Is ok to propose without a ring??

My FH asked me to marry him without an engagement ring. We've been together for 4 years now and we've kind of always known that we'd end up together. Even though the whole planning thing is romantic, I love that my honey asked me in the spur of the moment. He ended up getting me a ring later and I was so happy because we picked it out together. So to answer your question I don't think a ring is at all necessary. I don't think it means that the guys couldn't afford it or that he wasn't ready, my fiance had the money for my ring, but knew that I would appreciate picking it because it would be something that I would be wearing for the rest of my life.

@ hilda awesome point of view. Would you still feel the same way if the reason was because you guys couldnt afford it at that moment

Yooooo man, It is going to be one of your special day. Then why don't you make it memorable, Find a beautiful ring that will always remind "proposal day" ever in life.

Come on don't let it go wasted dud.

@bill if you couldnt afford a ring would you not propose

@Michelle M., I had an engagement ring with my first marriage primarily because my grandmother had willed me a ring with the idea that I'd use it as an engagement ring. The groom had it reset, but the cost of that was pretty trivial. And he didn't propose with the ring; we just had it reset after he proposed.

However, when he left me, I put the engagement ring into my safe deposit box. And I realized what a relief it was not to be wearing it any longer. I worked in a big city, and often stayed very late at night. I felt very unsafe wearing a ring that might make it worthwhile to someone to attack me. I realized at that point that even if I ever remarried, I did not want an engagement ring.

NotFroofy knew that I was not big on traditional proposals, or engagement rings, so it was pretty unlikely that she would have proposed with a ring. I honestly don't know what I would have done if she had.

@2d bride thats totally understandable & again there is no particular reason for these questions just picking people brains

Absolutely! There was a time where we couldn't afford it and we were still talking about it. (We've had a lot of ups and downs in our relationship due to outside forces such as work and health). I would still feel the same love and actually knowing that we were going to have a long engagement (Dec 09 and we're not getting married until the soonest Sept 11) I didn't expect us to get a ring for awhile. we went ring shopping so "he can get an idea of what i'd like" and a few weeks later FS surprised me with it. He actually gave it to me in a big box that is meant for a necklace just to throw me off. lol, Everything depends on the people and their situations but I said yes without a ring and I'd say it 100 times again. That day is memorable whether you have the ring or not. You can take that even further, would you ladies that were proposed to with a ring have said "no" had the stone been too small for your liking? I knew a girl that did that. But that just goes to show how strong her cont

Love for her BF of the time was lol. I don't think a material object by any means can project the love that it is meant to symbolizes, however if FH wants to give me a shiny ring, I am the last to object lol.

Actually i've noticed women comparing their rings to others, it's usually the one with the biggest rock that brings it up, and she's usually the one that is least happy in her relatio

I don't think it is absolutely necessary. For me I would rather you wait to get the ring I want rather than get me a CZ. I would take a simple band for the proposal and get the diamond later. I would rather wait for something I want instead of getting something I don't care for at all.

Very well put hilda...not to say every woman is like that but their are some who only care about the size & then you have to wonder is that all that matters. I actually told DH to get me astreling silver(cause i love silver) & CZ ring because i have kids & i was afraid if i lost it or broke it i would be super upset. He ended up getting me a white gold .5 carat princess cut ring & a sterling silver CZ just like it believe it or not I wear the cz more than the diamond & diamond is my birthstone

Yes you have to have a ring....Why ??? Because it is a symbol of taking the next step. There are so many things that go on that are associated with the ring. It does not have to be grand. You start small and who knows you may be able to step up to something better. If you don't have the ring you will be walking around with feeling of something significant missing.

@lovefortwo would you have said no if there was no ring

I do not see a problem with it, but my bf did it at walmart while we were looking at the ring lmao. I order my ring after that. lol and he didnt even get on his knee. he just got sick of listen to me whine and asked me if i want a ring, told him there was no point if he wasnt goin to ask me , turn around and he was like damn woman do you want to marry me. haha. but once we got the ring back, he tried to do it the right way and get on his knee but i couldnt help it but laugh. i told him im sticking to my walmart story haha

Nope I needed the ring it completes the whole proposal for me and I always told him if and when I wanted a ring to seal the deal I wanted the wow look at the ring moment material or not when I look at it I smile because I remember how it happened and what it means and that's a great feeling for me

I would prefer a ring when he proposed, but would be ok with it if there was a good reason. I actually had a replacement ring at first instead of the real one cause it was getting custom made and it wasnt finished in time...and to me, that was a great reason, and I would have MUCH rather been engaged without the ring than wait for it.

However, I think I would need a good reason to be ok not having it. I love the symbolism of the engagement ring. Having one was important to me and my FH knew that. SO...if he went ahead and didnt bother with a ring or fought me on that, it would have been hard to reconcile that he didnt care about what I thought or thought was special.

If there is some reason like mine that its getting made and taking longer than they thought, or maybe you are gettin your grandmothers stone, but cant get it until nov and thats later than you would like to get engaged to start planning your march wedding...then by all means, I would say there is no problem getting

Engaged without one.

If it were a money issue, then Id still like one, but you can find nice, pretty little ones-usually in the promise ring section of a store-that are much cheaper, but still great.

If the issue were money and you planned to have a long engagement, I personally would rather just wait to get engaged until he can afford the ring unless there is some reason to get engaged earlier

Hmmmm well we set our date before i had my ring but he downright REFUSED to "propose" until he paid off the ring. i would have been content with something a lot simpler and more affordable but his mind was made up what he wanted me to have. he asked me if i wanted to get a temporary ring and i told him no. whatever you give me is what i'm going to have. i'm not trading in or upgrading so make sure you give me what you really want me to have. i love my ring but it's all the more special to me b/c i know how much he sacrificed for me to have it. he ate a lot of tuna lol.

Dan pruposed w/o the ring...no problem here

I said yes without a ring... my heart is still broken knowing that now we have to spend my ring $ on the closing costs which is BS but hey... I guess a ring can come later you know...

For months, we had already been planning our wedding before DH did the official one-knee'd proposal. However, when he did, it was with a stock-sized ring that had to go back to the jeweler's the very next day and was gone for about a month - so it was very much like not having a ring. I personally was fine and would've been fine announcing our engagement before he'd given me the ring, but let me tell you, the people around me were not fine with me not having a ring. Once I told them that we were engaged, but had no ring on my finger, they hounded ME to death telling me, "it doesn't count until you have a ring" and even told me that I shouldn't be planning because until I had a ring, he hadn't committed. (Now, let me tell you, I was living with this man who adores me... he's an amazing father to my children... without a doubt, he was committed.)

So... while I think it's fine, a girl should be prepared to withstand criticism and hounding about the ring.