Getting your guy an engagement present?

[peonygirl]

I''d love to get mine one when the time comes, but I can''t think of any fabulous gift ideas (as usual). I already bought him a watch for his birthday, so that''s out. Can anyone make suggestions? My budget would be $200 or less. Thanks so much!

 

[E B]

PG,

Does your boyfriend have an iPod? My fiance loves his. He's gone through two already due to overuse, and after he broke the last one, he bought another one 30 minutes later! If he loves music and doesn't have an MP3 player, this is definitely something to look at! The Nano below holds 500 songs.

2GB iPod Nano

ETA: If you're a student, you can buy one from the Apple Store online for a discount. That's how I bought mine!

What kind of stuff does your BF like? Is he big into electronics, or is he more of a food/kitchen/coffee loving guy? Books? Music?

 

[sunkist]

So I know LIW have been talking about engagement gifts for their future fiances for a while, and at first I thought it sounded different but OK. But now after thinking about it more, I don''t personally see why there needs to be an engagement gift. Please don''t get me wrong, I think it''s wonderful that a girl wants to show her love and appreciation for her guy, especially since he just proposed marriage!! But I guess I see the ring that he gives to me as a symbol more than a gift. I don''t know what my BF''s views are on this exactly , but I don''t want to take away from the symbol of the ring, signifying our commitment to eachother for eternity, by giving him a despensible gift. If I did end up getting him something as an engagement gift , it would have to be something that would last and that he would keep forever. Just my thoughts! Does anyone else feel this way?

Now I''m trying to think of something I could get him that would last forever...
- watch, maybe
- ring??
- hmmm, I''m still thinking

 

[anchor31]

My future fiancé is a big gamer, so I''ll give him a XBOX 360 console plus accessories and one game (maybe two).

sunkist - I see your point, but to me it''s about sharing, and the symbol of the ring is still there.

 

[E B]

Date: 1/30/2006 5:02:03 PM
Author: anchor31
My future fiancé is a big gamer, so I''ll give him a XBOX 360 console plus accessories and one game (maybe two).


sunkist - I see your point, but to me it''s about sharing, and the symbol of the ring is still there.

Anchor,

That''s what I got for Joey. He loves it so, so much.

 

[AmberWaves]

I agree with Sunkist, for a few reasons, my boyfriend gets angry at the thought of me buying something for him when he gets me my ring. I'm insulting him by getting him something, he says. "Stealing his thunder" so to speak. To him (and me) the ring symbolizes my BF giving me the world's strongest natural stone to show that we'll weather anything together, along with a circle of love (the band) that never ends. If I were to get him something like that, he'd be angry, because to him, the proposal is the special moment he has created for us. Now, the wedding gift is a totally different subject!

But that's just me, and mine.

 

[princessv]

Date: 1/30/2006 5:02:03 PM
Author: anchor31
My future fiancé is a big gamer, so I''ll give him a XBOX 360 console plus accessories and one game (maybe two).

sunkist - I see your point, but to me it''s about sharing, and the symbol of the ring is still there.

I finally found one today...the last one at the store..I got a really dirty look from two guys who wanted it but I had already placed it on hold.

I can''t believe I''m helping my fiance''s video game obsession....

so its a late engagement/V Day gift.

 

[peonygirl]

Okay, let me tell you a bit about my guy and you can tell me if anything comes to mind. Even if I don't end up getting him an engagement present, I'll still need ideas for his birthday, hehe.

Excuse me for bragging.

Ian is just the sweetest, kindest, and most thoughtful guy I've ever met, not to mention one of the most brilliant. He's a 26-year-old MD/PhD student who loves kids, his family, movies, and learning about almost anything, especially math and science related. He's really loves his alma mater, but for him it's all about the people he met and the experiences he had, not rah-rah school spirt. For a while I was trying to find some cool stuff from his university online like a lithograph, but nothing really caught my eye.

Hmm, what else? He has little free time now that he's writing his dissertation, but he usually spends it hanging out with me, reading news online, napping, running, cleaning (he's a bit of a neat freak) and occasionally playing online poker. Another gift I thought about was a really nice poker set, but he says he isn't really interested in playing with his friends, just as a way to unwind at the end of the day. He doesn't collect anything specific. The only piece of technology he wants right now is a Palm Pilot with voice recognition, but unfortunately that doesn't exist yet. I wish he didn't already have an Ipod or I'd buy him one.

