Your engagement ring/wedding set

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Replies

  • breezymom81
    breezymom81 Posts: 499 Member
    Well, as unromantic as this sounds....

    I was managing a jewelery store at the time (already engaged, saving for a ring) when a ring came in that I FELL IN LOVE with, I told him about it he came a looked and we liked it. To get my discount(note jewlery is marked up over 400% and I paid cost plus 10%) I had to submit a request and pay for it myself so that's how it was done. I would rather that then he pick out something i don't like at all!!

    This how we do all gifts it seems, go buy it your self and I will wrap it :)
  • DisneyAddictRW
    DisneyAddictRW Posts: 800 Member
    We were young and my hubby had cancer (we were 19 yrs old and expecting our first child). We discussed things since he was told he only had two years to live. He surprised me with a ring and we got married when we were 20. We just celebrated 12 years this past July. Now we don't wear our wedding rings we have our names as a tat instead! Yes most people think we're stupid but it's perfect for us!
  • marynificent
    marynificent Posts: 110 Member
    BTW if you ever plan to sell the diamond, you have to get one that is certified by GIA, AGS, EGL. GIA and AGS are the best, EGL is a bit looser in their grading standards. The "certifications" by in house shops are basically worthless when buying and selling high end stones. you will not get your money back if you end up with one of those.
  • felice03
    felice03 Posts: 2,644 Member
    My SO and I know we're getting married, though an official proposal hasn't been made. Our male roommate has graciously volunteered to take me shopping and help me pick out the exact ring I want and then take my SO to go get it. All that being said, I have a very specific idea of what I want, I'm allergic to gold (cry me a river - platinum baby!), and I don't want a ginormous ostentatious rock. Not my personality. My SO says, pick out what you want. He'd be happy to forgo the ring altogether and head down to the JP's office. I'm the one pushing for a "planned elopement" because I know he'll appreciate the fuss once we're there.

    i don't understand the purpose of you going with someone else, only to have him go get it...why would you not just go with him?
  • EvaB93
    EvaB93 Posts: 101
    Me and my boyfriend, are looking for rings together, and he knows what i like !
  • Well my first engagement ring was a 25 cent ring with 5 googley eyes and gold painted on the underside of the plastic. It was more of a promise ring as I waited a more real proposal. I would look at rings when we were in antique shops or other shops so he knew what I liked most. I later discovered that he had one picked out and drove well out of town to pick it up to propose to me. I was always confused by the ring shopping thing. I wanted to be ultimately surprised. I knew it was coming someday but I never knew what ring he would get or when it would happen, well, that is until his grandmother hinted at it the day before (it was Christmas and our half-anniversary was the 26th).
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    My wife picked out her engagement ring herself - we pretty much knew we were getting married and had discussed it on several occasions, and when we were out at a store she found a nice inexpensive Opal ring, said "that would make a nice engagement ring when we are ready", told me her ring size, and shuffled off to another store leaving me in the jewelry shop. I bought it and didn't mention it for a few months, then popped the question on her.

    We shopped together for our wedding rings later.

    Both decisions were made based on the fact that such things are tokens to us, and we wanted to spend our money on things like establishing a household together and food. We had a similar approach to our wedding - we had a nice ceremony and spent some money on some things, but it was held at a local American Legion hall we rented on the cheap and I decorated it and set everything up the night before (that was my bachelor's party - setting up tables and sound equipment with a few friends).

    We're just as happy having been able to start out with an down payment on a very small house in lieu of an expensive wedding and set of pricey rings.
  • stylistchik
    stylistchik Posts: 1,436 Member
    He picked out the engagement ring, which was a solitaire. We picked out the wedding band "together" (he came with after I had taken several trips by myself, he didn't really care) which was a wrap to which the solitaire ring is inserted. I picked out his ring by myself too, they don't match but they fit us each individually. He doesn't wear his much anyway.

