He picked the engagement ring, knowing which shape stone I liked. I still have it. We picked out the wedding band, which was a wrap that put side stones around the engagement ring. I was happy to be surprised. There were many specifics in which I wanted to be included, but this surprise was totally happy with me.

Mine was a round solitaire on a gold band, small because we were young and broke. Many years later one of the prongs broke and the diamond fell out and was lost. , we replaced it.. Since the marriage didnt last ( too young!), both rings are in the back of a drawer somewhere!

We were looking at rings in a department store on a Friday evening. We were so involved in the shopping, I failed to notice my Mom was standing at the other end of the counter. She was out shopping and just happened to be in the same store.

We hadn't told anyone of our plans... LOL

The cat was out of the bag then!

I got engaged in a car dealer parking lot. Somehow he needed car repair, and had a loaner. We were taking it back, and along the way, he handed me a scrapbook. In it were all the notes and cards that he had saved during our 3-year courtship (college.) On the last page, he had written "will you marry me?"

He was a broke college student, so the ring was a simple solitaire. We added a channel set band and another at five years. I don't wear it anymore, just a simple gold band. Married 39 years. So far.

I've never had much interest in jewellery and I find rings annoying from a practical.point of view.. We mutually agreed to marry while on a train. No proposal and no engagement as such. We had no money and I had a tiny ring which I rarely wore and which was subsequently stolen. I never replaced it and I don't miss it. 48 years.

This is going to sound just awful, but we are going to be married 50 years in two more weeks.

We were watching "You Bet Your Life" on television, when DH said that he thought we should get married. I never did find out what the secret word was. (for Groucho fans).

Well I’ll start on an admittely negative note and say that I hate the American tradition of spending all this money on a flashy ring at a time in life when that’s about the last thing in life you should be wasting money on. The business is awful, and going to a respected jeweler in town or a personal recommendation may actually make things worse. After many tries I ended up with a great guy in an ok local store. I gave him some subsequent business but unfortunately he died young or else he’d have gotten more.

So yeah, I got sucked in. Bought a nice big rock and I think my wife would have liked a somewhat more elaborate setting but I went with solitaire, white gold. I can’t honestly say how much she wears it, sometimes when I see it, it stands out at me so I’m guessing not all the time.

My mom gave my son her engagement ring. It’s a small diamond in a simple setting. We told him not to feel obligated to use it, as his girlfriend might want something bigger. His response was something to the effect of if she needs something more than that then she’s not the one for him. Good man!

I love the shift towards cultured dismonds, or better yet when someone chooses a less traditional route altogether.

Just celebrated 50 years of marriage in August. I proposed to my husband. We bought a house before we were married. I was 19, he was 23. Our big splurge was a purebred beagle. A real hammerhead.

No big jewellery bought. We did have a big wedding to keep his family happy.

We focused on getting our mortgage paid off. Did it in less than 10 years.

I have a little bit of jewellery, now.

We’ve never worried about money.

Life has been good. I’d propose to him again.

When DH proposed he pulled out a cheap amethyst ring (with an adjustable band!) as a joke. Looking back it was actually pretty funny as I can imagine the look on my face.😵‍💫 Then he pulled out the real ring. Forty nine years for us in November, and I still have that darn amethyst ring!

so glad you said that food! My daughter and her soon to be betrothed thought about it, and wanted to have a lab created diamond to avoid a mined diamond. She had the chance to have my mother's set or mine, but decided against that, opting for a more modern setting. They put a lot of thought into what they wanted the ring to say about them and it's pretty much how they live their lives. Putting others in front of them, not caring what the world thinks of it. We got lucky with our kids, it sounds like.

I have no story of any note, but I've enjoyed reading your stories. Neither of my adult twins have married. (both have stable SO's 10 years plus). Nobody is interested in any jewelry, and I have said to all that any $$ I would contribute, should a knot ever be tied, would go to an awesome honeymoon somewhere. That's just the way we think around here.