Popping the Question - Guide to Proposing and Engagement Rings

Still not sure whether you're even ready to get married?

Remember, getting engaged involves much more than a diamond ring and a romantic proposal idea; it's also the trial run for your marriage and future life together. The bottom line? Discuss potential challenges and disagreements now, not after you've cut the wedding cake.

So take the marriage compatibility test to see if you're really meant to be. The guide walks you through a list of the top pre-wedding discussions to have before you say "I do."

It's no wonder why Valentine's Day is one of the most popular days of the year to propose. It's a day already steeped in romance and reserved for spending together, so half of the work is done for you. But if you're not careful, your sweet Valentine's proposal could border on cliché. If you're one of the millions of guys (or gals!) planning a Valentine's Day proposal, skip the chocolate script on the dessert plate and check out these creative engagement proposal ideas for Valentines Day to ensure the moment is memorable and personal.

December is here, and not only is it the most wonderful time of the year, it's also the most popular time to pop the question. Almost one million couples will get engaged this holiday season. Need a creative proposal that will deck your sweetie's halls? This list of romantic proposal ideas inspired by favorite seasonal tunes help you pop the question in true holiday style. Here are some of my faves from the list:

Silent Night-
Ah, the first snowfall - the sparkling white silence, the blanketed landscape catching the glow of the twinkling lights and stars above. The season's natural landscape sets the perfect ambiance for a romantic marriage proposal. Take a moonlit stroll through the new fallen snow, and ask her to be your wife.

Jingle Bell Rock-
Arrange for the two of you to put up the holiday decorations together. Carefully attach a sparkling rock to her favorite ornament, and give it to her once all the rest have been placed on the tree.

And a Happy New Year-
Ringing in the New Year goes hand in hand with a glass (or two) of the bubbly. Make hers extra sweet by dropping a dazzling diamond in her glass, and present it to her at the stroke of midnight.

Let it Snow-
Ask her in a winter wonderland; write "Will You Marry Me" in fresh snow.

All She Wants for Christmas-
If you suspect she may be on alert for a marriage proposal this holiday season, throw her off track during your gift exchange. Give her a typical present, and when she starts to think that it's not happening this time, suddenly remember another gift - and surprise her with the ring.

Now that you're ready to pop the question, you'll need a ring! This complete guide to engagement rings has all the information you need to choose the right ring for her finger.

Make no mistake, proposing is the biggest decision of your life. Sorry, that probably doesn't help in your current frazzled state. But if you're trying to figure out if this is the right choice, here are some guidelines to deciding whether she's the one or not.

How you feel:
It's completely understandable and normal to feel a little scared and/or nervous. No guy has ever bought an engagement ring and then proposed without a slight tremble in the hand. Mixed in with that, though, you should be excited to do this. If all you feel is obligation or that you "should" propose and there's no giddy excitement over the idea of her beaming and saying "yes," you need to reevaluate. Take some time for yourself and truly look at your relationship, or talk it out with a trusted buddy, brother, or your father. It's important to get this right the first time.

How you feel about her:
If a good friend were to ask what you love about your girlfriend now, what would you say? It might not be as important what exactly you love about her, but if you start rambling on so much that your buddy starts to snore or a insuppressible smile comes out just talking about her, or you even get a tad emotional thinking all that she means to you, then you're in the right state of mind. On the flip side, if you start thinking of the ways you love her but then start hovering over those pet peeves or nagging qualities that frustrate you all the time, think about how that will grow over years of marriage.

How she feels about you:
If you've had conversations about getting married and she has told you repeatedly that she needs more time, you need to respect that. If you push ahead despite those conversations, you could possibly push her away for good because she might think you will never listen to her. However, if you think she's in the same place as you, then this is one of those times to man up. No one wants to get rejected, and chances are, you won't either. Unfortunately that's all the reassurance you're going to get until she says "yes," but if you've passed the first two criteria above, then that's all you need to reassure yourself with. Just think about losing her and the regret of not showing her how you truly feel. That's worth a little uneasiness to get the woman of your dreams for good.

Even if you've had conversations with your girlfriend about getting married, and even if you've looked at engagement rings together, you'll probably want the actual proposal to be as much of a surprise as possible. The reason: She's been dreaming of this moment since she first had a crush back in second grade. So you've got to make this special. Not to worry - this article offers plenty of engagement proposal ideas, along with some useful proposing tips.

And to keep you on the right track, the article lists plenty of "I Don't" proposal ideas that you'll want to be sure to steer clear of.

Good luck!

The two-months salary convention is a common starting point, but in reality, the ring's cost should be what the couple can afford without going into major debt. Cost varies for a lot of reasons - especially when diamonds are involved. Carat size is just one factor. In fact, a one carat center stone can cost anywhere from $1000 to $20000. Choice of metal also affects the bottom line; there's a significant cost difference between a setting of sterling silver and one of platinum - anywhere from a few hundred to over a thousand.

