Whether it’s a grand gesture complete with a musical number and marching band (any 10 Things I Hate About You fans out there?) or a low-key affair paired with boxed wine and Chinese takeout boxes, proposing to a partner is one of the most momentous occasions of our lives. While confirming that you’ve met “the one” may come easily, choosing a proposal venue is often riddled with worry and doubt.
If the mere thought of picking the perfect place to pop the question leaves you in a cold sweat, the Destination: Proposal Index has done some of the heavy lifting for you by ranking the world’s best engagement spots. Taking factors like cost of admission, noise level and “Instagram-ability” into account, the ranking culled through thousands of breathtaking locales to rank the top 30 best proposal sites in the world. Lucky for us Chicagoans, Jackson Park’s Garden of the Phoenix seized the number-one spot.
It doesn’t take much to be convinced that Jackson Park’s Garden of the Phoenix—sometimes referred to as “Osaka Garden” in homage to the city’s sister status with Chicago—is a treasured South Side oasis, with its tranquil koi pond, lush grove of cherry blossom trees and 12-foot Yoko Ono sculpture inspired by cascading flower petals. Plus, an added bonus: Entry to the park is free.
Built for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, the Garden of the Phoenix is an enduring symbol of the friendship between the U.S. and Japan. Sprawled across a 15-acre wooded island, the garden is complete with a dramatically arched footbridge, serpentine lagoons and Japanese horticulture.
If you’re already planning a visit to Garden of the Phoenix—proposal or not—we recommend springtime, when the garden’s 160 cherry trees bathe the grounds with blush-colored blooms. The Garden is narrowly trailed by Kauna’oa Beach on Hawaii’s Big Island, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in Miami, Florida, and Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park, Montana. Check out the full ranking here.