Having popped the question last week, I am now looking forward to eagerly feigning an interest in our wedding invitations, flowers, attire, etc. As a typical 28 year old male, I care about the venue, the food, the music, and that’s pretty much it. I’m going to leave the rest to my fiance who has been nice enough to grant me veto power in case I really have a problem with anything (I won’t). Hopefully, my blog entries will spark some good ideas, assist others who might soon be planning a wedding, and give me a good place to vent as this wedding slowly consumes my entire life for the next year.
The first challenge for the guys is the ring. What kind of ring will she like? How does one go about purchasing a diamond ring? Will my landlord except IOU’s for a few months? The best way to get started is to talk to people you know. I was surprised to find that almost everyone I knew had some sort of “connection” with someone in the diamond district in Manhattan. The next step is to go to Tiffany’s and Cartier, strictly as a way to learn about the industry. Depending on your situation, you may want to bring your girlfriend along in order to get a good idea of what styles she likes and dislikes. Either way, dress nice and act as if you are looking to purchase something on the spot, otherwise the salespeople there won’t take the time to answer your questions. Also, don’t be intimidated by their prices. Calling them a bit inflated would be like calling Bill Gates comfortable. After leaving these stores, you should have a good idea of how to describe your ideal ring. Now, you need to find a jeweler that you trust and don’t be scared to ask for huge discounts as the markups on diamonds leave plenty of room for negotiation.
My personal situation went a bit differently. After asking her father for permission, I was not only given her parents blessing, but I was also given a gorgeous ring that belonged to her grandmother (Yet another reason to always ask the father’s permission). The band itself was a bit old fashioned, however the diamond was stunning. From there, I pretty much followed the above strategy. I told my girlfriend something along the lines of, “I want to take you to look at rings, in case I decide one day that I want to marry you. This way, I’ll know what you like and I can shop for one on my own without ruining the surprise.” The way I see it, you only propose once, and I felt much better knowing that my girlfriend was basically designing the ring herself.
I ended up using a good friends family to design and create the actual ring, A special thanks to Michael Menkin Inc. – 212 371-1092. They were so easy to work with and their end product came out EXACTLY as I hoped. It was amazing to see them make drawings based on my novice descriptions, and then give life to those drawings. Once you have the ring, the next question is how to get it on her finger.
Check back soon for the next entry, creatively titled: The Proposal.
Find out what kind of taste she has. Big, gaudy solitaires are popular, but not all women like them.
And don’t buy into the idea that you should spend two month’s salary on the ring. Diamonds are the world’s worst investment. The prices are propped up by a cartel that owns a big chunk of the world’s business, but diamonds aren’t all that rare.
And the man made ones are pretty good now, too.
Jason,
Congratulations, all the best for you, your bride-to-be and your future!
Paul Pannone
1800mytuxes
[...] The Ring [...]