Weddingbee boards

My boyfriend and I have recently been in and out of jewelry stores, looking for something an engagement ring that’s me, with no such luck.

I want a yellow sapphire engagement ring (with some diamond accents, yes), but I’m not a huge fan of diamond rings. Everyone does that, and I need a ring to be colorful, special, and unique. Like me!

Most stores don’t carry yellow sapphire, but you can have a ring custom made. Which is actually more expensive than I’d hoped. I’m a practical woman. I would love the ring of my dreams, but I don’t want it to be several thousand dollars.

I’ve never been big on jewelry, but this is something I want to wear for the rest of my life, so I of course want it to be something I’ll cherish and love.

After seeing some of the retail prices on custom rings, I decided to do some online research. I hunted down online stores that actually make yellow sapphire engagement rings. And since they were already made, and didn’t have to be custom ordered, it was almost half the price of the retail custom rings.

My boyfriend saw how much I’d been stressing about money, and he wanted to reassure me that everything would be ok. He told me he already bought a ring, so I don’t have to worry anymore. OMG!

He has the ring already!? What!!!?

So I know my boyfriend has an engagement ring now…and I have no idea WHEN he’s going to propose. I have to be honest, this is almost worse than stressing out about the budget.

All I can think about is what the ring will look like, where will we be when he pops the question, will I be surprised? I’m trying not to think about it, but I can’t think of anything else. Will he wait all the way until winter? Will he pop the question during the Disney World trip we’re taking with his family in a few weeks?

Knowing he has the ring is absolute torture! The only thing keeping us from just being in a relationship to being engaged to be married is him! And if I try to find out or guess when he’ll do it, he’ll probably change his plans so I’ll be surprised. So I just need to keep my mouth shut and wait, so I don't ruin his plans.

@claireos: You're right. He just told me Sunday night, so it's very fresh in my mind. I really would LOVE a Disney World proposal. I actually dress as Princess Tiana at comic book and anime conventions Tiana Photos, and he's going to get a Prince Naveen costume someday. So in my head it would be just so wonderful to have a fairlytale engagement lol.

But every little thing we have planned now, is a possible proposal oppritunity. I just can't wait!

@caribbeanGirl: OMG! That's just terrible. What's your guy waiting for?

I think my boyfriend is just as impatient as I am about this stage in our relationship. So I think now, it's a matter of planning out the perfect proposal (which I hope is sooner than Christmas)

Knowing he has the ring makes me thing..."this is happening, I'm so excited" We'd talked about marriage after dating for a few months though, so I knew he'd be the one. I just wish he'd hurry it up now.

Oh my gosh... I remember EXACTLY what this was like. My fiance and I have been together since high school, so the topic of marriage had come up quite a few times. When we realized we were ready, I started looking at rings and giving him a few ideas of what I liked. Then I find out he went shopping with my sister and they bought one together. I also found out that same day he had talked to my dad about it. So, in my mind I thought... oh it's coming soon!!! 

I'm not an easy one to surprise... it's not always that I go SEARCHING for answers, but I'm very attentive and pick up on details people drop on mistake. With that being said, he knew he couldn't plan an all out proposal because I would instantly know.

That all happened in February... we got engaged in June. At first I thought "Ohhh he's gonna propose on Valentines Day... that's so typical... he's going to KNOW that i know..." then that came and passed... then I thought "Ok... he's gonna propose on my birthday... still typical, but ok" then that came and passed... after my bday, i kind of forgot about it and let it go. Dang if he didn't pull it off on a typical Sunday afternoon at my dad's during a game of poker. I wouldn't change it for the world :)

@Miss Lemmons: I'm exactly the same way. I always know when he's up to something or planning a surprise. So I always feel bad, for being so perseptive. He actually loves how smart I am, and he sees it as a challenge to try and surprise me. I just hope he doesn't wait months to propose

@MademoiselleL: Six months!? Boooo. I'm sure like everyone has been saying, it was worth it, right? Joining this message board has been helpful. It's awesome to have ladies who understand what I'm going through, and I don't feel crazy lol.

