Put a Ring on It: How Couples Approach Engagement Rings

For generations, engagement rings followed a predictable script: a surprise proposal, a diamond solitaire, a tradition passed down through generations. But today's couples are finding a way to rewrite the blinged-out narrative while respecting traditions, transforming the centuries-old custom into a moment for personal expression.

The Ring Shopping Adventure

Remember when ring shopping was a top-secret mission? Plot twist: It’s not anymore. More than half of couples – 53% to be exact – are ring shopping together before the question is popped. Meanwhile, 24% of couples are still holding on to that element of surprise because who doesn't love a good dramatic reveal?

Beloved Bling

Finding and buying the right ring is a big task, but it’s possible. 79% of couples totally nailed it, and now they’re walking around with the exact ring they wanted, whether it was a collaborative effort or a surprise.

And traditional diamonds aren’t stealing the spotlight these days. Ethical is cool: 39% of couples are opting for lab-grown or ethically-sourced stones. And why not? Thinking about the planet while saying "I love you" is multitasking at its finest.

Ring Styles: Choose Your Own Adventure

Engagement rings are having a fabulous identity crisis.

Classic one-stone designs are still ruling the roost with 34% of couples choosing to keep it traditional (because some things are classic for a reason). But couples aren’t totally playing it safe. 28% are going full-on "more is more" with multi-stone rings that say, "Why settle for a sparkly rock when you can have a whole constellation?"

Mixing it up is just too fun: 9% of couples are integrating colored gems. Why should diamonds have all the fun? And in a move that's part fashion statement, part family reunion, 8% of couples are rocking heirloom rings that come with family history.

No matter what couples opt for, an engagement ring is a tiny, wearable autobiography – some sleek and modern, some vintage and sentimental, but all 100% uniquely "you." Forget cookie-cutter romance. Love, just like jewelry, comes in all shapes and sizes.

The Money Talk

Not everyone's dropping serious cash on rings – in fact, some people are saying no to engagement rings completely – and that's more than okay: 41 couples who took Zola’s First Look Report survey are holding back on buying an engagement ring because they can’t afford it during the time of the proposal. Several also said engagement rings just aren’t their thing.

Whether you're team "we picked it together" team "total surprise" or team “not our thing,” there’s no wrong way to go about engagement rings.