Survey Reveals the Proposals Brides & Grooms Actually Want

ScienceOfRelationships.com teamed up with the Loving Lab at the University of Texas at Austin to interview 400 newly engaged or newly wed individuals about their ideal and actual proposals. Sixty-nine percent said they would prefer a private proposal, while 15% wanted a public proposal and 17% wanted just close friends and family present. Luckily, 75% of people got the type of proposal they wanted; however, 9% wanted a private proposal but got a public proposal, and 2% wanted a public proposal but got a private proposal.

Ultimately, people rated their ideal proposal as slightly more romantic than their actual proposal. The top ideal location was by the water (such as a beach), followed by at home; however, the top actual location was at home, followed by a location near the water.

And if you're debating whether or not to tell anyone about your proposal before popping the question, consider that 37.5% of respondents said they asked the parents' permission to propose, and 43% said their parents at least knew about the proposal in advance. Fifteen percent said siblings knew about the upcoming proposal, and 19% said friends were in on it.

Unsure if now is the right time to pop the question? Read what other grooms had to say about the moment they knew it was time to propose! 

Photo by Jen Yuson Photography