"Will you marry me...?"

[Mio]

And regarding the last question, he will dance, as he love to dance more than me!

[Tanja]

In my country normally the follow the American custom. Sometimes it can be a surprise, sometimes they plan it together, most of the time the man proposes, and the woman is the only one that wears the ring. Then when they marry sometimes the woman have a set of 2 rings in the left hand, and the man one on the left hand.

But my SO is from Germany, and they do it differently. There normally the man buy a ring for him and a ring for her, normally they look identical or almost identical. Then they surprise the girl with the rings. They normally wear them on the left hand. When they marry they buy 2 identical rings, and wear them on the right side.

In our personal case, he told me to look into some rings catalogs, and he took me to jewlery stores to see my personal taste. Then when he bought them, eventually he told me he got them because for him it was a big thing to keep it secreet. But he told me that he wouldn't tell me when or how it was going to be like. He also told me that we would do it reverse from the traditional German way, for us the wear the engagement ring on the right side, and the wedding band on the left (that's how his family make it). So when he came to visit this past January, my family and some friends were camping at the beach. And at night he told me that he had something to show me at the shore (coast) so he piggy backed me and told me to close my eyes. Then he dropped me on the sand and told me to turn around. And there he was, he changed his clothe and everything, in one knee with the rings on his hand, and he proposed saying some beautiful things. He put 2 tikis with fire, and several candles in the sand, making a V Shape (he tried to make a heart, but the wind was too strong for the fire). He got a bottle of the first Sec we drank together in an improvised ice cooler in the sand, with 2 glasses. It was very nice! Some time later my family and friends came to us, and then we all celebrated.

When a couple is multicultural, is very nice to see how different everything can be, I never thought about it before, but it's great!!

Awwwwww that's so romantic! I want to get married, lol! D:

[Mio]

Awwwwww that's so romantic! I want to get married, lol! D:

It's coming girl! One day or the other, but it will come! You have a man that loves you by your side! Best wishes!

[ioanna]

this is all very romantic : )

in Lebanon, tradition dictates that the groom to be goes to the house of the bride to be (with or without his parents) and asks the father of the b2b for his daughters hand; but that doesnt happen all that much any more, or at least the couple has discussed it before, it isnt a surprise. here there are no engagement rings, the couple chooses their wedding bands and wears them on the right hand, and then at the wedding the rings are placed on the left hand.
when the engagement is a religious ceremony the rings are blessed by the priest, so that part is skipped at the wedding, they still change their places during the wedding ceremony though.

in Greece it is also the same, wedding bands are worn by both during the engagement, but on the left hands, and at the wedding they are worn on the right.

[Jennifer&Georgex3]

Congrats, Mio!
[I noticed on your facebook some engagement congratulations. I just wanted to make sure he did propose and I'm so happy he did! In such a romantic way too!]

To answer the most recent question:
I would love to have our first dance at our wedding, would that be the correct answer? Of course he's going to dance. That would be sad if he did not want to have the first dance at our wedding. [I've never seen George dance, so it would be so sweet, especially if... well... we did get married. Or when. :P ]

Oh, I'm so happy for everyone. <3

[garnet]

Oh one more question about weddings... Are you gonna make him dance?

There will be no dancing at our wedding this summer. We aren't having a big affair... Even if we did, still, no dancing. We don't dance!

[woop woop]

Gosh, in the UK I think it's quite similar to the US - usually the guy proposes, traditionally having asked permission, the girl wears an engagement ring, they both get wedding rings. But then sometimes the girl proposes. I don't mind so much about getting married (same country please!) but when we decide it's a done deal - that we're together for life, then I want a massive ceilidh, which is a big Scottish dance with lots of partying and traditional dances, which usually only half the people have any idea to do. (Makes it more fun)

Actually, I would be interested to know what the wedding traditions of other countries are...?

