The Most Overrated Destination Proposal Spots
There are few major life moments more memorable than the day you get engaged. For that reason, you want your proposal to be somewhere special, somewhere memorable, somewhere that looks great in pictures.
So we can’t blame people for wanting to pop the question in a popular tourist destination. Getting down on one knee on top of the Eiffel Tower may seem wildly romantic in theory, but the reality is something quite different.
Here at Yahoo Travel, we love love! We don’t necessarily want to discourage any of you from getting engaged exactly where you want. Our team of experienced travel editors just wants to give you the full scoop on what it is really like to get engaged in some of these locales.
1. The Eiffel Tower
Romantic? Absolutely. The perfect proposal spot? Maybe not. (Photo: Thinkstock)
Paris is without a doubt one of the most romantic places on earth, and the Eiffel Tower is one of its most romantic landmarks. But the sad truth is that the top of the tower is absolutely packed with tourists jostling for the best photo opportunity almost all of the time.
Related: 10 Tips to Pull Off the Perfect Airplane Proposal
A pro tip is to propose in the park below the tower about five minutes before the hour after dark. That way you can time the big “YES” to the dazzling Eiffel light show. Buy a pre-timed ticket to the tower for afterwards so you can zip right up to the top to enjoy a class of champagne.
2. The Empire State Building
You have to get the “Affair to Remember” fantasy out of your head. (Photo: iStock)
You can’t beat the views on top of the Empire State Building, but you also can’t predict the crowds. I’ve seen engagements up here get photobombed by rowdy teenagers. I once watched a tourist trip over someone attempting to propose because they were trying to take a selfie.
3. Any professional sporting event
Unless you play for a team, you may want to reconsider the stadium proposal. (Photo: Getty Images)
For some people, the idea of a grand gesture means popping the question in a very public place in front of thousands of people.
In this case, you had better make sure that the answer is yes before you ask your special person to marry you, or you are in for a world of embarrassment. I once watched a guy get simultaneously rejected and then booed after proposing at a Rangers hockey game in New York City.
Can your ego handle that?
4. Disney World
Sure, it is the happiest place on earth, but is it the perfect place for your proposal? (Photo: Dawn/Flickr)
Popping the question at Disney World can be a wonderful and romantic gesture, if you can find a small pocket of peace and quiet amongst the swarms of families with small children.
Related: The Best Marriage Proposal Ever? A Worldwide Scavenger Hunt Ends With a Diamond
If you’re set on Disney, then you might want to consider an early morning or early evening proposal, when the crowds are thinner, so that you can have a more intimate proposal.
5. The Middle of the Golden Gate Bridge
We get it. You can’t beat this view. (Photo: iStock)
Unless you want to propose at the crack of dawn on a Tuesday morning, you are going to be contending with some serious foot and bike traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge.
While San Franciscans are a polite bunch, they still don’t want to wait in a queue to pass you while you profess your undying love in the middle of their commute.
6. The Rockefeller Center Ice Skating Rink
How much do you really like ice skating? (Photo: Rudy Sulgan/Corbis)
Can you ice skate? Can your fiancé ice skate? If you answered no to either of these questions, then do not pop the question at an ice rink unless you want to risk injury to yourselves and others.
It isn’t just the two of you that you have to worry about. Unless you’re shelling out the big bucks to have the rink all to yourselves, you have to contend with every single subpar skater visiting New York City while you try to ask the love of your life to marry you.
7. The London Eye
Great views, long waits. (Photo: iStock)
Unless you want to spend most of your romantic evening waiting in line and being jostled by tourists with selfie sticks, we recommend finding another London landmark to propose in.
Related: The 10 Most Baller Proposal Locations on the Planet
8. Anywhere on the Las Vegas Strip
Throw a bachelor party here instead. (Photo: Thomas Hawk/Flickr)
Vegas is a blast for bachelor and bachelorette parties. That is the exact reason that you don’t want to have your special moment there. The strip is swarming with drunks and dudes offering you flyers for strip clubs at all hours. Is that really the right audience for your proposal?
