DoeEyes
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2018
- Messages
- 628
I've been here since summer of 2018 and had a long, sometimes painful journey picking my engagement ring. You can read all about it in my post history but the general idea is that my boyfriend and I decided to start the ring search in July 2018 after dating 2.5 years and living together about a year. We decided that I would handle all the ring decisions, and when the ring was finished he would do the proposal however he wanted to.
For about 3 months I stumbled through the experience of figuring out what I wanted from an engagement ring. I wanted something not too expensive, a round diamond about half carat in a simple 6 prong solitaire white gold setting. I ended up getting the most perfect half carat lab grown diamond from Lightbox, a semi custom setting from Hayden Cudworth, and having it set by a local jeweler. It's a size 4.
Throughout the process I cried many times, went to bed early and depressed a few times, wanted to just give up and elope without a ring at least once, but overall I actually did love the experience and I learned SO MUCH and I'm excited to start the wedding ring hunt when it's time.
So here's the engagement story. The ring has been finished since before Thanksgiving and I've had no clue when the proposal would happen. I suspected that my boyfriend wouldn't do it over the holidays when I might expect it, and I was right. Because I wasn't expecting it, I also wasn't too disappointed when Thanksgiving passed, Christmas passed, New Year's Eve passed and there was no proposal. I was prepared to wait several months, thinking he might not even propose until the summer. I really had no idea what to expect or when. But I was very clear with him that I had no expectations, he could propose on the couch on a Tuesday and I would still be thrilled.
So this past Friday, 1/4, he had texted me earlier in the day while I was at work asking if I wanted to go to happy hour. After work I called him to see what the plan was and he said people had backed out so he was just going home and we would have a quiet night in. I always love quiet nights in so I was happy to go home. I didn't realize this was all a ruse so that he could keep track of me throughout the day and make sure I didn't go home early unexpectedly.
I walk in the door after work and the stereo is playing love songs, candles lit, the house is very clean, and there's a note with my name on it. I immediately knew what was happening and started to cry. This begins a scavenger hunt throughout the house. Our house is really important in our relationship; we bought it almost two years ago and we've been tearing it down and renovating it little by little while we live here, so it was really sweet to be guided through the house, reminded of every little project we've done together so far. The scavenger hunt culminated in figuring out a password which I needed to use to open the bedroom door, where he was waiting, in a suit, tealight candles on every single surface, streamers hanging from the ceiling. He got down on one knee, said some sweet things, and asked the big question. I don't even remember what he said because I was crying the whole time but I know I said YES!
So we cry and hug and laugh and cry for a while, go downstairs and have some champagne. He tells me we have dinner reservations in about an hour and suggests that we should just celebrate the two of us tonight, don't call anyone, just be together for one night before the whirlwind begins. But he said it's a nice place so get dressed up. We get ready, walk over to the restaurant, get to the table and he says "wait, I think they put us at the wrong table." I turn around and see through a door into another room and my dad is standing there with a video camera. I was so confused, I walked over slowly and as soon as I walked in the room everyone EXPLODED! Noise makers and screaming and clapping. My best friend was there from out of state, she was just home for Christmas but flew back 2 weeks later to surprise me! I was literally speechless, I couldn't stop crying and laughing and just hugging everyone. I'm starting to cry again just thinking about it! It was perfect, more than I ever could have dreamed of.
Short story: Boyfriend surprised me after work with a romantic scavenger hunt through our house, followed by dinner reservations which turned out to be a huge engagement party with all our family and friends. I started crying from the moment I walked into the house and knew what was happening, and I'm still bursting into tears every few minutes.
And here are the pics! I'm over the moon.

For about 3 months I stumbled through the experience of figuring out what I wanted from an engagement ring. I wanted something not too expensive, a round diamond about half carat in a simple 6 prong solitaire white gold setting. I ended up getting the most perfect half carat lab grown diamond from Lightbox, a semi custom setting from Hayden Cudworth, and having it set by a local jeweler. It's a size 4.
Throughout the process I cried many times, went to bed early and depressed a few times, wanted to just give up and elope without a ring at least once, but overall I actually did love the experience and I learned SO MUCH and I'm excited to start the wedding ring hunt when it's time.
So here's the engagement story. The ring has been finished since before Thanksgiving and I've had no clue when the proposal would happen. I suspected that my boyfriend wouldn't do it over the holidays when I might expect it, and I was right. Because I wasn't expecting it, I also wasn't too disappointed when Thanksgiving passed, Christmas passed, New Year's Eve passed and there was no proposal. I was prepared to wait several months, thinking he might not even propose until the summer. I really had no idea what to expect or when. But I was very clear with him that I had no expectations, he could propose on the couch on a Tuesday and I would still be thrilled.
So this past Friday, 1/4, he had texted me earlier in the day while I was at work asking if I wanted to go to happy hour. After work I called him to see what the plan was and he said people had backed out so he was just going home and we would have a quiet night in. I always love quiet nights in so I was happy to go home. I didn't realize this was all a ruse so that he could keep track of me throughout the day and make sure I didn't go home early unexpectedly.
I walk in the door after work and the stereo is playing love songs, candles lit, the house is very clean, and there's a note with my name on it. I immediately knew what was happening and started to cry. This begins a scavenger hunt throughout the house. Our house is really important in our relationship; we bought it almost two years ago and we've been tearing it down and renovating it little by little while we live here, so it was really sweet to be guided through the house, reminded of every little project we've done together so far. The scavenger hunt culminated in figuring out a password which I needed to use to open the bedroom door, where he was waiting, in a suit, tealight candles on every single surface, streamers hanging from the ceiling. He got down on one knee, said some sweet things, and asked the big question. I don't even remember what he said because I was crying the whole time but I know I said YES!
So we cry and hug and laugh and cry for a while, go downstairs and have some champagne. He tells me we have dinner reservations in about an hour and suggests that we should just celebrate the two of us tonight, don't call anyone, just be together for one night before the whirlwind begins. But he said it's a nice place so get dressed up. We get ready, walk over to the restaurant, get to the table and he says "wait, I think they put us at the wrong table." I turn around and see through a door into another room and my dad is standing there with a video camera. I was so confused, I walked over slowly and as soon as I walked in the room everyone EXPLODED! Noise makers and screaming and clapping. My best friend was there from out of state, she was just home for Christmas but flew back 2 weeks later to surprise me! I was literally speechless, I couldn't stop crying and laughing and just hugging everyone. I'm starting to cry again just thinking about it! It was perfect, more than I ever could have dreamed of.
Short story: Boyfriend surprised me after work with a romantic scavenger hunt through our house, followed by dinner reservations which turned out to be a huge engagement party with all our family and friends. I started crying from the moment I walked into the house and knew what was happening, and I'm still bursting into tears every few minutes.
And here are the pics! I'm over the moon.







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