ATLANTA – As marriage proposals get more and more elaborate, one longstanding tradition remains.
The overwhelming majority of men drop to one knee when it’s time to ask for the hand of their beloved.
Why?
It’s a tradition that goes back to medieval times when knights dropped to one knee out of respect for royalty.
“Chivalry was very much alive back then,” says Jenna Miller of HereComesTheGuide.com. "Kneeling and bowing were signs of their devotion and obedience.”
Jonathan Summerton proposed to his bride while on one knee in Piedmont Park. He is the winner of The Knot’s 2018 Wedding of the Year.
“When you’re down here you’re looking up to somebody, asking for her hand,” says Summerton.
Proposing while on bended knee is a display of respect for a future bride.
“That piece is something that makes a man a man,” says Summerton. “It’s out of courtesy and history and tradition.”
The Knot says that in 2017, 87 percent of the men who proposed to their mate did so on one knee.
“It’s one of those traditions that is as old as time,” says The Knot’s Ivey Jacobson. “It shows a lot of respect for the family, to your partner, and gets everyone on the same page for what’s about to happen.”
By the way guys, there’s another old tradition that’s survived father time.
Most men ask for permission from their mate’s family before popping the question.
