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Nearly Half of All Proposals in 2017 Were Done In Public, According to a New Study

Sydney Rae James engagedThe happy couple admire the sunset after the proposal on Camelback Mountain. Credit: Jennifer Stewart

Privacy is so yesterday… at least for half of those surveyed by The Knot in a new study. According to our 2017 Jewelry & Engagement Study, which encompasses a pool of more than 14,000 brides and grooms across the country, only 53 percent of proposals this past year were executed in private, while the opposite held true in public.

The study reveals that the number of public proposals has gone up since 2011 with 45 percent of all engagements now happening out in the open to some capacity. That number has shifted upwards from just 34 percent back in 2011.

However, there was only a slight shift from traditionally private proposals, meaning the moment takes place only between the two parties. Fifty-three percent of proposals took place in private, down from 57 percent in 2011.

That statistical jump in public proposals accompanies an increased amount of viral engagements. The Knot study also cites that 40 percent of grooms responded that their proposals were “meticulously planned, down to the last detail.”

On the bride’s end, public proposals may have been accompanied by some sort of advance knowledge about the gesture taking place. (Have to get those nails ready for #TheKnotRings, right?) For only 35 percent of brides, the proposal came as a complete surprise, which was down from 40 percent in 2011.

Click here for more key findings from the study, including the average engagement ring cost in 2017 to the average shape and size of the stone.

About the Author

Esther Lee
Esther Lee
Esther is the Senior News Editor at The Knot. A self-proclaimed pop culture enthusiast, she appreciates a good celebrity interview just as much as she adores Nancy Meyers movies. You can find her kicking off her mornings with barre and a green juice, traveling and exploring new cultures, and rapidly scrolling her feed for the latest and greatest news. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @theestherlee.