    ETA: I forgot to add that I bought my own engagement ring and both our wedding bands because he was broke and had terrible credit! He's never living that one down. I would have accepted the "I'm broke and all I can afford is this gumball ring" if he didn't spend his money on stupid **** instead of saving it.
  • felice03
    felice03 Posts: 2,644 Member
    BTW if you ever plan to sell the diamond, you have to get one that is certified by GIA, AGS, EGL. GIA and AGS are the best, EGL is a bit looser in their grading standards. The "certifications" by in house shops are basically worthless when buying and selling high end stones. you will not get your money back if you end up with one of those.

    hmmm, I don't think I would be "planning" on selling the engagment ring...
  • jfrog123
    jfrog123 Posts: 432 Member
    We were dirt poor when we got together (I was 19 at the time, and he was 24). We had talked about getting married, but I told him I didn't need an engagement ring because we couldn't afford it. One day we were in a local pawn shop so his buddy could look at guitars. I was looking in the jewery cases and tried on a couple of rings while the guys were on the other side of the store doing their thing. There was a marquis-cut solitaire I really liked, and I tried it on twice. I loved that it fit perfectly. We left the pawn shop a little later, and I didn't think another thing about it. A couple months later on his birthday, my husband got down on one knee while we were out to dinner with our friends. He said all he wanted for his birthday was me - forever, and asked me to marry him. Turns out he had gotten a bonus from work I didn't know about and decided to buy me a ring with it. That day we went to the pawn shop he and his buddy took me home, then went back. They asked the woman if she knew which ring(s) I liked, and she said she thought I had liked the marquis and showed it to them. My husband bought it, and said he worried for weeks if he had the right one or not. Luckily he did, lol. Our bands were cheap simple gold bands from Wal-Mart. My original band was a size 13. It resides in my jewelry box. After I lost a bunch of weight (pre-mfp) I got another simple band and had my engagement ring re-sized. This year for our 15th anniversary I got a beautiful wrap (which he picked out) to go with my engagement ring.
  • marynificent
    marynificent Posts: 110 Member
    BTW if you ever plan to sell the diamond, you have to get one that is certified by GIA, AGS, EGL. GIA and AGS are the best, EGL is a bit looser in their grading standards. The "certifications" by in house shops are basically worthless when buying and selling high end stones. you will not get your money back if you end up with one of those.

    hmmm, I don't think I would be "planning" on selling the engagment ring...

    hahaha well i am planning on getting a 5ct stone in a few years. it wouldn't make sense to keep them both and since this one is worth twice what we paid, i always considered it an investment towards my next one ;)
  • my hubby picked out my engagement ring by himslef. I had no idea. The only requirements was it had to be princess cut and white gold. a few days before our 4 year anniversary he was telling me he felt bad because he couldn't get me anything so I was not expecting it at all. the day before our anniversary he proposed to me at church in front of everyone. My whole family knew about it and I was clueless. I love love love my ring and would never change it or get a different one. We got married about 2 months later but didnt have bands As for the bands, about 8 months after we got married we finally bought bands and we picked them out together. i settled for a band because I could not find one like I pictured in my head so when we renew our vows i am wanting to get a different one. The one I have is pretty and looks good with my engagement ring it just doesn't match up with the height of my engagement ring like I wanted.. the engagement ring was 2k and is 1 1/4 ct diamonds and then band was a little over $500 and is 1/4 ct diamonds and they came from zales. heres the links if anyone wants to look
    http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3968063&locale=en_US
    http://www.zales.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13185335
  • My fiance enlisted the help of his mother and sister-in-law to help find an engagement ring, since he hit a dead end trying to get a mutual friend help (thanks, I guess?). My mother was surprised that I didn't go with him to pick a ring, but where's the romance in that? I could not have dreamed up a more perfect ring--it's a beautiful filigree ring from the 1890s with four small diamonds surrounding an emerald, to match the colour of his eyes. It's a unique ring and I love it because it suits our penchance for Victorian attire perfectly. :bigsmile:
  • Runs4Wine
    Runs4Wine Posts: 416 Member
    One Black Friday while my family was in town visiting my Mom & I were playing around in a jewelery store. BF - now DH - happened to pop in and saw what I was looking at and mentally took notes. He went back later that week and bought it. Proposed about a month later and it was 100% out of the blue - even if we were together for 4 years at that point.
  • katymcd81
    katymcd81 Posts: 73 Member
    He chose the ring himself and proposed with it, down on one knee, having asked my Dad for permission :bigsmile:. It was our 6th anniversary, so we'd been together long enough that he knew what I liked. My only 'requirement' was that he didn't spend a stupid amount of money on it...I set him an upper limit of £500, and told him I'd be angry if I ever found out he'd spent more, but I don't actually know what he spent. I just didn't want him to think he had to do the whole 'one month's salary' thing.

