Places to Propose: The Best Couple’s Getaway in 2019

The estate agent’s adage ‘location, location, location’ can be as true for romance as it is for real estate. If you’re looking for the perfect place to propose or the best romantic getaways for couples, we have compiled the list of ultimate romantic places in 2019.

EliteSingles surveyed 1600 people to uncover this year’s wanderlust wish list, and discover the places that will make you go weak in the knees. So buckle up and let’s go on an adventure in search of the very best dreamy destinations for the perfect proposal in 2019.

Most Romantic Places to Propose in 2019

One of the most romantic moments in life is the big P word – the proposal. If you’re planning the proposal or being proposed to, it’s a defining life moment. And a key factor in planning the perfect proposal is the location. So, where are the most coveted proposal destinations for 2019?

Check out the top 12 Proposal Destinations below:

1. Venice, Italy
2. Paris, France
3. Hawaii, USA
4. The Bahamas
5. Vanua Levu, Fiji
6. At home
7. Bali, Indonesia
8. New York, USA
9. Niagara Falls, North America
10. Sydney, Australia
11. Edinburgh, Scotland
12. Las Vegas, USA

Although it’s considered the ‘city of love’, Paris doesn’t take the number one spot. More than a fifth of men (21%) said that they would actually prefer to be proposed to! So forget waiting for a leap year, traditionally women’s turn to propose, and get planning now.

Proposal Prep: How to Prepare

Zoe Coetzee, EliteSingles Relationship Psychologist gave these three top tips to prepare for the perfect proposal in 2019:

1. Plan ahead: choose the location, the order of your events, who you want there (if you’re inviting friends and family along for the ride) and plan ahead. To pull off the perfect proposal, layout out the finer points and add in sentimental details that is meaningful to you two!
2. Practice: proposing can be stressful, so run through the plan ahead of time, say your speech out loud beforehand, and practice the moment so you don’t leave out important parts. But, at the same time, always speak from the heart!
3. It’s about the two of you: keep your eyes on the prize. Don’t let the stress of planning derail you from the main purpose – to ask the person you love to spend their life with you. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, focus on your partner and the love you share – the rest is just details!

Couples Getaway in 2019: Best Romantic Getaways

Romantic getaways aren’t just for the perfect proposal, and we also wanted to know where to find the most coveted couples getaway. Maybe you want to celebrate an anniversary or a birthday, or maybe you don’t need a reason for romance and are planning a trip for two? Where should you go?

Here are the top 10 places to go on a couple’s vacation in 2019. And it comes as no surprise that the top three places were in-sync with the proposal hotspots. But some exotic additions prove that the beach is the firm favourite for romance. Turns out that men and women agree on where they want to go – a vast majority (59%) voted the ocean as the most romantic setting, with a foreign city coming in next (17%) and the mountains (14%) third. Here is the definitive list of best couple’s retreat destinations in 2019:

So while on a couples’ getaway what is everyone getting up to? Ladies preferred spending time on the beach (64%), relaxing and hanging out (62%), and going for a massage (46%). While men actually choose ‘us time’ over fun time, choosing to relax and hang out over spending time on the beach, but both sexes agree on going for a massage (30%).

1. Italy – Venice and Rome being the favourites
2. France – Paris, the enduring city of light and love
3. Hawaii – a breathtaking island archipelago
4. The Maldives – a tropical island paradise
5. Bora Bora – a blissful, blue oasis in French Polynesia
6. Australia – winning with the Whitsunday Islands, Great Barrier Reef and cool cities
7. Bali – steamy, green beach haven in Indonesia
8. The Caribbean – dreamy beach destination
9. The Bahamas – lush and lavish aquamarine dream
10. A Cruise – a floating hotel

Most Romantic Spot? It’s a Personal Thing.

While Paris and Venice were winning the stakes for most romantic places, many participants felt that a romantic place was defined by a person, rather than a specific place. Romance doesn’t have to be defined by location, but rather the love you share. Next time you’re planning a couple’s getaway, remember our poll participant’s own words: “the most romantic places can also be a person!” Some of our favourites:

“Anywhere that we were together we’ll always be in the perfect place”

“I don’t think it’s the destination but the person you are with. Anywhere can be romantic as long as the person you’re with is just as into you as you are them.”

“It is about the person you are with”

“I just can’t pick because romance isn’t something you buy tickets to. It just happens and when it does you really don’t remember the location.”

About the author: Zoe Coetzee

Zoe Coetzee is a Relationship Psychologist and Editor for SilverSingles.

See more articles written by Zoe Coetzee