Weddingbee

I don’t wear a lot of jewelry. I am a very simple person, and the only piece of jewelry I wear on a consistent basis is a simple metal bracelet with “Simplify” inscribed into the band – my personal motto. Needless to say, I wanted a very simple engagement ring.

When Mr. Cookie started to slyly ask questions about what I wanted for an engagement ring, I told him my dream ring was the Tiffany and Co. signature setting – a single round cut solitaire. Simple, elegant and completely me!

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Now, did I think I was going to get a Tiffany’s engagement ring? Absolutely not! Mr. Cookie is a finance man. I can empathize with Miss Coconut about a thrifty fiancé, because Mr. Cookie is bound and determined to get our student loan and mortgage debt paid off within the next five years – this sometimes makes for very interesting discussions about the wedding and money. But back to the engagement ring - I never imagined Mr. Cookie would contemplate spending a lot on my ring.

When I initially moved back to Colorado from DC, Mr. Cookie would make very small references to an engagement ring, always when we were shopping at a mall. Nine months prior to Mr. Cookie proposing, he took me to a random jewelry store at a mall and asked the saleswomen to measure for my ring size. Then, a few months later he asked if I wanted white gold or platinum while driving back from a mall. It was these random little discussions about the ring that always kept me guessing when he was going to propose.

During July and August of last year Mr. Cookie was working a lot of late nights. One night in the end of August, it was about 7:00pm in the evening, and I hadn’t heard a word from him. Usually when he is working late, I get a phone call, so I got a little worried. I started calling him about every 15 minutes, “Just wondering where you are at. Call me?” Finally, at 8:30pm, I hear his car pull into the driveway. He comes through the door all apologetic with a lame story about how he got called into a late meeting, left his phone on his desk, and forgot it at work. Although, completely uncharacteristic of Mr. Cookie, I totally bought it – hook, line, and sinker!

Now, fast forward to our trip to Europe — we are in Paris and Mr. Cookie is down on knee. As he opens the box, there it was! Sorry to be anticlimactic, it wasn’t Tiffany’s, but three beautiful round cut diamonds in a platinum setting. Although not the dream ring, I absolutely love it! I actually love it more than the Tiffany solitaire! I think it is simple, elegant, and even more completely me!

I have to give Mr. Cookie major props for the ring. He picked it out all by himself! Besides the small references here and there, he kept the whole ring buying process a complete secret. And yes, after he proposed he fessed up; he wasn’t in a late night meeting, oh no, he was buying the ring. He had it hidden in our house for a month without me even knowing, and traveled through airport security and three countries before placing it on my finger. So, without further ado, my ring…

Now, Mr. Cookie and I are starting to look for wedding rings. Being the simple jewelry cookie that I am, what would you suggest?

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