Planetariums, cat cafes and train stations: London’s leading proposal locations revealed

As the most romantic day of the year approaches, Visit London and leading international proposal experts, The Proposers, reveal the top 10 most popular places to pop the question around the capital.  

While unsurprisingly, leading tourist attractions including Tower Bridge, London Eye and The Shard take some of the most popular spots, loved-up couples are also picking some of London’s best hidden gems to propose. Battersea Park’s Victorian Bandstand also ranks among the top ten, according to The Proposers.  

Another unexpected favourite is the Royal Observatory Planetarium in Greenwich, which can be hired out privately to dazzle an unsuspecting partner underneath the stars. 

“We’ve arranged proposals in some very unusual locations”, says Daisy Amodio, CEO of The Proposers. “From cat cafes in Shoreditch, to Platform 9 ¾, in Kings Cross Station, to even recreating a drug arrest and a fake job interview.”

“A personal favourite of mine was a royal-themed proposal we arranged outside Buckingham Palace, for a US client who loves the royal family. After a personalised treasure hunt around the top royal landmarks in London, the boyfriend ran off to the toilet, and returned as a coldstream guard with a marching band.”

Then to top it all off, eight people hiding behind masks of the royal family also appeared, singing along – which of course turned out to be her family who had flown into London for the big moment. Every couple is so different, and we love creating out-of-the ordinary proposals tailored to them.”

According to The Proposers, international interest in London for proposals is only increasing.

“Pre-pandemic, around 35% of our business came from international visitors – and this has now increased to roughly a fifty-fifty split between UK and international. Spend has also increased, and some of our clients are even looking at splitting their proposal across multiple destinations, such as London, Paris and Santorini.

“I think London’s proposal popularity can be attributed to its romantic parks, palaces and scenic views – things that international visitors tend to be particularly interested in. Many of our customers, for example, want to propose over a traditional English afternoon tea – which nowhere does quite like London.” 

London’s most popular proposal spots, ranked* 

1. The Shard (25%)
2. London Eye (15%)
3. Royal Historic Palaces or parks (15%)
4. Tower Bridge (10%)
5. Over Afternoon Tea (10%)
6. Sky Gardens (5%)
7. The Ritz (5%)
8. Thames River Cruise (5%)
9. Battersea Bandstand (5%)
10. The Planetarium (5%)

“Christmas is actually the most popular time to propose in London, as the city really comes to life, but the period around Valentine’s Day is definitely our second most popular time of year.

Around 20% of our annual revenue comes from the month of love alone. But there’s definitely no wrong time to propose in London – we’re busy all year-round planning proposals. Summer is another preferred time of year for international couples looking for the best weather, particularly for outdoor proposals.” 

From a helicopter ride to the top of the O2 Arena, find proposal ideas on the Visit London website.  

About Visit London

The official visitor’s guide to London, visitlondon.com provides everything you need to know about your visit, from the best things to do to practical information such as transport, handy maps and accommodation.

Visitlondon.com is run by London & Partners, London’s business growth and destination agency, and a social enterprise – meaning any purchase you make supports London’s jobs and economy.

About The Proposers

The Proposers has planned over 5000 marriage proposals across London - with a 100% yes success rate - as well as across Dubai, Santorini and Paris. They tailor each event to the couple making sure their special moment is as personalised as possible to their relationship. A memory that will last forever. 

The Proposers planned 555 proposals in London in 2023 alone. 

*Data is based on over 5,000 London proposals arranged by The Proposers.

All images can be found here.