My mother is from the Scottish Highlands, and when she got married, a bagpiper pipped her bridal car through all the villages to the church. Of course after the ceremony they had a big ceilidh - as it was on an island, and the ceilidh finished after the last boat, I'm told it was quite a party. (btw, it's pronounced kay-lee )

[aggie]

Well, seems like Poland is similar to everywhere, i don't know any girl that would propose to a guy, but apparently it happens. I believe it's more sort of a question - will you marry me ... but he is still the one to get buy the rings (doesn't matter if you pick together or he does on his own - but as much as i love surprises, personally, id rather help him choose ). A girl wears engagement ring, guy doesnt, but they both wear wedding bands (usually just female & male version of one ) ... all on right hand (well.. usually). It's all about creativity of the guy here ... some time ago a guy would have to ask the parents/the father of the b2b first (just like in Lebanon! ), but (thank god!) its not like that anymore... (depending on the parents really - my mum is very conservative and loves all the traditions so she'd like toby to come and ask ... but id rather just make the announcement with him! together!)

as for the dance - YES. i love to dance, and he sometimes is able to enjoy it. I really wanna take ballroom dance classes before the wedding ceremony and have a beautiful, fairytale-like first dance

and wedding ceremony - right now, i can only tell you from guests' perspective, because ive never had one myself (YET :P ). Definitely church first - Poland is a very, very catholic country - there is a mass, and marriage vowes. The church is usually pretty decorated (as pretty as church can be) and there is no bridemaids ... only couple of witnesses (one that the groom picks and one chosen by the bride). So after the service, newly-weds walk outside ... some of the guests need to get out the front first to ... throw (raw) rice and coins at the couple (it's a custom from the old times - rice was supposed to be symbolic for fertile lands (? - is that even correct? i mean that the rice was to wish the couple lots of grains/plants from their acres in the future )... then the guests stand in a line and give their presents and wishes to the couple.

from the church, everyone goes to some other place (restaurant? or bridal house?) and is welcomed by the parents and in-laws. gets a glass of champagne (the married couple has to throw their glasses behind their back after they finish and also the groom has to carry the bride over the doorstep) ... and the party begins, starting with the first dance, of course. theres lots of food and vodka and also heaps of traditional songs/dances for weddings. i think that's about it ah, the weddings are ALWAYS on saturday, but sometimes there is party vol.2 - after the guests wake up on sunday and theyre ready to party it up again

Really, I just wish that my wedding wasn't in church, but outside (and here i am fighting with my entire family who are very pro-catholic) in summer... and i want our song to be played (id love to make him a present and invite the actual singer to our wedding, but ive heard the prices... so if im rich ill do that!). So i suppose somewhere in between - with a little of tradition and also some bits of modernity in it.


geeez.... my posts are always so long! but hey, i answered all 3 q's, riiiight ?

[Tanja]

This thread just makes me wanna get married SOOOO bad!

[polkapiggy]

Well there's a couple different routes as far as I know here in England. I'll take two examples to explain..
My parents- My father proposed to my mother, they went to the jewellers and picked out marriage rings, then got married with them, but neither of them had engagement rings.
My maths teacher (weird example, i know)- She has three rings, an engagement ring, a marriage ring, and an eternity ring (which is given traditionally on the birth of the first child)

Ideally, I'd like to be proposed to somewhere special, where I can go back to, and stand there and say "this is where i got proposed to". I'd prefer it private, I've never been one to like public proposals (besides, then I get the pleasure of seeing EVERYONE afterwards and getting to tell them all!!). Honestly, I'd prefer to pick out my own ring =P

As for my dream wedding, nothing too fancy really. The dance is a MUST, everyone knows I love to dance!! I've been doing ballroom dance since I was 11 and solo dance since I was 2. Alex claims he has two left feet, but if we do get married, I'll make sure he dances! :P I don't want a really huge dress, something elegant and beautiful. I'd love to get married in a countryside chapel, just family and close friends. It would also make for stunning wedding photos =) I don't want a huge wedding- Total max is 50 people. Reception-wise I'd love a nice meal, a beautiful cake and just a general normal reception with a disco at the end, haha.

