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

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.