More Than Half of Women Don’t Want A Valentine’s Day Proposal

Survey suggests surprise is most important when planning a proposal

Valentine’s Day: it’s the most romantic day of the year, when star-crossed lovers pledge eternal devotion to one another… Or is it? A recent YouGov survey, commissioned by 77 Diamonds, revealed that while February 14th might sound like the perfect date for would-be Romeos to finally pop the question, the women of the world don’t necessarily agree.

Of the 1,107 UK women polled, just 19% said they would like to be proposed to on Valentine’s Day, while 57% said they wouldn’t. Of the women who didn’t like the idea of a Valentine’s Day proposal, almost half (46%) said it would be “too gimmicky”, while a quarter said it would be “too predictable” – indicating that the element of surprise is important to a successful proposal.

This was confirmed when the ladies were quizzed about the ideal time to be proposed to. A fifth answered with ‘a day that is significant to their relationship’, but not on their anniversary – which would, presumably, be too predictable. The most popular answer, with 58% of responses, was to be taken completely by surprise and proposed to on a random day.

“Valentine’s Day might be the day we traditionally most associate with romance, but these responses suggest that what ladies really appreciate is something original and unexpected – a proposal out of the blue,” said Tobias Kormind, co-founder of 77 Diamonds. “However, as this time of year tends to get couples thinking about their future together as well as their past, we hope Valentine’s Day serves as encouragement to start planning that big surprise!”

In addition, almost one in ten (9%) women said that the timing of the proposal would be likely to affect their answer. These results should act as a warning to all of the men folk out there this Valentine’s Day – get your timing right!

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