Mrs. Bee here.
A friend of mine posted a poll from a recent USA Today where 87% of respondents preferred a romantic proposal to a huge diamond ring.
Let’s hear what weddingbee readers have to say!
It’s hard to imagine a non-romantic proposal, considering what a proposal is.
Mr. Eggplant always used to tell me that he wishes he could’ve bought me a bigger ring. I told him, “Screw the ring! the size of a diamond isn’t proportional to how much you love me. if i really wanted a bigger rock, i could upgrade it myself. you gave me a proposal adventure that will last forever!”
I think the way USA article phrased the question is silly. A romantic proposal doesn’t mean an expensive or elaborate one. My fi’s proposal was simple and sweet and inexpensive (minus the huge rock of course:)). I loved every bit of it- had he taken me on some fancy trip or made some other grand gesture i would have seen it coming a mile a way and I loved that it was a complete suprise.
I agree with Iris- who has a non-romantic proposal?
Now, if the question is: Would you rather have an expensive, no-expenses barred, lavish proposal or a bigger diamond? I would choose bigger diamond and his sweet simple words every time.
Kinda random, but i must say i cannot even describe in words how much i dislike USA TODAY. I am not saying you should have posted this, i actually think their random polls are the only funny thing, but i hate it when they pretend to report the news. It is the most censured paper in the USA. That i hate. But as for the question, can i have the ring and the proposal? Luckily i got both.
Really Iris? I got one for ya, my mom will never let my dad live it down 
She didn’t get an engagement ring, and he never actually asked her to marry him - he walked into the room and said “I’ve decided I’d like to get married.” He didn’t even make mention of the fact that he would like to marry HER specifically!
He followed up his statement shortly by, “but can we do it in December? There are tax breaks for that time of year.” Seriously. I kid you not. He’s a financial advisor, and the man has his priorities! In his defense, I think he was just sooooo freaking nervous that he couldn’t drum up the courage to do it any other way.
That’s easy for me to answer, as I don’t have a diamond engagement ring. I think they’re beautiful, but I didn’t want one for a lot of reasons. And my husband’s proposal was both very romantic and very “us.” I’m an extremely lucky woman.
But–this isn’t a very fair poll, as a lot of men aren’t very good at being traditionally romantic. But that doesn’t mean that they aren’t in love and wouldn’t make wonderful husbands. I think the truly important thing is a man who proposes at the right time, not how he does it nor the value of ring he brings to the occasion.
Laura: Funny!
Amy: Agreed! I’d rather he put the money into the ring (something to keep forever) rather than an elaborate presentation or build-up. All he needed to say to me was, “I love you, will you?”
I think this ultimately goes to the “size matters” complex…. ha!
I don’t really understand the wording of the poll either. My fiance’s proposal was very sweet, but not at all dramatic or elaborate. He took me to a romantic spot, hugged me close, and asked me. I wouldn’t have it any other way. And it helps that he gave me a beautiful rock too I guess my question is whether romantic proposal = elaborate?
It’s funny because had we not already bought our season tickets to Disneyland, my proposal probably would have been something simple and sweet. What I got was slightly elaborate but still already paid for with our tickets! And the ring is small, but says so much- it’s what we could afford, and what we worked hard to save for. I wouldn’t have chosen anything different.
i think the poll means - if you could only have one or the other, a romantic proposal (irrelevant to expense) or a big diamond ring, which would you choose?
for example would you want a huge ring and a nonromantic/bad proposal, or a super thoughtful proposal and a small ring. sorry i guess the wording is a little confusing. 
i’m sorry to say that yes i do know of many nonromantic proposals.
if i had to choose, i’d go with the proposal hands down…
I agree with Amy.
Fiance’s proposal was sweet and simple. It actually involved him making me dinner and taking me out for coffee & dessert before he asked me (He was apparently nervous, despite the fact that we had been dating since High School, through college, I moved to an entirely different state with him, and had been living with him for a year). The ring is also beautiful . But I didn’t need/want a big elaborate proposal!
not all proposals are romantic. i’ve heard of bad ones that i can’t mention here..
but of course i vote for proposal over ring if i had to choose.
my friend’s friend’s husband started diligently saving for the sparkly after the first date…and 6 years later gave her a PHAT rock with a simple ‘will you marry me’. i found that story to be uberly romantic.
so…seeing as how for most of our FHs, purchasing a ‘5 carat*’ ring is not an easy feat, i’d consider it quite planned and extremely thoughtful if after some time, he presented something to me that he had worked really hard and sweat a few tears for.
aka ‘romantic’ is relative…
*by ‘5 carat’, i really mean anything upwards of ‘2 carats’
I vote for romantic proposal over lavish engagement ring. Luckily for me though, I got both! And although I can look at the ring and admire its beauty. I love thinking about our engagement story and retelling it to people. That’s priceless.
i’m of the “all of the above” school. because, like some have said above, a romantic proposal need not cost a penny. since when was “romance or bling” an either/or equation?
not that the ring is the point of it all. but i just don’t see the reality of having a guy choose one or the other.
My fiance wanted to give me both, but he couldn’t make the expensive one happen, and then I talked him out of it, so the other part never happened either.
I really would have liked to be asked, but what can you do at this point? I have the things that matter, anyway.
i misunderstood what my FH was ssaying when he asked me. i actually thought he was saying “are the bathrooms free?” not “will you marry me?” when he pulled out the rock it dawned on my that he didn’t have to pee…. not so romantic - the ring is bling and the story is funny.
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Both, damn it. Just kidding. Proposal, of course.