Flickr Image From: John Hope

Once upon a time a handsome prince asked his fair maiden’s father for her hand in marriage, received this blessing and then made his merry way to a jewelry counter to pick out a ring. This was then followed by a stumbling, heartfelt proposal, tears, happy smiles and multiple glasses of champagne. Nowadays, although many women still love that element of surprise others prefer to see the subject of engagement as an entirely equal decision as well as saving ring money for a deposit on a house or on the wedding venue itself.

 

So Many Styles

The number one complaint that lots of women have is that they don’t like their ring, or that ‘they’d have picked something else’ but there are now so many styles, settings, stones and bands to choose from that even the most clued up boyfriend can struggle. Does he choose a classic solitaire? A Kim K style Halo? Or a modern princess bezel? His mom’s told him that a classic three stone ring is romantic, timeless and appropriate while her best friend thinks that three stones look strange. Rather than pick the wrong color or style, couples are now making the decision to ring shop for engagement rings together. Even if you aren’t there when he does make the purchase or it’s not really what you were expecting, if you’ve given him a little guidance it should be all fine.

 

Marriage Is A Joint Decision

The idea of being with just one person for the rest of your life is a big decision to have to make, and many couples believe a proposal shouldn’t really be a surprise. Some women have stated that they think you need time to carefully consider what the person is asking, separating  the romance and the reality of marriage while allowing for a cooling off period before you give an answer. Previously women have admitted that they said ‘yes’ in the heat of the moment feeling pressurized by family, friends and even strangers to accept. Proposals are something that are traditionally undertaken by a man but there’s nothing to stop women proposing if the timing feels right. If you’ve talked about marriage before, discussed each other’s values and if you want kids then you’re ready to go, but all too often couples get swept up in ‘happily ever after’ syndrome and become Disney-like regarding marriage.

 

Money Isn’t Everything

Since the economy took a sharp downturn, we haven’t had as much disposable income to splash out on big purchases. When thinking about engagement rings, it’s not the cost that counts but the heartfelt promises that the ring symbolizes. Couples may prefer to buy a smaller ring now, putting the remainder towards a roof of their own or not being swayed by overpriced yet poor quality gemstones. However, payment plans and credit agreements are readily available when it comes to buying jewelry so the financial implications may not be as bad as they may first appear. Still, she’ll be wearing this ring for the rest of her life so it needs to be able to stand up to everyday wear and tear as well as matching her wedding ring.

Flickr Image From: Seth Lemmons