Hi! I'm Taryn, a writer, designer and soon-to-be-bride from Atlanta, Georgia. Sit a spell with me and catch up as I plan the wedding of my beer-loving, confetti-throwing dreams to the wonderful Mr. Williford.Picking Out “The Ring”
An indecisive girl like me has trouble committing to a paint color, let alone what engagement ring I want sitting on my hand for the rest of my life (ironically, committing to Mr. Rooster forever was an easy choice I made in my mind after just 6 months of knowing him). I mean, I’ve seen dozens of beautiful rings, and I could imagine each of them sitting on my hand. But choosing one ring (or even one style) out of the bunch was difficult.
So after 3+ years of dating and 2+ years of living together, when it was clear we were getting close to the whole “marriage” thing, Roo and I always discussed ring shopping as something we would do, at least in part, together. After all, if I didn’t even know what I want, how can I expect him to know what I want? It wasn’t meant to spoil the surprise; we planned that Roo would still end up choosing “the ring” and proposing totally in secret from me. He just wanted to make sure that indecisive me really really liked what he was putting on my finger.
So several months before he actually proposed, he and I started talking about rings. We played the Google images game to give him some practice in predicting my tastes: I would type “engagement ring” into Google Images and quiz him on which ring I would choose out of each row of photos. Sometimes it was more than one, sometimes none, but it gave him a really good idea of what I liked.
“The last one in row 2, for sure. Right, honey?”
It worked really well, and gave him a solid idea of what I liked. White gold with a halo and a diamond band. Or, that’s what I thought I liked.
See? Indecisive!
When our engagement ring discussions evolved from the Google Images stage to the “actually going out and trying them on” stage, my tastes totally changed. I mean, I still loved those halo diamond stunners, but when I had them in the flesh on my own finger, it felt like too much. Too much weight, too much height and way too much bling.
I’m a simple girl who favors minimalism in everything from clothes to decor. Case in point: My favorite piece of jewelry has always been a simple braided ring. I got it on a trip to Walt Disney World with my family many years ago at a shop in the Norway area of Epcot. It’s a thin stainless steel band that looks like a twisted rope. It was “the ring” to me for most of my life, long before I had a diamond on my hand. I wore it everyday.
With another ring that is, not surprisingly, a simple twisted band.
All of you following along are probably acting like you’re watching a bad horror movie right now. Only instead of shouting, “He’s upstairs… get out of the house!,” you’re screaming “Get a ring that looks like the one you love and wear everyday. You’re not indecisive, you’re just dumb!” And you’re exactly right. But honestly, I never thought to look for a simple textured engagement ring… until It found me.
Ritani
On one of our e-ring scouting trips, just before we were about to walk out the door after another fruitless search, I saw it. A simple white gold beaded metal band with a solitaire diamond. It was clean, dainty, and it reminded me so much of the ring I have always loved. Plus, if I’m being honest, it was so much less expensive than every other setting we looked at (appealing to my sensible side). I loved it immediately, and Roo could tell. He wasn’t about to show his hand and admit that this ring was the one he was going to buy, but I think he made up his mind right there. Plus I wouldn’t stop talking about it. It was a done deal.
And sure enough, when he proposed a few months later, there she was. My simple beaded ring. I grow more and more in love with it every day, knowing that it represents his love for me and our impending marriage. It’s something we did (mostly) together and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The End.
No, not really. You didn’t think I’d leave without sharing the customary “engagement ring hanging casually from parts of plants” pictures, did you?
Ok, Now I’m done.
