Are you "Officially" engaged without a ring?

You don't have to have a ring to be engaged. A ring is technically just a symbol. Not a requirement. But I would have been upset if I didn't have my ring tbh.

I don't think you need a ring. Unfortunately, society thinks you need one, but phooey on that. Diamond rings, in particular are a modern tradition. Prior to the 1860s (when the diamond minds in Africa were really mined by the British and the Dutch), simple bands or colored stones were the norm.

Before FH gave me the ring, he still called me his fiancee since we knew we were getting married.

A ring is a symbol of the promise to marry. I absolutely would have said yes w/o one. then i would have run out and bought a costume jewelry ring to wear until we could get our wedding bands! LOL

I love my rings, but never would have said we were less serious in our commitment without it. It is the same as some couples not wanting to ever get married, it does not always mean they are not committed to each other as deeply (sometimes more deeply) than other couples who are married.

There was a time when I would have married Matthew if he gave me a double oven. I can now afford my own double oven and therefore he got me the ring.

Yes.

OTW love it!!

LOL OTW

I originally said yes w/o the ring & have been planning our wedding. However, my FH felt it wasn't official so he suprised me & re-proposed w/a beautiful ring on (this past) Christmas day. I'm still speechless...

I don't think there needs to be a ring to make it official. I would want one, but if he really can't afford it, I'd understand.

Almost Mrs. White - That's sweet

My FH proposed 3 years ago on a trip and was going to get the ring when I moved back to the US a few months later...years went by (??!!) and he finally popped the question again last February with the ring. While he considered us engaged the whole time (although we never told anyone because he wanted the ring first...jeez), I don't think I was "officially" engaged until he actually got me the ring. The in-between time was just really confusing since it stretched for so long...

Just how my experience went! My FH dragged his feet on that ring forEVER (but we'd been together for 10 years so I don't think he saw a rush).

eta: And I really didn't care about the ring...it was more the act of actually committing to something/following through I was looking for . And there was no problem with not being able to afford it...it was dragging feet

LOL @OTW.

I don't think you need a ring.

FH gave me a ring that was given to him by his mother. It is a saphire and definately not the norm. He wanted me to pick out my own diamond, which is also not the norm. BTW, just picked up my diamond ring from Jared a couple days ago

I'm "officially" engaged in my head. My family and friends know. But I still don't have a ring and I'm ok with that

I considered us engaged the day we decided to get married and set the date. FH asked that I not tall people about the engagement until I had a ring. (He thought it made him look "less" if I didn't have a ring to show people so I waited, but not patiently!)

Honestly, I feel like the ring is an importantant symbol. It's also the first thing everyone asks to see when you tell them your engaged, so it's a little awkward to not have one (I didn't have one at the beginning of our engagement).

That being said, the ring does NOT have to be a diamond. Gemstone rings are not only growing in popularity but are just as gorgeous and can be found in any price range. I personally have a 1.5 carat morganite surrounded by a halo of diamonds on a micro rose gold band. It's exactly what I wanted and only cost fh a little over $500.

At the end of the day though, if not having a ring doesn't bother you then it doesn't matter. Your engaged when both you and your fh decide to be. But seriously, it never hurts to put a ring on it.

My fiancé and I actually were looking at venues BEFORE he proposed! He was in the Air Force and living 2,000 miles away. We knew we wanted to be married in 2014, and being that I'm a plan-aholic (I'm an event planner with a Non-Profit), we both agreed that I could start venue hunting. We actually found our venue 2 weeks before he came home and when he did, he actually proposed AT the ceremony site where we will be wed in just 5 1/2 months! Long of the short is....yes you are officially engaged even if there is no ring yet. It's the commitment that matters, not the ring.

I personally would not feel "officially" engaged without a ring, but I still think people are officially engaged without one, as it's just a symbol of the promise and doesn't certify anything.

Ditto Shannon.

The first time FH and I got engaged we were 20 and just settling in to our apartment. He proposed but didnt have a ring and I still cried and said yes. I could care less if I had a ring lol. I wore one I already had until we got one. Society today seems to have people thinking rings are a must, diamonds must be big and upgrading is so common.

My g'parents were married 25 years before G'pa was able to get a diamond ring for G'ma.

An engagement does not require an engagement ring. AND, a marriage does not require a wedding ring! I've married many couples who exchanged something other than rings or nothing at all.