Turtle Gets Engaged

J and I had been dating for a little less than 2 years when I wanted to propose. Most guys begin by researching online, asking their married friends where they got their engagement ring from, asking sisters or close friends to find out their significant other’s ring size and preference, etc. Not I. I knew 3 things: 1) I knew J was very particular about jewelry; 2) I knew from one walk through a jewelry store while at the mall that we liked different types of rings; and 3) I wanted to make my proposal a total surprise, a sucker punch to the face.

I decided that the most practical way of accomplishing my 3 goals was to propose without a ring and to choose the ring together afterwards. But I wanted to give her something when I proposed, something she could keep with the ring as a memento. I began googling for music boxes (because J likes them) which could double as a jewelry box. I didn’t find any that I really liked, but I happened across an interesting wooden ring box. I began googling images of ring boxes and saw a vast array. I looked through page after page and then, there it was, a felt covered turtle ring box! I was drawn to it immediately and knew this was it!

Turtle Engagement Box. Photo Source: turtlemax.com

We got engaged on J’s birthday. We had planned a snowboarding trip to Wisp Mountain, MD and both the mountain and ice storm beat us down badly, but high up on Wisp, on the Possum trail, I gave J the turtle and said, “I’m slow”. At first, she thought it was just a toy turtle (because that’s something I’d give). But when I opened it up, and asked, “Will you marry me?”, she realized I was proposing and got excited. Her excitement paused momentarily to mention that the box was empty, but when I explained we could pick it together, it resumed.

There are pros and cons to proposing without a ring. I learned from first hand experience in the following days (and weeks) that, having 2 people shopping for a ring doesn’t make it any easier. But that’s something I’ll blog about next time! Until then, please feel free to comment and share your thoughts or experiences.