Flowers and champagne is nice, but does anything truly say romance quite like a greeting card?
In many ways, proposals have never been so decadent. One quick scroll on TikTok and you’ll see dozens of videos showcasing thought-out, intricate engagements set in the most romantic locations around the world.
But while some are spending their pennies training butterflies to carry a ring across a vineyards in the South of France, others are opting for a more low-key declaration of love.
Recent data from Moonpig revealed that ‘postal proposals’ are on the rise, with analysis of over 35 million orders showing 10,500 customers purchased proposal-themed cards in 2025.
Cards with phrases such as ‘be my wife’ or ‘be my husband’ featured heavily in the company’s findings, while one in 20 customers made their intentions abundantly clear with ‘will you marry me’ embossed on their chosen missive.
And Moonpig isn’t the only website offering eager lovebirds this option. There’s an entire catalogue of similar greeting cards available online, spanning from goofy comedic gags to more serious, heartfelt designs.
To make matters even more bizarre, Moonpig’s research also found some customers were investing in ‘repeat proposal cards’, with approximately 200 potential fiancés popping the question more than once this way in 2025 — including one who did so a whopping 11 times.
Talk about return to sender.
The concept has proven so popular, Moonpig has even expanded the range, launching new products featuring messages like ‘Forever starts with us, will you marry me?’ and ‘I promise to love you and only steal the duvet sometimes. Will you marry me?’
How would you feel about a by-post proposal?
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If it's executed well, it could be sweet!
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Absolutely not, save the cards for Christmas
While cards have often been incorporated into wedding season in the form of bridesmaid proposals, it’s quite rare to see one used in lieu of getting down on one knee.
But is this a lazy move, or a sign of how our romantic traditions are evolving to fit our unique tastes and preferences?
Dating and relationship coach Kate Mansfield says that while the actual act of proposing via greeting card doesn’t strike her as low effort, it might be ‘on the avoidant end of the spectrum.’
‘It feels like a bit of a cop out and could be confusing, i.e. the recipient might wonder if it’s a joke or real,’ she tells Metro. ‘Some people may find it romantic, but I think for an ask this big and life changing, in-person presence is needed.’
Context also matters, and Kate emphasises that big difference between asking someone to marry you in the post and incorporating a greeting card into an IRL proposal.
For example, Libby Fennell-Connell, 38, explains that when her husband Dean, 42, asked her to marry him via card, it made ‘perfect sense.’
‘A couple of months before the proposal, my partner had been home on a short break from the military,’ she tells Metro.
‘For my 21st birthday, he quietly gave my mum a wrapped present to pass on to me, with strict instructions that I had to take it with me on a trip to the Netherlands with my friends to meet him.’
Libby’s mum handed her the package before she set off to the airport, and she ‘guarded it like [her] life depended on it,’ secretly hoping there might be a ring inside.
Her hopes were even higher when she saw Dean and he immediately asked if she had the present. But peeling open the wrapping paper revealed something completely different.
‘I took a deep breath… and inside was a tiny birthday cake,’ she recalls. ‘I can’t lie, I felt a quick flash of disappointment.’
Moments later however, opening the accompanying card, Libby saw the words ‘to my fiancée’ written on the front. And when she looked up, Dean was on one knee.
‘It stopped me in my tracks,’ she says. ‘In the middle of everything, the card created this quiet, grounding moment where it was just his words and me. It felt incredibly personal, thoughtful, and unmistakably “us”.’
The couple still have the card as a reminder of what Elizabeth fondly calls a ‘life-defining moment.’
So, maybe it’s not so bad. After all, love letters are one of the most romantic things you can give to a partner — and a greeting card proposal is basically the next best thing.
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