    He surprised me actually, by going for white gold...I thought I wanted yellow gold, but I am so so glad I have white gold :) It's a 2mm plain band with a solitaire brilliant cut diamond. Under the setting there is a heart :love:. I'm not into bling at all, I like lovely, simple, understated jewellery, and my ring is utterly perfect for me.

    We chose our wedding rings together, pretty much the only wedding-related thing we did as just the two of us, lol. They are not a set but they do match, if that makes sense. Both are white gold plain bands, mine 2mm and his 5mm.

    I love my rings so much, even now, at over 2 years married and nearly 3 since he proposed, I can't stop looking at them, and whenever I see his wedding ring, I am so happy he's wearing that for me. That sounds really soppy, but to me the rings are a really important visible sign of commitment, and I would have been gutted if he hadn't wanted to wear a wedding ring. As it was, he 'practiced' wearing it before the wedding, for a few hours at a time, 'to get used to it', but really because he just wanted to wear it :bigsmile:
  • tbskipp
    tbskipp Posts: 180 Member
    Well, as unromantic as this sounds....

    I was managing a jewelery store at the time (already engaged, saving for a ring) when a ring came in that I FELL IN LOVE with, I told him about it he came a looked and we liked it. To get my discount(note jewlery is marked up over 400% and I paid cost plus 10%) I had to submit a request and pay for it myself so that's how it was done. I would rather that then he pick out something i don't like at all!!

    This how we do all gifts it seems, go buy it your self and I will wrap it :)

    My husband was fortunate in that I also worked at a high-end jewelry store when we met. He asked me to marry him 2 months after we met. No ring because he knew i could get my awesome discount and he really didn't have a clue as to what i wanted.
    I knew i wanted an Oval shaped diamond. We had some loose diamonds to look at. Once we chose the perfect one (1.33 oval), we found the setting. It sat in our jewelers safe in 7 pieces for a week. 4 baguette diamonds, one big center, the empty platinum engagement ring and the platinum matching band. I had to be off work for a few days before he would do anything with it. He knew i was nosey.

    I had NO idea when our jeweler was putting it together for me or when my hubby was picking it up. SO that was a huge surprise. I have a separate wedding band that matches his, which he picked out. I wear it in place of my diamond sometimes.

    We met in July 1997, asked me to marry him Sept 98, engaged w/ring January 98, married October 10, 1998. Still going strong! :heart:
  • carriempls
    carriempls Posts: 326 Member
    I am not yet engaged, but expect to be soon. We’ve talked about marriage and we’re planning to move in together by November and he knows I expect to be engaged if I’m going to live with someone.

    When we first started talking about it a long time ago I offered to send photos to my bf of rings I like so he had some ideas. He told me he already has his grandmother’s ring, so I guess that’s that. I’m a little apprehensive about a vintage ring (could be awesome, could be hideous) but I’m willing to take that risk.
  • MSeel1984
    MSeel1984 Posts: 2,297 Member
    No. I'm not getting engaged. At least I don't think. But I was wondering...

    Did you and your SO go together to pick out an engagement ring? Did you just pop into a store together and window shopped? Or did you go and pick one out and he proposed in the store?

    Did you leave subtle man hints (IE: Cut out pictures, sent him pictures, drew your ring out for him..)


    Or are you the eternal romantic "I'll love whatever you get me because it's from you."

    Discuss. I wanna know.

    I knew he was looking but I never went with him. A friend of mine went with him a couple times but he ended up making the choice on his own. He knows me well and picked out the exact set I would have picked for myself.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    I will be surprising my special someone with custom made rings.

    I just need to find her first...

    And save a lot of money.
  • Missjilly1025
    Missjilly1025 Posts: 146 Member
    I was driving in our car and turned and looked at him and said "if we are going to be having children in the future I suggest we start looking at venues because it takes a year to plan a wedding" very romantic

    Then we started shopping together and we picked the ring together.
  • We went together and designed my ring. It was custom-made for me, so there was production time. He did not tell me how long it was going to take to be made or when he got it, so the proposal was still a surprise when it happened.