Stuff he's NOT into: sports teams/memorabilia, video games, professional massages (got him one and he hated it), and fashion (but I'm helping to change that, hehe).

If I had a bunch of money I'd get us a nice vacation, but unfortunately that's way over budget.

Another idea might be something for our apartment (we don't live together, but probably will move in a few months after we get engaged). I'm the chef between us though and we've decided to go buy our furniture together, so I'm not really sure what's left in that domain.

 

[novellanicole]

I''m a practical gal and if I give it a gift I normally choose something useful. Since he has the eletronics and doesnt really need anything else. My mind moves to things like gas and food. I would love it if someone bought me a gas card, a couple of tanks of gas may seem thoughtless, but when he needs gas and has that free gas card, he''ll be glad you gave it to him. Or a really nice meal, home made for at his fav eating hole.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

I gave my DH a gold ID bracelet. On one side I had his name engraved in block lettering (to look masculine) and on the back side, I had a personalized message to him with our wedding date. Ironically, he gave me a gold bracelet as well (not an ID bracelet though!)...when we exchanged gifts and saw that the boxes were of identical shapes, we just had to laugh!

 

[AmberWaves]

You could always give him a nice box-set of movies he''d like, or if he''s a bit of a nerd (like my dad) you could get him the Mythbusters gift set (It''s a fantastic show on Discovery, proving different myths right/wrong). Or sunglasses, or a gift certificate to one of his favorite lunchtime places to eat, for days when you''re not there to cook. For his birthday, I''m buying my guy contact lenses.. His choice! And making his favorite meal of all time.

You could get him some new shoes, if he needs them, or an Itunes gift card.. Books?

 

[Shawna13]

Hmmm.... I would think that if you were to give him an engagement present it should be something that is pretty much equal in meaning or significance to your engagement ring. e.g. an engagement ring for him that he could wear on his right hand, or an ID bracelet or something. (Just my opinion... keep that in mind)

I gave my guy a band that I had the jeweller place a 0.09ct princess cut diamond into (it gives off just a bit of sparkle, but nothing like a RB would). I gave it to him on Xmas day (day after he proposed to me) after I proposed to him. I was a little afraid of him thinking that I was "stealing his thunder", but also knew that if he was really a great guy for me, he would appreciate it.... and he did!!! It's been over a month of wearing it and he never takes it off... and is so proud of it cause it's his engagement ring from me and he has a little "bling bling" too. (and he's never worn a ring before in his life!)

By both of you having a ring or a bracelet or something to wear and keep with you everyday, you both have a symbol or token or whatever you want to call it of your love and commitment to eachother. You could find something for $200 or less, I'm sure.

 

[peonygirl]

Shawna13, I *love* the ring idea, but he''s really not a jewelry type of guy. I definitely couldn''t see him wear a bracelet or necklace either. Hmmm.

 

[monarch64]

My first thought when I read this post was a money clip from Tiffany''s or something comparable--to hold what''s left of his cashflow after he buys your ring!

 

[sunkist]

oooo, I actually like that Monarch

 

[monarch64]

I guess the money clip came to mind because my DH has been through quite a few wallets and money clips in search of the perfect one (he also does that with pillows, power tools, etc., though thank God not with wives, hee hee!) Anyway, I know Tiffany''s has some beautiful ones for around $100-150, and Things Remembered of course has things like that. Some guys don''t like sitting on their wallets all day or when they go to sporting events or whatever, so a money clip can come in handy when they just want to take their ID''s and cash/CC with them to hold in their hip pocket.

 

[XChick03]

Date: 1/30/2006 5:02:03 PM
Author: anchor31
My future fiancé is a big gamer, so I''ll give him a XBOX 360 console plus accessories and one game (maybe two).


sunkist - I see your point, but to me it''s about sharing, and the symbol of the ring is still there.

That''s exactly what I planned on getting my soon-to-be-fiance for our anniversary, but after giving it some thought, I decided it''d be a great engagement present.

At first, I wanted to get something special and memorable, but I decided I''ll just save that for the wedding present.