British blokes are twice as likely to fall in love at first sight than women

17 August 2023 , 11:37

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Newly weds Dan and Emily Salt who got married eight months into their relationship (Image: Kennedy News and Media)

Soppy British blokes are twice as likely to fall in love at first sight than women.

A tenth of starry-eyed fellas admit to falling head over heels in love straight away compared to just one in 20 women. Cupid's bow has certainly found its target across the UK as one in six married or engaged Brits (15%) say they knew they'd found 'the one' straight away.

Of these loved-up couples, a whopping one-third (30%) got engaged within a month. Research, conducted by jewellery and diamond merchant Chisholm Hunter, quizzed 1,500 married or engaged couples about their romantic history.

It revealed that on average it takes UK love birds 8.3 months to be sure they've met the one. However there's typically a further eight-month wait or more to pop the question. Boomers aren't hanging around when it comes to falling in love, with those aged 65+ taking a swift 5.7 months.

While Gen X-ers, those aged 44-55, were the slowest averaging 10.8 months. Bristol has been crowned the whirlwind romance capital of the UK with love birds in the city knowing in just two months that they'd found 'the one'. On average, couples in this south west city took just 2.4 months to know they were in it for the long haul.

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But they’ll usually wait at least another seven months before getting down on one knee. At the other end of the scale Geordies took the longest to declare their love, taking 15.1 months on average. Southampton residents were also found to be the most likely to drag their heels, waiting two or more years to get engaged.

The survey quizzed people on what helps them know they're in love including looks and personality traits. Just 4% rely on physical attraction alone to guide them. 'Feeling totally at ease with them' was named the most common giveaway (13%), followed by 'not being able to stop thinking about them' (9%).

As part of the research, Chisholm Hunter spoke with newlyweds Dan and Emily Salt, aged 26 and 25, from Sheffield. They got engaged just eight months into their relationship and tied the knot four months later.

Emily said: "From early on in our relationship, it was very clear this was going to be long-term and by our third date we knew we were on the same page. We're both not dreadfully romantic but we hold the same morals and outlook on life and everything just felt so easy.

"We'd talked about getting engaged about six months into our relationship but had agreed it would be something we'd commit to the following year. But when Dan fell ill and had a stint in hospital, it put things into perspective for both of us, and we were engaged two months after he was discharged.

"When it came to wedding planning, we had our hearts set on a local venue but it only had one date available that year, which was four months after Dan proposed. After our speedy engagement we didn't want to wait until 2024 to be married and went for it. While we wouldn't recommend cramming wedding planning into such a short time frame, it meant we had to be selective with what we included and, in the end, had the perfect day."

Max Brown, Retail Director at Chisholm Hunter, said: "It's clear to see from looking back at our findings that for many, love is in the air. That said, it would seem as though there's no set or ideal time to get engaged or married and as one of the biggest decisions you'll ever make, it's important to take things at your own pace.

"Naturally, each relationship is different and we're all living on our own timelines, so what's right for one person may be wrong for another. As such, try to take things slowly and not to put too much pressure on yourself. Equally if your gut is saying yes, or you're unable to imagine life without your partner, then it might be time to start looking for potential engagement rings."

Top five UK whirlwind romance capitals (how long on average it took residents to know they had met the right person)

1 Bristol - 2.4 months