In this weekly feature, Her.ie goes behind enemy lines to see what it’s really like to be single in Ireland.
From speed dating to making speedy escapes, our no-holds-barred blog will follow our attempts to venture into the dating jungle, play the field and share any wisdom that we finds along the way.
Week Thirty-Three: Why Men Propose
What makes a man decide to go down on one knee and ask that big question?
Well, we would take a guess and say it’s that he wants to spend the rest of his life with the woman but what would we know?!
Jeweller Vashi.com this week issued the results of a study of engaged couples so we decided to have a look at the results and consult the Her team for their verdict.
Here’s how it all panned out…
They Say: 55 per cent of people end up proposing after their girlfriend drops several hints about her desire to marry and that the time is right, whilst just under a third (30 per cent) pop the question after coming under pressure to tie the knot from their parents or the bride to be’s parents.
We Say: While there are a few Mr Big’s out there (and even he came around in the end!), we refuse to believe that over 80% of Irish men are so spineless that they’d marry someone for the sole purpose of stopping them from bending their ear.
At least we hope so…
They Say: The most popular location to propose is at a beauty spot or during a walk in the countryside – chosen by 27 per cent of grooms. Second up is to propose on a foreign break in a city like Paris (20 per cent), followed by at home on a sofa (15 per cent) or on a summer holiday (11 per cent). Seven per cent of grooms preferred a more simple approach and proposed in bed!
We Say: A mixed reaction to this one! The team are split between a low-key and sentimental proposal and an all-out romantic surprise. Moral of the story: If the love of your life is proposing, you won’t really mind where it happens. That said, we’d like to look halfway decent so maybe wait til we’re out of our pyjamas – wouldn’t want to scare small children with that ring selfie!
They Say: Old traditions are not dying out. Seven out of ten grooms (71 per cent) still go down on bended knee when proposing and almost two-thirds of men ask the girlfriend’s father’s permission for her hand in marriage before going ahead with the proposal.
We Say: While we may think that Tinder and online dating is destroying romance, it’s heartening to see that men still think of the little things. The ‘asking permission’ is a tricky one though as some women would be very annoyed to hear that someone else gave the green light to their engagement before they did. Always pays to do a little (subtle!) recon before popping the question and if in doubt, ask the best friend!
They Say: Sixty-seven per cent of grooms purchase the diamond engagement ring before proposing, with 87 per cent saying the bride was very happy with their selection and had no desire to change it or to have been involved with the choice.
We Say: It’s a brave man that chooses jewellery for a woman, especially something she’ll have to wear for life. Most of our panel said they would prefer to choose their own ring but we’re divided on whether a token ring is necessary for the grand gesture!
The study also found that forty-three per cent popped the question spontaneously and the vast majority of grooms (86 per cent) proposed the first time they intended but a further 12 per cent bottled it at least once before plucking up the courage to ask.
Good news for nervous grooms-to-be though: 93 per cent of women said ‘yes’ to their first proposal!
What do you think? We’d love to hear your opinions or any of your proposal stories! Email us at [email protected] or tweet us @Herdotie with the #shiftyfirstdates.
