Do you propose to a man with a ring?
Well, the short answer is yes. When you propose; whether you’re a man proposing to a woman, a woman proposing to a man, a man proposing to a man, or a woman proposing to a woman; you need a ring. But there’s more to just picking a random ring, getting down on your knee, and popping the question.
Here's what we will cover so that you are ready to pop the question.
- Breaking tradition
- The history of breaking tradition
- Men's true thoughts
- Rings for men
- Size and style
- Customization
- Related articles
Breaking tradition
If you’re a woman proposing to a man, you may feel more than a little nervous about how he’ll take you proposing to him instead of the other way around.
Although the rate of women proposing to men has increased slightly, it’s nowhere near enough to destigmatize the more traditional route of marriage and proposing. That is, the men do the proposing, the women plan the wedding, and they both live happily ever after.
However, in 2016, there were a few surveys done that concluded that most men really don’t mind the break in tradition. According to a Glamour poll of 500 men, a whopping 70 percent stated that they’d be thrilled if their girlfriends proposed, while only four percent claimed that it should be the woman and 30 percent stated that they’d be “bummed” if the woman proposed.
However, findings in 2016 also found that the younger generations (that is, the generations under 30) actually believe that the men should be the ones to propose, while older generations don’t seem to mind either way.
According to the Daily News, an associated Press-WE survey found that 75 percent thought it was OK for a woman to propose to a man, and over ⅓ of those under the age of 30 disapprove.
But where did this bizarre tradition come from? To learn that, we have to learn just a little bit about Leap Day’s.
The History of Breaking Tradition
Every four years in February, we have what we call a Leap Year. In this time, there is a tradition that then comes in to play; the tradition where it’s acceptable for women to propose to men.
Obviously, this is no longer the case, as women aren’t waiting for Leap Day’s to propose, but this is how the tradition was first started.
According to theory, this tradition dates back, tentatively, to the 5th Century when, as legend says, a nun called St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick that women were waiting too long for their suitors to propose. Thus, the solution was born!
St. Patrick and St. Bridget struck a deal in which, every four years in the month of February, the women were allowed to propose to their suitors. Of course, if we still followed the original tradition, we would also have to wear breeches or a scarlet petticoat to propose (so thank the stars for modernized traditions!).
The tradition also states, to add insult to injury, that, if a man should refuse the woman’s proposal, he must pay the penalty in the form of a new gown, money, or 12 pairs of gloves (within the lines of thinking that the gloves were to hide the woman’s embarrassment from not having an engagement ring).
Cool Facts about Leap Days
- Leap Days are to keep our calendar aligned with the Earth’s revolution around the Sun. A complete orbit around the Sun for Earth is actually longer than 365 days - 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds longer, to be exact.
- Julius Caesar introduced the first Leap Day around 46 B.C. It was later refined by Pope Gregory XIII who stated that a year divisible by 100, but not 400, was not a Leap Year.
- The chance of being born on a Leap Day is 1:1,461.
- If you’re on a salary, you’re basically working for free on Leap Days. Isn’t that great?
But how do men feel when women propose?
Men’s True Thoughts
How do men feel when their girlfriends propose? Most of us would think of the words “emasculated,” “inferior,” or “undermined”. However, as these stories will tell, that doesn’t seem to be the case for most men.
An article by Leila Ettachfini on Broadly describes, in detail, a few men’s experiences being proposed to by their girlfriends. For example, Matt, 40, states that he never felt any pressure to propose.
In fact, he was so disinterested in marriage, that his family had long ago resigned to the fact that he was never going to get married. So, when his girlfriend, Josey, proposed, it was completely unexpected. “I didn’t feel emasculated in the least, but instead felt a surreal sense of joy I’d never felt before.”.
Adam, 35, another interviewee, said they’d discussed marriage often, had had a child together and were buying their first house together. So, when his girlfriend proposed, it wasn’t much of a surprise, but the timing was unexpected.
He also states that he had not felt emasculated at all, since their relationship had been equal from the start. “It was all about who was going to go first.”.
