I suppose to some people, this is just a natural progression for the relationship; you date, and eventually the couple just know it's coming. This process of picking out a ring together makes sense; she gets the ring she wants; he gets to prematurely know she will say yes, and she is guaranteed to get a ring she loves. If he is going to shell out a large sum of cash, and she has to wear that ring for EVER, it only makes perfect sense that she should love it. This seems the most logical and practical thing to do for all the modern day busy yuppies.
But, what about the romance of the proposal process, that sacred tradition? The look on a girl's face when her boyfriend pulls out the ring, and says those four magical words, "will you marry me?".
With many couples moving in together to save money on rent, there are very few surprises of married life to look forward to. You already know what will tick you both off, and you already been there with the novelty of coming home to your honey everyday. The only exciting things left are the engagement, wedding, honeymoon, your first home, and your first child. I understand that time is precious nowadays, but is the convenience worth the trade-off of a great surprise? How about consider the following, and see if you can gather the information needed to ensure you get the right ring, and the proper surprise?
- Call her best friend or sister, and ask them to find out for you. They can be very casual and subtle. A close friend who is also in a serious relationship can ask her to go ring shopping together. Apparently a lot of girls do that
- To find out her ring size, look in her jewelry box, find a ring she wears on the ring finger or the middle finger, and bring it to a jeweler to get the size. You do not want to get a ring that is too big because resizing it might damage the prongs encasing the diamond, and the chance of your diamond falling out is higher. Be smart about it; if you get a ring she wear on the middle finger, but is loose on her, size it properly
- If you have married or engaged friends, casually make a comment about how great that friend's engagement ring looks, and get a feel for her reaction
- Pay attention to when she looks at magazines or store windows. If she pauses for a bit, take note of it; it will guide you in the right direction.
There are some girls who would definitely like to have to a say in the ring they get, and you probably know her best so go with your gut.
