It’s Your Time Too: how does Britain really feel about equal engagements?

19TH AUGUST 2026 - ERNEST JONES WRITER

Engagement rings have been exchanged for thousands of years, with precious gemstones marking a promise of betrothal and fidelity across centuries and cultures.

Today, it’s still one of the most significant purchases a person can make for their partner – but traditionally this gesture is often one-sided.

As modern relationships are seemingly moving away from tradition, is there a social shift towards more equal engagements?

In response to this, Ernest Jones has launched a collection of engagement watches for those who want to give back to the person who popped the question.

To find out how Brits really feel, we surveyed 2,000 UK adults about their attitudes towards engagement and proposal traditions.

Key Findings

Less than half of Brits (48%) believe engagements should celebrate both partners equally

Just 13% think the proposer should also receive a gift in return

Only 9% would feel comfortable being asked for a gift

Just over a third (38%) think couples should create their own engagement traditions

37% still like traditional engagement customs and believe they matter, while only 21% think some feel outdated

More than a third (36%) say social media has changed expectations around proposals

Over-55s are the most likely to back equal engagements (53%), but the least likely to think the proposer deserves a gift (7%)

Should engagements celebrate both partners equally?

While the proposal itself tends to shine the spotlight on one person, an engagement represents a commitment made by two people.

Our survey findings reveal that 48% of people in the UK believe that engagements should celebrate the couple equally.

Women are slightly more likely to hold this view, with 49% agreeing that both partners should get their flowers, compared to 46% of men.

Surprisingly, younger generations are the least likely to support a more equal celebration. Just 44% of 18-24-year-olds and 42% of 25-34-year-olds feel that proposals should celebrate both parties.

In contrast, people aged 55 and over are the most likely to support an equal engagement celebration, with 53% claiming they agree.

But if nearly half of Brits think proposals should celebrate each person equally, do they also think the proposer should receive a gift of their own?

Should the proposer receive an engagement gift too?

While there’s notable support for equal celebrations, this sentiment doesn’t seem to translate to views on reciprocated gifts.

Only 13% of people in the UK think the person who proposed should receive a gift too, including 14% of men and 11% of women.

Interestingly, the age pattern flips here. The 25-34 age group, who are the least keen on equal celebrations, are the most likely to agree that proposers deserve a gift in return (24%). Meanwhile the over-55s, the biggest champions of equal engagements, are the least likely at 7%.

This highlights a clear gap between how Brits believe an engagement should feel and the traditions they are actually willing to change – 48% back a two-sided engagement, but just 13% would extend that to a gift for the proposer.

Some of this hesitation may come down to the awkwardness of an outright request. Only 9% of UK adults would feel comfortable if their partner asked them for a gift in return after being proposed to.

This figure rises considerably among younger Brits. One in five 18-24-year-olds (20%) would feel comfortable being asked, with agreement declining steadily across the age groups to just 4% of those aged 55 and over.

Are engagement traditions outdated?

When it comes to engagement traditions, Brits are caught in the middle of preserving the past and embracing more modern customs.

37% of UK adults claim they like traditional engagement customs and believe they still matter, while one in five (21%) feel that some proposal traditions are outdated.

Older Brits appear to want tradition and equality to coexist. Those aged 55 and over are the most likely to support equal engagements, and the most likely to say traditional customs still matter (41%).

Men and women have equal views on whether traditions still matter (37% each) but differ slightly when it comes to whether any customs are outdated – a quarter of UK men (25%) believe so, compared to 18% of women.

It seems that many aren’t ready to abandon traditions altogether but simply want to make room for new ones alongside them.

Should couples create their own engagement traditions?

While people in the UK are split on proposal traditions, some would rather put their own stamp on the occasion.

We found that 38% of Brits believe couples should create their own engagement traditions. This suggests an appetite for moving away from the one-size-fits-all proposal and towards celebrations that feel personal to the couple.

Women are slightly more likely to feel this way, with 41% agreeing compared to 35% of men.

Views on creating new traditions are more consistent across age groups than any other question in our survey. Those aged 25-34 are the most receptive to the idea (42%), while 35-44-year-olds are the least receptive (37%).

Is social media changing how we propose?

Social media has introduced a whole new layer of expectations, with picture-perfect proposals and carefully staged photos filling our feeds. For some, the pressure to create a memorable moment extends to how the proposal will look online.

More than a third (36%) of people in the UK feel that social media has changed expectations around proposals, with men and women holding similar views at 35% and 37% respectively.

This mostly impacts younger generations. Over half (51%) of 18-24-year-olds and 55% of 25-34-year-olds believe social media has changed expectations, compared to just 22% of those aged 55 and over.

This is the clearest generational divide in our research, with a striking 33-percentage-point gap across age brackets.

Which UK cities are most in favour of equal engagements?

It’s not just age and gender that shape attitudes towards engagement traditions – your postcode seems to play a part too.

Belfast leads the way on embracing equal celebrations, with 61% agreeing.

At the other end of the scale, Bristol and Sheffield are the least likely to agree, with just 42% in each city sharing this view.

Liverpudlians are the biggest advocates for the proposer receiving a reciprocal engagement gift, with 23% agreeing – well above the UK average of 13%.

Norwich is the hardest sell, where just 7% think a gift should go both ways.

There’s also a clear regional divide when it comes to the etiquette of actually asking for a gift.

People in Manchester and Birmingham are the most relaxed about the idea, with 13% saying they would feel comfortable being asked for a gift in return after a proposal. In contrast, this falls to just 2% in Plymouth.

Is your ideal engagement written in the stars?

Believe it or not, it seems like your birth month could shape how you feel about proposals.

