What a wonderful time in a relationship when you know it’s time to offer each other a lifetime commitment. This is a time that needs lot’s of thought, if you are considering to propose to your partner do not take it lightly, engagement is for life and to bring you to the next step of marriage.

We all know not every couple that get engaged end up taking the next step of marriage and each for different reasons but to consider your partner at this level tells the true meaning of your feelings and also your ambitions for the future. Generally it is the hot blooded male that makes the step of proposal but it is not unusual for the romantic female to make the first move nowadays.

Planning is everything, every couple to their own methods. If the proposal is a surprise lots of factors have to come into consideration especially if you have not discussed the issue with each other. Think ahead about the time and place you are going to make that move on bended knee. Some key points to a surprise engagement:

1) Are you 100% sure that the relationship is ready for a diamond ring or any other ring for that matter?
2) Are you going to do this is public? If so is your partner overly shy and may prefer a small occasion like the two of you at dinner?
3) If you plan a party be careful to keep your secret a good secret, choose who you tell as with engagement comes excitement and little whispers.
4) Know the type of ring that your partner likes and try get the size correct. I’m sure you can borrow a ring from the Jewelry box for a few hours and it’s size checked to match the one you are buying.
5) Don’t overspend, after your engaged you will have lots to save for like marriage, a house/apartment if you are not living together already.
6) Make sure your engagement is not piggy backing onto another couples. You would be surprised to know how many couples get engaged because of friends who may have gotten their first and are together a similar amount of time.

Tips: Buying the ring:
You can read on the internet or magazines as much as you like about rings for engagement but at the end of the day you will choose your own that suits both of you as a couple and within what you can afford. Try stick to a budget it’s all too easy to get carried away by dazzling diamonds, Rubies etc. Saving for the occasion is better than borrowing, if you are together along time another few months or a year or saving wont hurt too bad.


If finance is not an issue and you are planning a party, plan ahead. Remember this is not the wedding, no point in inviting everyone and their cousins to this, a close friends and family engagement party is far better than a reception type. Your wedding day will be the main event and you can do whatever you like and spend as much as you want and can afford.

Many couples plan to get engaged together without surprise and for a few reasons. Firstly most women want to have a say in their engagement jewelry and don’t trust a man to have qualities to choose alone. From past Jewelry Store experience you would be taken back by the amount of rings that came back for exchange purely because the engagement rings where not suited even though the thought was lovely.

Is it true that Women also buy their partner an engagement present and if so, What?

Throughout times men bought the diamonds, rubies, pearls etc to impress and express their long term commitment to their partner but over time woman have also offered a gift in return. Men’s Jewelry is now very popular. If a lady in the past decided to purchase a jewelry gift as an engagement present in the past it generally nine times out of ten was a watch of some sort. Nowadays men wear as much in Jewelry are the ladies from, watches to earrings to men’s bracelets and so on.

In fairness gifts don’t really matter, the most important factor is your commitment to each other. A ring is a ring but love is everything. Choose carefully, purchase what you can afford, remember you can always upgrade in years to come if need be. Make sure proposing is 100% committed and exactly what both of you want and look forward too.