LOL why am I thinking about weddings?! I'm only a teenager! XD

[Gwenness]

Mio - my German fiance did the same. When he visited me last month he surprised me with matching engagement rings. It seems there is no "standard" in German ring wearing. He said when we marry, we switch the ring from the right hand to the left. And it seems the norm in Germany is plain bands, nothing fancy or with stones. Is there a right or wrong way regarding the hand you wear your ring(s)? I see so many differing 'official' standards for German rings. We have it easy in the US

[Engel]

Andy and I talked about proposing the other night and he wanted to know how it's done here in Finland. He was quite surprised to know that in here a woman usually buys her man an engagement ring as well and they both wear it until they get married and get another pair.

Is that really so unusual? How does the whole engagement thing work in your country? Does it have to be a surprise? Do you pick the ring together? Does the man have to kneel down? Is it weird for a woman to propose? How would YOU like to be proposed to?

thats how it works in brazil too. no fancy diamond rings. identical bands for a cpuple for the engaement, and than identical bands for the wedding. or the same one resized (or not resized, if you arent like me, my ring fingers have different sizes from hand to hand, lol)

---------- Post added at 04:52 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:49 AM ----------

Mio - my German fiance did the same. When he visited me last month he surprised me with matching engagement rings. It seems there is no "standard" in German ring wearing. He said when we marry, we switch the ring from the right hand to the left. And it seems the norm in Germany is plain bands, nothing fancy or with stones. Is there a right or wrong way regarding the hand you wear your ring(s)? I see so many differing 'official' standards for German rings. We have it easy in the US

I dont know much about how it works in Germany, my SO never knew anything at all about marriages before he decided to marry me, haha.

so we are goin with him giving a ring to me to propose, when he has money replacing it for one with diamonds (is only a sterling silver ring for now), and we have our white gold bands (pictured in my signature) that we will wear on our left hand, because thats the hand you wear a ring when you are married in brazil. and in the us too, i guess.

[floridaellen]

My SO and I are both American and Catholic. If he proposed to me (too young in our relationship to really decide on that), he would have to ask my father and get his permission first. Then he'd get down on one knee and hopefully have a beautiful ring. I want him to pick it out himself; he has excellent taste in jewelry anyway, lucky me!
I want to be proposed to somewhere romantic, maybe the movie theater where we had our first date or in New York City where we went last Christmas. But again, not for a while!
My friend just got engaged to her Marine fiance and he proposed to her in our University's parking lot, which I thought was sweet!

[Bethypoo]

Yea, in the US i think that there is so many way to propose that are not the "traditional" man getting on one knee type of thing.

I think each person is different. If a woman wants to be the one to propose than good for her. That isn't personally my dream but why not?

As for thing ring picking. Everyone is, again, different. I want my BF to pick the ring (with my best friends approval of course). But my best friend wants the empty box and to pick her own ring.

The only thing I DO know that I want when that moment comes is for it not to be in public. Though I would assume I would say yes, I dont want there to be an audience. And as much as I would love a romantic preplanned, set up thing. I would love for it just as much to be in the moment during an intimate time, like cuddling while watching a movie.

...Not that I have thought about it or anything.

[CanadianGirl]

It's tradition for the man to ask and the woman to sport the ring. The whole woman-shows-off-engagement-ring-afterwards is kind of expected but I really don't want to be that person.. I rather the focus be on the marriage, and not a silly stone. I never dreamed about rings or dresses, but I did dream of finding that special someone.

My ideal proposal, we both officially agree to get married (exchange some cutesy speeches on why we want to spend our lives together). He's got his heart set on the "surprise", so of course I'll enjoy that too. If there's a ring involved (we'll probably skip this), I would want both of us to have one. It seems more romantic to me