Love is in the air, and it might seem like every guy is ready to pop the big question. However, I am a 28-year-old millennial woman and in true millennial fashion, I decided to take matters into my own hands. What once started as a leap year Irish tradition called ‘Ladies’ Privilege’ now has become a more welcomed change as more women are proposing to their significant other. And to all our jewelers out there – the shopping process is a little different.
When I first got the idea that I would be proposing to my now-fiancé, I had to start doing my own research about men’s wedding bands and the perfect fit for his style. And, when I told his older brother and sister about my desire to propose, they were all for it and super excited. It turns out that it runs in the family! Their mom proposed to their dad, and his sister proposed to her husband – so we all took it as a good sign.
Looking online, I wanted to see various styles and materials to make sure that the ring didn’t look like just any other wedding band. If I was getting down on one knee, which I did, I wanted there to be no confusion that I was indeed proposing. Lucky for me, we had already talked about marriage and rings, so I already had an idea of what he was looking for.
In the end, I purchased a beautiful yellow gold band with incased wood. This ring reminded me of the Pennsylvania woods surrounding his childhood home. This was even more perfect for Thanksgiving; we were surrounded by his family in Pennsylvania, having an amazing time with the ring burning a hole in my suitcase. That is when I decided to pop the big question.
With my fiance’s name being Maverick (middle name Cruise), I knew we needed to add a bit of Top Gun flair by having his nieces wear flight suits and me wearing a Top Gun bomber with the name ‘Goose’ stitched onto it. His older brother and sister were involved in making sure everyone has gathered around and that the girls were dressed up. When I came out, I started my speech (which by the way, we don’t give the guys enough credit about this part!) I was so nervous even though I knew he wouldn’t say no, but with all eyes on me, my hands were shaking quite a bit.
When I got to the part where I said, “I know we already signed a two-year lease, but would you like to stay with me forever?” He finally caught on to what was happening and started to ask everyone around him if I was proposing. I got down on one knee, pulled out the ring, and said, “Yes, and I am really nervous right now. Can you please say yes?” To which he did! Little did I know that he went to his childhood home the day before Thanksgiving to pick up his mother’s ring to propose to me! It was a Thanksgiving that I will never forget!
So, while I see many jewelers talking about diamond engagement rings for her, I would love to start seeing more engagement rings for him. There is no need for the ladies to sit around and wait when many of us have the necessities to buy the ring, and we aren’t always super traditional. It’s funny to see everyone’s reaction when I tell them that I was the one who proposed but what makes me even happier is when my fiancé tells people with so much love and pride. Don’t wait for leap year; just take the leap and do it yourself!