Can’t go abroad? These are the best places to propose this winter
KnowYourMoney has surveyed over 1,000 married British people to find out what the true cost of love is. From saying I love you to having children, how long does it take the UK to reach these moments, and how much are we spending on these major declarations of love? You can view the full story here: https://www.knowyourmoney.co.uk/personal-finance/the-cost-to-be-in-love/
During our lifetimes, many of us want to experience the romance and roller coaster that comes from falling in love. From weddings to milestone anniversaries, here is what the UK spends on average for these key romantic moments:
| Milestone | Amount spent |
| Wedding | £7,461 |
| Honeymoon | £3,156 |
| Engagement ring | £1,394 |
| 1 Milestone anniversary (e.g. 1 year anniversary, 10 years, etc) | £806 |
| Proposal (i.e. hotel, restaurant, travel costs) | £787 |
| Total | £13,604 |
Traditionally, an engagement ring is meant to be worth the equivalent of a three-month salary, however, this is a thing of the past, with nearly 60% admitting that their ring cost less than that and the average ring costing £1,394. So which cities are spending the most on a ring?
- Edinburgh – £2,588
- London – £1,907
- Liverpool – £1,719
- Glasgow – £1,694
- Cardiff – £1,670
Two of Scotland’s biggest cities sit in the top five spending the most on an engagement ring, with Edinburgh spending over £600 more than any other city. Sheffield spends the least at just £794.
For the big day itself, Londoners take the crown, splashing the most on their wedding at an average of £9,680. Birmingham ranks second spending £8,200 and Belfast at £8,184. Plymouth spends the least on the big day, at £ 4,184.
How long does it take on average to reach these major romantic milestones?
We have all wondered if our relationship is moving too fast or slow, but how long does it actually take on average to reach major relationship moments?
| Milestone | Timeframe |
| Saying ‘I love you’ for the first time | 9 months |
| Moving in together | 2 years |
| Getting engaged | 3 years and 2 months |
| Getting married | 5 years |
| Having a child (if applicable) | 5 years and 1 month |
It seems the UK does not fall fast, with the average time taken to say ‘I love you’ sitting at 9 months, however, women are shown to reach this stage over 2 months before men do.
Similarly, when it comes to getting engaged, some regions in the UK are much quicker to pop the question than others, as Plymouthians take just 1 year and 10 months, compared to Belfast, who average at 4 years and 2 months.
