or staycation, as some of these places seem to attract a lot of interest compared to their population size.
“Here are my top tips for travelling with an engagement ring, if you’re planning to propose on your next trip. If you want to keep the proposal and the ring a surprise, you can hide a ring box easily inside a pair of socks – if the ring comes in a soft bag it’s even easier, and your sunglasses case could be perfect.”
