Are We Done With Old-School Engagements?
These days, there seems to be new ‘rules for engagement’ and it means that the population as a whole can start to change up the way we do things. Yay!
We all have knowledge of what I’ll call ‘The Classic’ - a man gets down on one knee and it is a complete surprise to his partner. It’s portrayed in countless films, countless books and on our TV screens as well. But, surely has to be over and done with nowadays?
Aside from the fact that relationships come in all shapes and sizes, modern day lovers want to do something different for their proposals. Gone are the days where (usually) the man asks the parents for their daughters hand in marriage in some kind of weird agreement - trading of cattle springs to mind! Enter the days of asking your friends and family to be at a staged photoshoot or planned trip of a lifetime or, like some, just simply asking your partner whilst your laying in bed!
Back in times gone by the man would give the family of the woman an engagement ring as a deposit on their chosen maiden, then on the wedding day the ring along with his bride would be released back to him (hence the walking down the aisle with your Father!). I think you along with everyone else reading this will agree that this is totally outdated!
History of The Engagement Ring
In 1920, De Beers diamond miners created an ad campaign - diamonds are forever - coining a phrase that shaped history. They subsequently bought all of the worlds diamonds and kept them in a safe in London, creating a monopoly on the diamond industry and also the notion that diamonds were ‘rare’. Spoiler alert - they’re not.
They used movie stars
and celebrities to show off their diamonds - the bigger the diamond the better. They were selling an idea, a lifestyle and a dream - not diamonds.
If we look at how that moment in history created a society of people who wanted to show that they were wealthy by buying diamonds, it’s very interesting that it is now the norm to do this practice as a token of love.
Modern Love
We can learn a lot from our history and choose to follow suit or change the status quo and go with your gut. What I say is this: do whatever feels right for you and your partner. Rings are the everlasting, unbroken cycle symbol of love so it makes sense that this tradition has stuck around. Some people would be over the moon to receive a solitaire rock from their partner but others might want to take the lead on the design process themselves. You can choose whichever you wish.
Some couples have decided to have one ring
- a combined engagement and wedding band.
- with lots of different aspects that make it a personal story about them and their relationship. A gemstone encrusted band that’s as much functional as it is beautiful - err yes please!
At a moment in time where the millennial generation seem to be the drop in the water that are changing what happens next, what we do now might be that new cult classic that sticks around for generations to come. But what we know for sure is that love is love and how you propose, planned or unplanned, it’s your moment - so make it yours.
If you are here reading this, then you are one of the many lovers of Ibiza. Maybe you fell in love on the dance floor and decided to take the next step with the sound of the drums at Benniras on Sunday as the sun went down. Maybe you were snorkelling with your soon-to-be life-long partner and thought THIS is the place for us. The good thing about Ibiza is that you can make it your own - year after year. Moments and memories live on and they can evolve with you.
Have you got a different idea for how you want to propose or maybe how you would like to be asked?
I’d love to hear what you think in the comments…