With that said, the average cost of an engagement ring in the U.S. is between $3,500 and $4,000. (according to About.com). This guide to finding cheap engagement rings (that are anything but!) offers offers many useful tips to get costs down.

When it comes to shopping for engagement rings, it's best to come equipped with a little savvy. Ring settings, the mountings that attach the diamond to the ring's band, are an integral component in achieving the right look for your ring, as some are more appropriate for certain diamond shapes. Here is a complete rundown of the most common engagement ring settings.

Prong

Prong settings usually have six or four prongs (or claws) that cradle the diamond. Prongs allow the maximum light to enter the diamond from all angles, making it appear larger and more brilliant. The prong setting with a solitaire round brilliant stone is the classic engagement ring look.

Bar

A variation on the prong setting, rather than individual claws, prongs on each side of the setting are fused into elongated bars to hold the stone in place. This option highlights more metal without obscuring the stone as much as bezel or channel settings might.

Bezel

The diamond is set with a metal rim around the perimeter of the diamond to hold it in place. A bezel setting can be a full bezel, or a part bezel. In a part bezel setting, the metal only partially surrounds the diamond, leaving the top and bottom of the stone exposed.

Tension

The diamond is held in place by the pressure of the band's metal, resulting in the startling appearance of the diamond being held in midair. The result is a highly contemporary, fashionable look.

Channel

Diamonds of similar size and shape are lined in a row between the band's two horizontal sides. A variation of the channel setting is the Channel End setting - which features thin vertical bars in between each of the stones.

Pave

This design coats the entire surface of the ring with gems, each set into either a minute depression or secured with thin, unobtrusive prongs. Because of their vintage antique look, pave settings are becoming increasingly popular.

Cluster

This setting surrounds a larger center stone with several smaller stones. It is designed to create a larger ring from many smaller stones.

Baguette

Setting Baguettes are rectangular shaped diamonds that can be added to the sides of a larger stone, adding dimension to a solitaire setting.

Three Stone Setting

This setting features a trio of stones (symbolizing yesterday, today and tomorrow). The stones can either be of equal size or the center stone slightly larger.

Visit this complete guide to engagement rings for even more tips and advice on selecting and purchasing the right ring.

As the stone is the most noticeable - and costly - component of the engagement ring, picking the right diamond can be a formidable task. Here's everything you need to know to get the look, quality and cost that suits you.

Shape

Shape is the overall form of the finished stone, (opposed to cut, which describes the angles of the stone's facets) and is the biggest factor in the diamond's appearance. Even before the 4Cs (cut, color, clarity, and carat), you must determine the stone shape you prefer.

The 4 Cs
(note diamond engagement rings guide has rankings information for each of the four Cs. You'll definitely want to want to consult this guide before making a decision about the diamond!

Cut: Cut refers to the number, placement and quality of a diamonds facets. The cut of a diamond has the biggest affect on its sparkle - or brilliance. Even with perfect color and clarity, a poor cut can make a diamond look dull.

Color: The less color present in a diamond, the more rare it is, which in turn makes the value higher. The majority of diamonds used in engagement rings show very little to no color to the untrained eye.

Clarity: Diamond clarity is determined by the internal and external imperfections visible under 10x magnification. The fewer inclusions and blemishes, the better the clarity - and more valuable the diamond.

Carat: Diamond weight is measured in carats; the greater the carat weight, the rarer - and more expensive - the diamond. Once you've determined what cut, color, and clarity grade you're looking for in a diamond, it's easy to determine the carat weight of that quality of diamond that will fit within your budget.

OK - so you've made your decision, you have your romantic proposal idea all played out, and you're an authority on diamonds. Now it's time to go pick out the ring.

Browse this complete gallery of engagement rings to get started. You can search by metal, stone shape, color, and cost to find the perfect one. And each one links to the retailer where you can make your purchase.

Once you've popped the question (and she's said yes), one of the next wedding planning activities you'll take an active role in is shopping for your wedding bands (sorry guys, the planning phase doesn't end with the engagement ring). Shopping for wedding rings involves slightly more than picking out a strand of beads. So just how do you select the right ring style to complement not only her engagement ring, but her personality (and yours!) as well. (remember - this is the ring you'll don for every day for the rest of your lives..) The complete wedding rings guide at Elegala.com offers these tips to help you choose your ring style. (visit the complete guide for even more advice on shopping - and paying for - your wedding rings.)

What's Your Function
Since this is a ring you'll wear every day, it must match your lifestyle. Super active? Work with your hands? Opt for a simple metal ring with rounded edges, appropriately named a "comfort fit," instead of a wide detailed band or one with stones. If you have skin allergies to metal alloys (found in gold bands), you'll need to invest in platinum, a pure, hypoallergenic metal.

Mix it Up
Concerned that he likes white gold and you prefer platinum? Relax, your bands don't necessarily have to match. What matters is that both of you have a ring you'll enjoy wearing.

Test of Time
Wedding rings are not the accessory for paying homage to the fad gods. Make sure to select a classic style that won't look dated decades down the road.