    Mine exactly!
  • Camberries7
    Camberries7 Posts: 19 Member
    I picked it out, because if I'm going to wear it, I want to feel fabulous in it! My now husband came and got it and we were engaged that week. One year later and I still get compliments on it! Be sure to try on rings so you know what looks good on your finger!!
  • Kenzietea2
    Kenzietea2 Posts: 1,132 Member
    He asked me what I would like, and soon the discussion led to how it would be cool to get a rare gemstone instead of a diamond. Sure enough, my engagement ring was taaffeite, one of the rarest stones in the world. It's gorgeous, unique, and I love it! As for his wedding ring, we bought online and he wanted the 'cheapest possible ring' we could find, lol.
  • MariaLivingFit
    MariaLivingFit Posts: 224 Member
    He went and picked it out completely on his own - it was a surprise and there was no input from me.

    I guess he knew me pretty well, because it was exactly what I would have picked!
  • Tennessee2019
    Tennessee2019 Posts: 676 Member
    My SO & I picked out the ring together - both times.
    The first time he proposed to me, we were having issues with my ex-husband & my ex threatened (playing head games) to take our daughter away from me if I married anyone. So, I gave the ring back to my SO :cry: but within a month we were back together & decided to "start fresh" with a new set of rings & he had already returned the 1st one to the store, so it wasn't really like we had a choice.
    That was 22 years ago, my daughter has called my SO since she was 2. I haven't heard from my ex-husband in 5 years. He also hasn't seen our daughter in 4 years.
  • allison0820
    allison0820 Posts: 323 Member
    We shopped online for the engagement rings and I showed him the one I liked, our account was together so it was paid for out of our joint account.... the bands... we picked out together in the store because his hands are big so we wanted to see what it would look like actually on him before buying it... where as mine I could have ordered what I liked again.. but we did that together in the store.
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
    We eloped using rings we already owned. My ring was a gold heart shaped ring that had two tiny diamonds on each side. It was custom made for me using the gold and diamond (chips) from my grandmother's wedding band. I had already been wearing it as a sort of "promise ring" because we'd been together for 7 years at the time.

    When we had been married for a year, my mother gave us a vintage wedding set, with the intention of us melting it down and repurposing it.

    Hubby and I went to the goldsmith and designed the ring of my dreams. The gold and diamonds from my grandmother's ring were used, and more gold and the diamonds from the set mom gave were also added.

    My ring is completely smooth. I dislike prongs and tall rings, so we designed it without them. All of the stones are flush-mounted. It's made up of two 5mm bands, one set with 5 stones (symbolizes the 5 kids) and one with a main stone, flanked by the two tiny chips from my grandmother's ring. My husband has a plain 5mm gold band to 'match'.

    I could not possibly love my ring more. I love that it is custom, nobody else has the exact same one. :heart: :smooched: :love:

    look
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  • He picked it out all by himself. I was completely surprised by it , How beautiful the ring was and the proposal. It was really sweet and thoughtful!
  • Julzanne72
    Julzanne72 Posts: 468 Member
    We looked at rings one time, I had picked one out...but we didn't buy it that day. Never looked again and about a month later on a weekend in Door County as we were riding the ferry to Washington Island I turned around to find him on one knee proposing!! I love my ring and I love my fiance!
  • daughterofthesea
    daughterofthesea Posts: 82 Member
    No. I'm not getting engaged. At least I don't think. But I was wondering...

    Did you and your SO go together to pick out an engagement ring? Did you just pop into a store together and window shopped? Or did you go and pick one out and he proposed in the store?

    Did you leave subtle man hints (IE: Cut out pictures, sent him pictures, drew your ring out for him..)


    Or are you the eternal romantic "I'll love whatever you get me because it's from you."

    Discuss. I wanna know.

    My SO knows I don't like big/medium diamonds because I think they're clichéd, so he bought me a sapphire ring that has two absolutely tiny diamonds on. He also knew I wanted something that was conflict-free so he went to every shop in town and finally found my beautiful engagement ring.

    When it came to wedding rings, we both knew we wanted a plain gold band. Simples ^_^