Couples splurge big bucks on showy proposals — with price tags that rival lavish weddings

Rafael Usufally was much than eager to propose to Alexandria Kishore, his woman of 11 years — but he wasn’t astir to get down connected 1 knee until he’d managed to create “the cleanable moment.”

First, nan loved-up Long Islander would request a ringing — and money was nary object. What mattered astir to nan electrical engineer, 30, was wowing his now-fiancée, who useful arsenic an administrator astatine a neurologist’s office.

So Usufally spent weeks poring complete diamonds, yet deciding connected a $11,000 twinkling and emerald trim number pinch a diamond-filled set — more than double nan $5,200 mean costs of an engagement ringing successful nan US, according to a 2024 study.

“It wasn’t for illustration [I had] a budget, it was much astir uncovering thing that I could spot myself getting for her. I started retired astatine 1 price, but past I started liking much stuff, and nan value conscionable kept increasing,” he told The Post.

And he wasn’t done — not yet.

Next, Usufally enlisted an arena readying company, Glam Picnics & Events, spending $2,200 connected a connection package, which included a backstage photographer and beautiful decorations for a backstage room he rented astatine nan Manhattan skyline-facing Waterside Restaurant successful North Bergen, New Jersey, for $600, wherever their meal afterward costs different $250.

Finally, connected a chilly, precocious autumn time past year, Usufally lured his bride-to-be to nan views-for-days spot connected nan pretense of having scheduled a couple’s photograph shoot.

Instead, Kishore was shocked to locomotion into nan stunning, candle-lit space, filled pinch hundreds of scattered roseate petals and featuring her long-time fellow connected bended knee.

“My bosom stopped astatine that moment; it was truthful surreal,” Kishore told The Post.

Total costs of proposal? A whopping $14,050, which is almost half of what nan average wedding successful 2025 costs.

A representation that will unrecorded connected forever? Priceless.

That’s according to nan 2 lovebirds — just 1 successful a slew of couples spending astir what a wedding utilized to costs ($20,000 backmost successful 2000) conscionable to popular nan question, arsenic elaborate and highly-publicized influencer and personage engagements commencement to consciousness for illustration nan norm, for illustration Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s, for instance.

This past August, nan Kansas City Chiefs tight extremity projected to nan popular prima successful a custom-decorated plot successful his backyard that floral experts believe costs astir $38,000.

And let’s not hide erstwhile Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, projected to his now wife, Lauren Sánchez, successful May 2023 connected his $500 cardinal superyacht arsenic they cruised astir nan Mediterranean while a afloat unit catered to nan mates and their family members.

But these days, it’s not conscionable nan rich | and nan celebrated pulling retired each nan stops for their large ask.

“My clients’ proposals person tally nan gamut — 1 exchanged rings connected a chopper and different connected a pier, and aft nan proposal, a vessel came into position pinch their families [on it],” Melisa Imberman, proprietor of The Event of a Lifetime, Inc., told The Post.

“In galore ways, it’s gotten a spot retired of hand,” added Lauren Zizza, wedding planner and proprietor of Lauren Zizza Events. “One groom I worked pinch planned a astonishment connection astatine a backstage abstraction astatine a venue, civilization floral and candle installations, a unrecorded musician playing music, and a photographer to seizure everything,” she told The Post.

And nan unit of societal media doesn’t help.

“Social platforms person normalized expansive gestures, creating a benignant of connection civilization wherever there’s subtle unit to make nan infinitesimal visually stunning and emotionally powerful and seeing others’ proposals tin power expectations,” continued Zizza.

“For galore couples, going supra and beyond for a connection isn’t conscionable astir extravagance; it’s astir creating a once-in-a-lifetime representation that reflects nan value of nan moment.”

This NYC-based mates knows a point aliases 2 astir extravagance. Phil Kessler, 31, decided successful May 2022 that he wanted to inquire his now husband, Zack Aberman Kessler, 31, to wed him, and nan connection “budget” wasn’t moreover successful his vocabulary.

“I conscionable walk what I consciousness is basal for that business alternatively than mounting a number limit,” nan video crippled designer told The Post.

The millennial mates were primitively going to recreation to nan Hamptons, their favourite place, but aft doing nan mathematics and seeing how, for nan aforesaid money, they could hop connected a level and spell to Europe, they decided connected Portugal.

This put nan thought successful Phil’s caput to inquire Zack, a VP of world events astatine JP Morgan, to wed him astatine a serene “Instagrammable” formation successful nan municipality of Cascais.

While Portugal is known to beryllium little costly than different trendy European countries, Phil didn’t trim immoderate corners for him and Zack, including booking a $1,000 a nighttime five-star hotel.

The time of nan proposal, nan mates enjoyed a luxurious luncheon pinch an complete $200 measure astatine a edifice connected a cliff surrounded by nan roaring ocean.

“It was decidedly nan astir beautiful spot I’ve ever been successful my life. It was conscionable complete nan top,” Phil gushed.

Afterward, nan lovebirds took a stroll on nan picturesque beach, wherever Phil yet sewage down connected 1 knee and whipped retired 2 IWC Schaffhausen watches, some totaling $12,000. A hired photographer for “a fewer 100 dollars,” galavanted astir nan formation snapping pics of their happy moment.

“They’re nan aforesaid watch but different colors [faces] and different styles [band],” he explained.

There were a batch of happy tears and dollars spent connected this connection — complete $17,000 to beryllium exact, but nan mates couldn’t beryllium happier pinch their experience.

“We ever opportunity it was nan champion time of our lives, moreover amended than our wedding [which took spot successful September 2023],” said Phil.

From 1 European connection to another, successful May of past year, Michael Loconte, 33, planned a $3,200 travel to Italian hotspot Lake Como to observe his fiancée, Shannon Ganley, 30, getting her master’s. But successful nan backmost of his mind, he knew that would beryllium nan cleanable spot to inquire her to wed him.

Loconte, who useful successful financial software, pulled disconnected nan astonishment of a life — a romanticist connection connected a $500 scenic backstage vessel circuit astir nan beautiful municipality of Varenna pinch an “over $10,000, little than $15,000” information superb solitaire gem engagement ringing for Ganley.

The 33-year-old hired a photographer for $1,142 — whose cover-up communicative was that he was taking promo shots of nan vessel — to tag on and seizure nan typical moment.

“It was erstwhile we were yet successful beforehand of nan marina, nan alleged vessel photographer said, ‘Would you for illustration a image successful beforehand of it?’ He turned backmost to america successful nan cabin, and successful that moment, I thought, ‘This could beryllium happening. Oh, my God,'” nan intelligence wellness counsellor told The Post.

After galore hugs and kisses, nan recently engaged New Jersey mates indulged successful celebratory drinks connected their measurement to a $351 “beautiful meal pinch a afloat tasting menu” earlier finishing disconnected nan memorable nighttime astatine a vino bar.

“It was truthful special,” said a beaming Ganley.

The full costs of nan couple’s Italian proposal: $17,193.