I took my now wife window shopping for rings when we were getting close to engagement time so that I’d know what she would want. It was clear that the answer was gonna be yes no matter what, but I knew she’d have a ring preference anyway. She saw prices and explicitly said that she’d like white sapphire on sterling silver. I found a bridal set that she adores which very much did not cost a month or two of salary.
Because we didn’t blow a ton of money on engagement/wedding shit, we’ve had much more resources to support the marriage itself. I’ve heard of regular everyday people spending $3-4k on a fucking ring. We spent 9 days in a few different places in Spain for about that cost instead lol.
Nice. Congrats! Similar take here – my fiancee and I recently found a vintage setting acquired from an estate sale, plus a stone of her choosing (Labradorite), at a local family-owned jeweler. We ended up with a much more substantial and unique piece, spent way less money, limited our involvement in a predatory trade, and we’re gonna put that savings toward a nice experience together.