Another great, if not humorous, story of a successful female proposal is depicted in an article on Mel Magazine titled Men Who’ve Been Proposed to by their Girlfriends seem to really Love it. In this article, a man tells his heartfelt story of a posterior and intimate proposal he shared with his girlfriend.
Apparently, four years earlier, she’d asked him to be her boyfriend… in the shower… facing his bottom. Fast forward four years and she’s asking “will you marry me” to his backend on a camping trip. Obviously, his answer was the same both times. And, they shared a good laugh.
The last example I’m going to mention, which is definitely worth mentioning, is the woman who’s boobs could do anything - including performing a convincing proposal. According to the story, she’d told her boyfriend that a woman can get a man to do anything using her boobs.
When he went to scoff at her, she’d unbuttoned her shirt, ring nicely tucked in cleavage, and asked him to marry her. Needless to say, he was speechless. I guess boobs really can do everything.
The bottom line is, things are changing. Traditions are changing. And, men don’t seem to mind this change in tradition all that much. So, if you feel like taking the plunge, what’s stopping you?
Maybe you don’t know how to go about choosing the perfect ring? Well, here are a few extra tips to help you pick out the perfect ring for your man.
Rings for Men
Choosing the perfect ring to propose to your man with may be daunting (and they think us women are a pain to buy for!). However, there are a few things to keep in mind while shopping around for the perfect ring for your beau.
- Size
- Style
- Stacking vs No Stacking
Size
Sizing the ring is probably the trickiest part unless you’re lucky enough to have a man who wears a ring. Experts say if he wears a ring on his index or middle finger to have the engagement ring sized just a tad smaller. However, not a lot of men wear jewelry.
So, if you have a man who isn’t too keen on adorning himself, try asking his family and friends. If they don’t know or having nothing to compare to (or if you want it to be a complete surprise) just pick out the best ring you find and hope for the best. You can always have the ring re-sized if it doesn’t fit.
Style
Again, if you’ve got a man who doesn’t wear much jewelry, this can prove to be a challenge. Keep his lifestyle heavily in mind while choosing his ring. Is he a hunting fanatic?
There are plenty of camo rings out there with diamond-encrusted deer emblems to choose from. Maybe he’s a Medieval expert? They’ve got lots of rings at the Medieval Faire, plus Medieval-style rings by the hundreds to choose from.
It’s also good to keep his occupation in mind. If your man works with his hands all day, it’s best to stick with more durable materials such as gold or platinum.
If he’s a busy-body office type, he may thoroughly enjoy the more classic styles such as cobalt, titanium, Damascus steel, or meteorite.
Also, keep his clothing style in mind, as well. You’ll want something that is interchangeable to the clothes he wears daily, and not something that’s going to stick out like a sore thumb.
That is, if he wears jeans and a simple T-shirt every day, it’s probably best to stick with the more simple designs. If he’s more of a suit-and-tie type of guy, he’ll probably appreciate the flashier rings.
No matter what, keep him as a whole, in mind. His personality is a huge part of why you’re marrying him, so above all, make sure that his personality is represented in the ring.
Stacking vs. No Stacking
Typically, women’s rings are stacked, and men’s are not. However, there are plenty of options out there for stackable men’s rings, as well. For some inspiration on stackable men’s rings, you can visit this article [ref. https://www.brides.com/story/mens-engagement-ring-ideas]
Customization
If you’ve searched and searched and still haven’t found the perfect ring, customizing one may be your saving grace. Luckily, more and more options are popping up for customizing engagement and wedding rings for both men and women.
So, why not get creative and create the perfect ring? If you need some inspiration, this site has it all-from tips and tricks down to hundreds of customization options [ref. https://www.lashbrookdesigns.com/]
Whether you choose the classical route, the flashy route, or the camo route, proposing is a huge deal for everyone involved. We all want it to be perfect. And, now we know that most men don’t seem to mind when a woman knows what she wants. So take the leap this leap year, or any year, and seal the deal on your love!
Of course, we have a great selection of men's rings that can be engraved here at ThinkEngraved. Be sure to check them out here. Men's rings.