@SpecialSundae: My boyfriend and I lived in different states for the first year and a half of our relationship. You would think that it would have prepared me to be more patient, but I just can't wait to introduce him as my fiance! It'll be worth the wait...I just can't wait lol

@armychica06: thanks

@MademoiselleL: Did you know he had the ring too? How long did he hold on to it before the proposal? It sounds like it was a very gorgeous setting

@Mis Iris: Thank you! That's my Princess Tiana costume from The Princess and the Frog. My boyfriend's mother actually made that dress for me!

I know what you mean about the ring. I keep wanting to look for mine too, but I would hate myself if I saw it before he proposed. I honestly want to be surprised, but I was also the kid who knew how to peek at my Christmas gifts, and seal them back up unnoticed. I've outgrown that, but he's still cautious when it comes to gifts.

@Mrs Pants: Oh, I feel like I have giant hands. My ring size is between 8.5-9! I have really long fingers though, so I guess it balances out lol. My boyfriend actually showed me the receipt for the ring, because I thought he was lying about already purchasing one (he covered up all but the name of the store), I didn't think to look at the date on the receipt! I wonder how long he's had this ring....hmmmm.

I do know that it's a yellow sapphire, and the style is one of the settings I liked when we were shopping (I just don't know which setting it is). I can tell my boyfriend is enjoying some of this torture. I can't wait to see everyone's rings! We all have to share picture somewhere on the board for sure. I feel so invested in all your stories lol.

@PrettySedity: Hang in there girl! I know some guys REALLY want to surprise their lady with the proposal, so maybe that's why he avoided the anniversary, because you would be expecting it. I'm hoping you (and me both) won't have to wait too long! How exciting is this though?

So today, my BF went to my parents house to ask for my father's blessing. When we first started talking marriage ages ago, he mentioned that he would want to ask my father for my hand. Which is super sweet, and respectful.

He called me later, and told me it went very well (he was super nervous). Now he said there's nothing stopping him from proposing (except he's waiting for the perfect time). He's been planning something...I hope now that he spoke to my parents, it'll happen soon!

@Mrs Pants: I'll be honest, I did look around the apartment. But we still have an office half filled with boxes to unpack, and I found nothing. And he said there were 3 decoy boxes! So I'm not going to try to find the ring, and just wait....and wait...

@sherryberry: I haven't seen the ring, I don't know what it'll look like. Just that it's a yellow sapphire, and one of the settings I liked. I'm sure he's just as axnious as I am. So maybe I won't have to wait long for a proposal.

I can't wait to start hashing out the wedding plans, and stuff. Although I know nothing about planning a wedding lol

@sherryberry: Well after he talked with my Dad, some plans were loosely discussed. My Dad asked him if we had a date picked out (which we don't), so we sort of started talking about which season we'd like to have a wedding in. I think we're both leaning towards fall (2012) at this point.

But, I totally don't want to think about anymore plans until he proposes.

Eeek! I'm trying to be patient ladies. But in a moment of weakness, I just asked him if I'd have to wait all the way until Christmas. He reassured me that I wouldn't have to wait past October! So, I actually think I'm more calm about the whole thing. I don't know when between now and then it'll happen, but I won't have to wait too long.

He showed me one of the decoy boxes, which was hidden in our bedroom somewhere. I didn't see exactly where he got it from, but I honestly haven't looked for the actual ring. I still want that much to be a genuine surprise.

@happy2bee: If I actually saw the ring it would make this waiting SOOOO much worse. My heart goes out to you

@shanly725: I wrote him a note the week I found out he had the ring. It basically said, I didn't want to influence whatever he was planning. I've been getting impatient, but I know I'll be happy once he actually proposes in which ever way he'd been planning it all along.

OMG! I'm so terrible.  Last night, I found the ring box. And I know he has 3 decoy boxes hidden somewhere, which I haven't even found, but I KNEW this one was THE box, because it was lavender with a ribbon around it (way to fancy for a decoy).

I got home at 11pm, and it was around midnight when I saw it (and my bf doesn't come home until 2am). So after pacing back and forth, I opened it! It was my engagement ring. It wasn't my favorite setting, but it was one of my top 3, so I was excited. Then I immediately regret opening it!

