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Engagements & Proposals
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| No | 36% | 220 votes | Total: 617 votes | |
| Yes | 64% | 397 votes |
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Add to FavoritesThe ring is a powerful symbol. A circle of unending and enduring love. An outward sign of a the commitment made between two people that should, in all reality, last a lifetime. Let us not forget the vow's themselves, "Till death do us part.". So is the engagement ring which announces to the world your intent to jump into what will ultimately be one of the biggest events of your life really needed? I have to cry out with a resounding, "YES".
If a man comes to a woman to ask her for her hand in marriage there should be some outward sign that he is truly serious. There should be something that is solid and concrete to reinforce the biggest question some will ask in a lifetime, "Will you marry me?" Marriage is a major undertaking for any couple. You are forging a life together. You will no longer be alone but you will stand strong as a united front against the world. With this huge step a bit of planning should be made. A man who loves a woman should somehow sock a bit of cash away to buy his darling an engagement ring. If he doesn't have the cash then he can finance a bit of money. The ring does not have to cost a huge amount. It can be a fairly simple cheap ring and still have the same deep meaning in it.
Walk into a jewelry store at a local mall and just take a few moments to browse the rings. You will actually find rings for a low price tage of a mere sixty dollars. They are simple rings that do not sport a huge diamond but they show intent. They show meaning and that you are serious. A ring shows a woman that the man actually took the time to drive to the mall, head into a jewelry store and make a choice. It shows that his is truly serious. It makes the engagement valid not only for the world to see but also for the girl to know that her soon to be husband is truly going to go forth with the commitment of marriage.
I could not imagine having my daughter tell me that she is engaged but her beau didn't bother to have the foresight or the caring to purchase a reasonably priced ring. I would think that this indicates slackness. It shows that the man cannot plan ahead. What will she expect as the years in her marriage pass? Will her husband be a caring man who plans small gifts for Christmas or Birthdays if he could not take the time and ingenuity to purchase an engagement ring for what will ultimately be one of the biggest days of his life.
Marriage takes planning and caring. A husband to be must think of his soon to be bride. He will want her to sport his rings and announce to the world that soon she will be his beautiful bride. If he does not wish to make this known to their families and society then perhaps the marriage should not take place because it is a foreshadow of what the future will show. It also shows how lax he is with such a life altering disease such as marriage.
Learn more about this author, Kim Sharpe.
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Yes
Too many people are enchanted by the idea of tradition. This simple notion is no different when it comes to marriage ceremonies. Many women, particularly in Western cultures, are firmly committed to the idea that if their partner wishes to marry them, they should go the traditional route and make a formal proposal, along with a formal engagement ring. But, really, what is a ring? A piece of jewelry? An investment? A symbol?
Regardless of whether you believe an engagement ring to be a traditional symbol of your husband-to-be's commitment to you, I feel that it is important for women to be realistic when it comes to these matters.
In today's day and age, women have taken the opportunity to stretch the fabric of tradition. Some women choose rubies or emeralds rather than diamonds for their engagement ring's center stone. Other women would prefer their birthstones. And, some women opt for a single wedding band alone, with no engagement ring to speak of. Despite these "new-fangled" ideas, it seems that there are some women out there who are still concerned with whether an engagement can be considered legitimate if there is no engagement ring.
Traditionally speaking, engagement periods were either extremely long (as in betrothals that were contrived by parents seeking alliances with other families for financial, social, or political reasons) or extremely short ( a matter of months before an actual wedding date). In any case, engagements were intended to serve as a waiting period before an actual wedding date could take place.. Today, many couples do make the decision to become engaged and subsequently marry shortly thereafter. Other couples, however, simply make the declaration that they are "engaged" without any idea as to when their presumed nuptials will take place. In either case, when engagements are announced, both parties involved are typically announcing their commitment to one another and the decision to (eventually) marry.
Whether a couple decides to have a short engagement period or a lengthy one, the decision ultimately rests on the couple's shoulders. In any relationship, the two people involved, and no one else, should make choices concerning the relationship. That being said, it should not make a difference whether tradition dictates that an engagement ring is required for an engagement (or a proposal) to be made legitimate. If a couple wants to marry, and if the two individuals involved in that relationships are in agreement concerning their respective commitments to their relationship, then it should not matter whether there is an actual engagement ring or not.
The bottom line is that, while it may be nice to flash some bling and show off how much your future husband adores you, a ring is nothing more than an inanimate object that merely symbolizes the love that two people share. After years of marital bliss or strife a ring will be the least of your concerns. Although your engagement ring may serve as a constant reminder of a beautiful memory, you and your partner should not feel limited to traditional symbols when you want to express your love for one another. That being said, without a doubt, an engagement is indeed an engagement, with or without the ring.
Learn more about this author, Krystle Hernandez.
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