So after reading an article in the Daily Mail, stating the findings of a survey, I can't say I'm surprised. So according to the article, One in five women are left disappointed with their proposal. This doesn't necessarily mean the actual event itself, but also the ring. In my mind the ring is the most important part. Not only because every girl has been dreaming of her ring since she was three, but also because it's the one thing that will stay with her forever.
Nothing says "I love you" more than a ring which reflects how much you love her. This isn't to say you need to break the bank to get the biggest rock possible, because as regular readers of my blogs know, it's not about size and price. There is a whole lot more to consider when picking out her dream ring.
Let me run by some facts with you which were uncovered in the survey.
- One in ten would turn down the proposal if they didn't like the ring.
- Fifty percent said they would consider contributing financially if it meant they'd get a bigger ring.
- According to the survey, the top factors cited for marriage proposals gone wrong were: engagement rings that were too small or even no ring at all.
- More than a third of women surveyed (38 per cent) said that an engagement ring matters because it is a symbol of how much their partner loves them.
- And 12 per cent of the engaged, married or divorced women who were polled said they would change the style of their engagement ring with 10 per cent saying they would change the size of their diamond - presumably for a larger one!
- Some women had modelled the design of their own engagement rings on friends' rings - whilst others had made sure their engagement rings were 'bigger and better' than their friends'.
So with these findings laid bare in front of you, what can you do to ensure minimum disappointment and that your girlfriend doesn't end up as a negative statistic?
Well my favourite idea is to propose with a diamond. It minimises the risk you take in picking a horrendous design and also getting the ring size wrong. The only real research you need to covertly do is find out what her favourite shape diamond is. Once you have this you can come and see me and we can look at some diamond options. Your informatively picked diamond will then be put in a beautiful display case for you to propose with. Once done you can both come in together to design the ring. In my view you still have the element of surprise with the proposal and also the romantic aspect of designing her ring together. Everyone's a winner.
Some of the other facts to come out of the article were as follows.
- The classic solitaire ring is the favourite design of engagement ring, with almost 1 in 5 women (20 per cent) saying that is the one they like the most.
- The second favourite is a trilogy ring with a diamond representing the past, the present and the future, with 12 per cent voting for this design.
- A close third is the former Kate Middleton’s famous blue sapphire oval cut engagement ring, with this being the firm favourite of 11 per centof the women polled. The engagement rings of celebrities Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow were also popular.
Of course there are steps you can take should she really hate her engagement ring. Here are a few other facts as to why women were left disappointed.
- No flashmob.
- Engagement rings were too small
- Some didn't even propose with a ring.
- As tradition dictates, a gentleman should get down on bended knee, this didn't happen often enough.
- Not asking the parent's permission for their daughters hand in marriage.
- And finally, not thinking of something creative for the proposal.
If you're stuck for inspiration then you can always look at one of my previous blogs which gives my Top 10 proposal ideas. You never know, there could be the one in there that sets you up for a fairytale proposal.
I do hope that this helps inspire you. If you want to get in touch then please do. If you've had a horror story I'd love to know in the comments below.