So today, I actually started searching the WeddingBee forums to see what other woman have done in this situation, and it was killing me. I could pretend I never saw it, and just act surprise (like I've done some Christmases ago when I used to peek at my presents). But I would feel terrible.

Today, I texted him from work asking if I knew something about the proposal would he be upset. He said he would just change whatever I knew about. And I told him that he couldn't change it, and that I found the ring box. And he said that he was going to go exchange the ring!

I FELT TERRIBLE!!! I called him right away so we could stop texting, and I was starting to cry. He said seeing my face when he first showed me the ring was a huge part of the proposal. He seemed really upset at first, but I was clearly more torn up about it then he was. It's so hard to surprise me, and I just ruined one of the biggest surprises.

He then started to ask me if I liked it. I told him, I thought it was pretty, and I would have to get used to it, but I would love any ring that he gave me. Surprisingly, he was more upset with himself, because that day I found it, he moved it from the original hiding place (actually inside his computer...like he had to unscrew panels just to get to the box), and he shouldn't have moved it.

He wasn't mad at me though, he said he knew if I found it, I'd open it. He actually has a back up ring! There were two settings the same price that he was thinking about. And sure enough before he left for work today he went to the jewelry store to have them put the center stone in the other setting (I hate that he knows me so well that he even NEEDED to have a back-up ring). Their person who takes care of that is on vacation so it'll be 2-3 weeks before they can get it done. But, I promise to never again open any presents early, because I never want to feel this terrible or guilty again.

He was glad I was honest with him (even though he was VERY upset), he thinks it'll be a funny story to tell our kids someday. What an awful girlfriend I am! But he said it was in my nature to see what was in the box, it's part of my personality, and he doesn't love me any less. His birthday is next month...I have to get him something extra special now, for being such a good sport about the whole thing. I'm glad I was honest with him though.

(SORRY FOR THE LONG POST)

Well, we just got back from our Disney World vacation with his family, where I was hoping he would propose, but since he was replacing the ring, he wouldn't even have it during our vacation. I was bummed about it, but at least I could enjoy our vacation without getting anxious about when he would ask me to marry him.

Good news is...we're ENGAGED!!!

We were walking around the Magic Kingdom, and we all stopped by the Cinderella wishing well. His dad was tossing coins in and making wishes, so I thought I'd make one too. I actually wished my boyfriend would propose soon...and literally 1 min after that, we started to walk away, and he said he wanted to show me something.

The castle was changing colors, and right at that moment it was yellow, I tried to hurry and get my camera so I could take a photo of it. But it changed colors before I could get it. While I was doing all that, he was getting the ring out of his pocket. He started saying stuff that FELT like a lead up to a proposal (which surprised me, because I thought he wouldn't be able to pick up the ring until we got BACK from vacation).

He got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him. I was surprised that it was seriously happening, in Disney World, where I was hoping it would happen, literally a minute after I wished for it in the well!!!

I said yes of course, and it's the original ring that I found! Which I'm actually happy about. The more I thought about the ring, and how it was going to NOT be the ring I would get...the more I actually wanted that ring. I'm glad he didn't change it. This ring just suits me! The sapphire is more yellow than I remembered when I accidently found it the first time. And it just sparkles so much.

The center stone is round, and the diamonds are princess cut (two of my favorite cuts). So in the end it worked out perfect, AND he still surprised me. I originally suspected he would propose at Disney, and he told me he wasn't going to, so I would THINK that it wasn't happening that week (even though I still thought it would). Me finding the ring actually made it MORE of a surprise, because he lied to me about replacing it, leading me to believe he wouldn't even have the new ring until after the vacation! It all worked out, and it's such a cute story!

These are all cell phone photos that I took on vacation, but they turned out so pretty!

Congrats on your engagement! My FI had the ring for 4 months before he popped the question. There were so many events I thought he might propose: Our vacation to Virginia, The big family 4th of July cookout, Summer fireworks, Labor day cookout, Camping trip, Pumpkin Patch hayride....

He finally proposed in October on a random Tuesday afternoon. I was going nutty! But it was worth the wait! I loved that he chose a day completely unrelated to any other event. It will always and only be known as the day we got engaged.

Enjoy your October wedding! GREAT MONTH ;)