With diamonds as their birthstone, people born in April might be expected to favour tradition. However, those born in the spring month are most on board with couples creating their own engagement traditions (43%) and least in agreement that established customs still matter (29%).

July-born Brits are the least in agreement with couples making their own traditions, with just under a third (31%) agreeing.

Meanwhile, March babies are the biggest fans of traditional engagements, with 45% claiming they like proposal traditions and believe they still matter.

People born in May are the least likely to think engagement traditions are outdated (16%), while January babies are most likely to say goodbye to tradition with 27% agreeing with this sentiment. Perhaps they’re hoping for a ring that features their stunning garnet birthstone instead of the traditional diamond?

Getting engaged? Set expectations together

With old customs and new expectations sitting side by side, what could proposals look like in the future?

Many Brits are divided on engagement customs, celebrations, and gifts. So, if you’re at the stage of your relationship where you’re ready to say “I do”, it’s best to agree on expectations before anyone gets down on one knee.

Gift etiquette is a good place to start. How much would you feel comfortable spending? Should the gift be a surprise? Should the proposer also receive a gift?

The average Brit spends £2,247 on an engagement ring – usually after months of saving and planning. So why not reciprocate the gesture?

Just 13% of people in the UK currently expect the proposer to receive a gift too – which makes the surprise all the more memorable.

Whether your partner would love an engagement watch, men’s jewellery, or an engagement ring, there are plenty of ways to gift your partner something meaningful to cherish before the big day.

It’s your time too: something special for the one who asked

Wondering how to show appreciation to your partner after they’ve got down on one knee?

To challenge tradition and celebrate equal engagements, Ernest Jones has launched a collection of elegant engagement watches for proposers to receive and wear as a symbol of the milestone.

We have options for every style and budget, from timeless classics to sleek, contemporary designs. Each timepiece is made to mark the special moment and be worn long after it.

You can even personalise the watch with an engraving – a location, a date, or a few private words that turn the gift into a permanent keepsake.

Shop our engagement watches

Methodology

We conducted a 2026 survey of 2,000 UK adults and asked which of the below statements they believe to be true:

• Engagements should celebrate both partners equally
• Couples should create their own engagement traditions
• I like traditional engagement customs and think they still matter
• Social media has changed expectations for proposals
• I think some engagement traditions feel outdated
• When someone proposes, I think the person who proposed should also receive a gift
• I'd feel comfortable being asked for a gift in return after being proposed to

Data Breakdown

‘Engagement should celebrate both partners equally’

Less than half (48%) of Brits agree that engagement should celebrate both partners

Women only marginally more likely to agree with this statement (49%) than men (46%)

25–34-year-olds least likely to agree (42%), while 55+ are most likely to agree (53%)

Belfast residents most likely to agree (61%), while Bristol and Sheffield are least likely to agree (42%)

People with November birthdays are most likely to agree (53%), while people with August birthdays (38%) are least likely to agree.

‘Couples should create their own engagement traditions’

Just over a third of Brits (38%) believe that couples should create their own engagement traditions

25–34-year-olds most receptive to creating new traditions (42%), while 35–44-year-olds appear least receptive (37%)

Women (41%) more interested in creating new traditions than men (35%)

Southampton residents most receptive to new traditions (46%) while Leeds residents less likely to engage in new traditions (29%)

April birthdays most likely to embrace new engagement traditions (43%), while July birthdays seem most resistant (31%). 

‘I like traditional engagement customs and think they still matter’

Just 37% of Brits think traditional engagement customs still matter

Men and women equally likely to prefer traditional engagement customs (37%)

35–44-year-olds are least likely to prefer traditional engagement customs (30%), while 55+ most prefer traditions (41%)

Belfast residents least prefer traditional engagement customs (30%), in contrast to Brighton residents who most prefer them (43%)

April birthdays most likely to reject traditions (29%), while March birthdays are most receptive to them (45%)

‘Social media has changed expectations for proposals’

Just 36% of Brits think social media changed proposal expectations 

37% of women and 35% of men agree 

55% of 25–34-year-olds are most in agreement, followed by 18–24-year-olds (51%)

London residents most likely to feel social media pressure (45%), with Liverpool least pressured at 23% 

May birthdays feel social media has created pressure (42%), with March birthdays least affected by social media pressure (33%)

‘I think some engagement traditions feel outdated’

Only a fifth of Brits (21%) feel that some engagement traditions are outdated 

Nearly a third (30%) of 25–34-year-olds agree with this statement, compared to nearly a quarter (24%) of 18–24-year-olds

A quarter (25%) of men agree, compared to just 18% of women 

Birmingham locals most feel that engagement traditions are outdated (27%), but Cardiff locals are most likely to disagree (10%)

January birthdays most likely to agree about outdated traditions (27%), while May birthdays are the least likely to agree (16%) 

‘When someone proposes, I think the person who proposed should also receive a gift too’

Just 13% of Brits think proposers should receive a gift too

25–34-year-olds most receptive to this idea (24%)

Older generations least likely to agree (35–44: 10%, 55+: 7%)

Men more likely to agree (14%) than women (11%)

Liverpool locals most likely to agree (23%), while Cardiff and Norwich are least likely to agree (7%)

May birthdays most likely to agree (16%), but July, April, and January are least likely to agree at just 9%

‘I’d feel comfortable being asked for a gift in return after being proposed to’ 

Just 9% of Brits agree 

1 in 5 (20%) of 18–24-year-olds agree (most likely of all ages)

  

Agreement declines across each age range 

11% of men agree compared to 8% of women 

Birmingham and Manchester residents most in agreement (13%) but Plymouth residents most opposed (2%) 

February and July birthdays agree the most (12%), but March, April, June, and December birthdays in least agreement (8%)