Pop the Question at the UK’s Best Engagement Destinations

What are the UK’s best cities for popping the question? 

• London tops the list as the most engagement friendly city in the UK for asking your partner for their hand in marriage
• Birmingham came in second position, followed by Edinburgh and Leicester,
• The lowest scoring cities were Southampton, Cardiff, Portsmouth and Swansea
• Hull was revealed to be home to the cheapest average hotel rate in the UK
• If planning an outdoor proposal London was revealed to have the least amount of rainfall each year as opposed to Glasgow which had the most
• London, Edinburgh and Glasgow came in first, second and third positions based on the number of romantic activities available

The new study by Purely Diamonds reveals the top UK cities for getting engaged, based on the elements that go into planning the perfect proposal.

Taking a seed list of 24 of the UK’s largest cities, the analysts at Purely Diamonds scored each city based on the number of engagement images tagged on Instagram, plus other factors such as the cost of a night in a hotel, number of restaurants, weather and overall romance rating.

Using a weighted ranking system, the report assigned a score to each city which took into account the factors described above, revealing the UK’s most engagement friendly cities.

The Most Engagement Friendly Destinations in the UK

For many people, asking the question at the right time and choosing the right place to do it is almost as important as the wedding day itself.

London tops the list as the most engagement friendly city in the UK for popping the question. The city had the highest number of hashtags on Instagram with the tag #londonengagement being used 9,696 times. The city scored an impressive 40 out 50 in the overall study.

In second position was Birmingham scoring 35 out of 50 with the hashtag #birminghamengagement being used 1,273 times on Instagram. Followed by Edinburgh, Leicester, and Sheffield in third, fourth, and fifth positions, respectively.

The lowest-scoring cities were Southampton, Cardiff, Portsmouth, and Swansea. Whilst these cities have a number of restaurant options for the pre or post proposal dinner, they had very few Instagram mentions for proposals, and the cities rainfall score could dampen those all-important engagement shoots.

David Allen from Purely Diamonds commented on the results of the study:  

“A wedding proposal is one of life’s most memorable moments but for anyone planning to propose we know, it can be stressful. First, you have to make sure you and your partner are really ready, then you have to find the perfect ring to pop the question with. And finally, most importantly, you must decide where the proposal will take place. There are endless options when it comes to places to propose, but some definitely stick out more than others.

“With many destinations further afield off-limits due to continuing travel restrictions and quarantine rules this study keeps the locations closer to home.

“The study spans the UK from the hustle and bustle of the capital city to the quiet easy-going cities they all have something to offer, depending on what you place importance on for the perfect proposal.

“So, if you’re planning to pop the question this year or wait a little longer. Many of the top-scoring cities in this study have a few things in common. They have plenty of romantic attractions, a great foodie scene, and plenty of hotel rate options.”