How would you rate your proposal?

New research shows that only 39% of Americans give their proposals an “A+.”

A new survey of 2,000 Americans who are engaged or married takes a look at modern proposal traditions and asks respondents to rate their engagements based on how successful they thought they were.

It was found that only two out of five couples would give their engagement a perfect score, with the rest having a few comments.

The average rating from respondents was an A-, but 29% said their expectations were not met at all.

Only 50% said they would not change anything if their proposal could be re-implemented.

The findings, conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Blue Nile, also show two things the average person would change about their proposal.

When asked what these items were, one in 10 said they would change the ring, while 35% said they would change the location of the proposal.

Another 18% said they would change the way the suitor actually delivers the ring.
Surprisingly, only 36% of respondents said their partner actually got down on one knee.

30% said the “three months’ salary” rule – the idea that a suitor should spend around three months’ salary on an engagement ring – is officially outdated, with more than half of respondents not following all three, results show rule. The month rules when they buy the ring.

Respondents also trust their instincts when it comes to picking out something their partner would like – with the majority (68%) not buying a ring together.

“The proposal is evolving,” a Blue Nile spokesperson said. “We are seeing an increase in the popularity of lab-created diamond and gemstone engagement rings. However, the most important thing to remember when creating the perfect proposal is that the ring should reflect your unique love story.”

Survey data also shows social media use is a dividing factor between couples and generations.

A quarter of Gen Z (24%) and Millennials (24%) had their engagement pictures and videos appear on social media within an hour of the proposal.

The most common diamond choices are princess cut and round brilliant cut, and the most common metals are white gold and yellow gold.

“It’s exciting to see how proposal trends change with each generation,” said a spokesperson for Blue Nile. “Mixed metals and maximalist styles are highly sought after right now. Still, finding the right ring is a deeply personal thing and remains a beautiful way to visually represent a lifelong commitment.”

Five Things Couples Need to Change Most About Their Engagement
● Location (35%)
● Deliver – e.g. get down on one knee, sit down, stand up, etc. – (18%)
● Involvement of friends and family (16%)
● Weather(15%)
● What partners say (13%)