Getting Engaged: With or Without the Ring

...But Diamonds are a girls best friend."

How important is the engagement ring? Does the size, cut, and clarity of the diamond determine how much you are loved? If your guy proposes to you without a ring, would you say no? When you think about it, the ring is just a symbol that lets the world know that you’re engaged, other than that engagement rings are not really necessary.

Don’t get me wrong, I want an engagement ring like any other girl, but after a friend recently got engaged sans ring, I was kind of blown away by the thought of getting engaged but not getting a ring, and then I wondered how much of a difference that would make to me.

I like to think that I’m not a materialistic individual and that having or not having an engagement ring wouldn’t matter. I mean, if it’s love, you’d still say yes right? Plus there are the little factors like your significant other not being able to afford a ring at the moment and you’ll get one later, but then that can lead you on a tangent where you assume that since he can’t afford a ring, how on earth are you going to be able to afford a wedding, let alone all the things that go along with marriage.

And then there’s the fact that you’ll have to announce your engagement to your family and friends, and the first thing out of everyone’s mouth will be, “Let me see your ring?!” to which you’ll sheepishly reply, “Well…I don’t have one…yet,” and then everyone will turn to your fiancé with that judgmental look in their eye and thinking about how cheap he is, and even if he gets you an amazing ring later, he’ll forever be remembered in their eyes as the guy who proposed without an engagement ring.

Or what about when you go out with friends and some guy starts hitting on you at the bar and you quickly tell him, “Sorry buddy, I’m engaged” and when his eyes go to your bare left hand, he’ll assume you’re lying and say “I don’t see a ring on your finger…come on, let me buy you a drink.” And on and on the scenarios can go, but that’s neither here nor there.

Engagements are about two people deciding that they want to get married and spend the rest of their lives together. The ring that goes along with the proposal is just the icing on the cake. It’s both unimportant and important. Important because what girl doesn’t dream of getting that special diamond one day? Unimportant because you know it’s not all that necessary if it means getting to marry the love of your life.

Now, I’m not advocating that engagements rings should be null and void. Personally it’s a necessary symbol for me, but if proposed to tomorrow without the ring, I’d still say yes, but my significant other knows me well enough (and knows the style, cut, and size of the ring I want) that I’ll expect to get a ring…eventually. Until that time though, I’d just have to suffer through all those scenarios I mentioned and maybe think about getting some cubic zirconia to tie me over.