PHOTO: MEGAN MADDEN.
Not that we’re all looking to be proposed to while we run a marathon or win an Emmy, but I’m pretty sure everyone wants their proposal to be one-of-a-kind and personal. At the same time, whether you’re the asker or the asked, it’s at least interesting to know what others are doing when they pop the question. If only so you now know how to buck them, here’s a look at the trends The Knot predicts for the coming year.
Everything on camera
Not only are people gearing things for the ‘gram, they’re even making sure they take pics and videos of the key moments in their painstaking proposal-planning process, which apparently takes an average of 4.4 months. Then, according to a survey done by The Knot in 2017, about 47 percent of the askers hire a photographer or videographer to capture the actual proposal.
Destination weddings are so yesterday. The big thing now is to set the proposal in a “meaningful” place, whether it’s somewhere a couple has been together before or someplace with cultural significance. Also, whether this is in a far-flung locale or someplace close to home, many askers are making a whole day of their proposals, with romantic outing after romantic outing leading up to the big question and possibly finishing with a party.
It may seem a little cheesy if you’ve seen too many of these on YouTube, but to the people involved, having their beloved pup/baby goat as an accessory to the proposal is nearly irresistible.
In a modern twist on the old tradition of asking a woman’s father for her hand, people are making a ceremony out of asking future fiances’ children, as well as sisters and brothers. (But what if they say no?!)
The Knot is also seeing a lot of people using nostalgia to move the needle to ‘yes’, whether with rooms decorated using photos of a couple’s time together, or scavenger hunts that we hope are a lot easier to solve than that one in Gone Girl.
About 45 percent of proposals take place in a public place, mostly in gardens (25 percent). But that means 55 percent are keeping things private, and sometimes asking when they move into a new home.
The Knot predicts that some people aren’t just going to reject traditional diamonds, they’re also going to be using ring alternatives, like watches, bracelets, artwork, or musical instruments. That sounds like a very cool idea — but something to risk only if you know your partner didn’t have their heart set on seeing that ring box!
