Couples splurging on flashy proposals – and they cost a fortune

Rafael Usufally is desperate to propose to his girlfriend of 11 years, Alexandria Kishore, but he’s not planning on getting down on one knee until he’s created the “perfect moment.”

First, the beloved Long Islander needed a ring—and money was no object. For the 30-year-old electrical engineer, the most important thing was to wow his now-fiancée, who works as an administrator in a neurologist’s office.

So Usufally spent weeks poring over diamonds before settling on an $11,000 radiant emerald-cut ring with a diamond-encrusted shank, which was more than twice the average U.S. engagement ring price of $5,200, according to a 2024 study.

“It’s not like [I had] Budgeting, it was more about finding something I could buy for her. I started out offering one price, but then I started liking more and the price kept going up,” he told The Washington Post.

But he’s not done—yet.

Next, Usufally found an event planning company and spent $2,200 on a proposal package that included a personal photographer and beautiful decor in a private room he rented for $600 at the Waterside restaurant in North Bergen, N.J., facing the Manhattan skyline, followed by their dinner for another $250.

Finally, on a cold day in late autumn last year, Usufali lured his bride-to-be to this viewpoint for a few days, pretending to arrange a couple photo session.

Instead, Kishore was stunned as she walked into the stunning candlelit space, littered with hundreds of rose petals and her kneeling long-time boyfriend.

“My heart stopped at that moment; it was so surreal,” Kishore told The Washington Post.

Total cost of proposal? That’s a whopping $14,050, nearly half the average cost of a wedding in 2025.

A memory that will last forever? priceless.

That’s according to two couples – As elaborate, well-publicized engagements to influencers and celebrities like Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift began to become commonplace, numerous couples spent nearly what a wedding used to cost ($20,000 in 2000) just to propose.

Last August, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end proposed to the pop star in a custom-made garden in his backyard, which flower experts believe cost around $38,000.

Let’s not forget that in May 2023, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos proposed to his now-wife Lauren Sánchez on his $500 million superyacht while they were sailing in the Mediterranean while the entire crew catered to the couple and their family.

But these days, it’s not just the rich and famous who are pulling out all the stops for their ambitious goals.

“My clients have come up with all sorts of proposals – one got engaged on a helicopter, another got engaged on a dock and after the proposal a boat came into view with their families [on it]”, Melisa Imberman, owner of The Event of a Lifetime, Inc., told The Washington Post.

“In a lot of ways, things got a little out of hand,” added Lauren Zizza, wedding planner and owner of Lauren Zizza Events. “One groom I worked with planned a surprise proposal in a private space at the venue, with a custom floral and candle installation, live musicians playing music, and a photographer capturing everything,” she told The Washington Post.

The pressure of social media doesn’t help either.

“Social platforms have normalized grand gestures, creating a proposal culture in which there is subtle pressure to make the moment visually stunning and emotionally powerful, and seeing other people’s proposals influence expectations,” Zizza continued.

“For many couples, going beyond a proposal isn’t just about luxury; it’s about creating a once-in-a-lifetime memory that embodies the importance of the moment.”

This New York couple knows a thing or two about luxury. When Phil Kessler, 31, decided to propose to now-husband Zack Aberman Kessler, 31, in May 2022, the word “budget” wasn’t even in his vocabulary.

The video game designer told The Washington Post, “I’m just spending what I think is necessary under the circumstances rather than setting a limit on the amount.”

The millennial couple originally planned to travel to their favorite place, the Hamptons, but after doing the math and seeing how they could fly to Europe for the same money, they decided to go to Portugal.

This gave Phil the idea to propose to Zach, vice president of global events at JPMorgan Chase, and he was going to get married on a quiet, “instagrammable” beach in the town of Cascais.

Although Portugal is cheaper than other trendy European countries, Phil didn’t cut any corners for him and Zach, including booking a $1,000-a-night five-star hotel.

On the day of the proposal, the couple enjoyed a lavish lunch worth more than $200 at a restaurant on a cliff, surrounded by the roaring sea.

“This is absolutely the most beautiful place I have ever been to in my life. Simply amazing,gushed Phil.

The couple then strolled along the picturesque beach, and Phil eventually got down on one knee and pulled out two IWC Schaffhausen watches, worth a combined $12,000. A photographer hired for “a few hundred dollars” happily captured their happy moment on the beach.

“They are the same watch but different colors [faces] and different styles [band],” he explained.

There were a lot of happy tears and a lot of money spent on the proposal – over $17,000 to be exact, but the couple couldn’t be happier with their experience.

“We always say it was the best day of our lives, even better than our wedding [which took place in September 2023],” Phil said.

From one proposal to another in Europe, last May, Michael Loconte, 33, planned a $3,200 trip to the Italian hotspot Lake Como to celebrate his fiancée Shannon Ganley, 30, earning her master’s degree. But deep down in his heart, he knew that would be the perfect place to propose to her.

Loconte, who works in financial software, pulled off the surprise of a lifetime – proposing to Ganley on a $500 private boat cruise during a picturesque journey around the beautiful town of Varenna, with a round brilliant solitaire diamond engagement ring “over $10,000, less than $15,000.”

The 33-year-old spent $1,142 to hire a photographer – whose cover story was that he was taking promotional photos of the ship – to follow and capture the special moment.

“When we finally got to the dock, the so-called photographer on the boat said, ‘Do you want to take a picture in front of the dock?’ He turned to us in the cabin, and in that moment, I thought, ‘This could happen. Oh, my God,'” the mental health counselor told The Washington Post.

After lots of hugs and kisses, the newly engaged New Jersey couple indulged in celebratory drinks on the way to a $351 “gourmet dinner and full tasting menu,” before ending their unforgettable night at the bar.

“This is so special,” Ganley said with a big smile.

The couple’s total cost of proposing in Italy: $17,193.