How To Get Her Friend's Help With Engagement Rings

Because when it comes to engagement rings, second opinions DEFINITELY matter.

The key to a long and successful marriage is not finding the perfect engagement ring to propose with… but it’s a good place to start. When you first walk into a jewellery store to look at rings, feeling overwhelmed and bewildered by the huge choice is basically a rite of passage. Don’t fret. If you really have no clue what kind of style she wants, you can always enlist a trusted friend of hers to help. We’ve created a step by step guide on how to do this – without your fiancee-to-be finding out.

Step 1: Choose the friend.

The most important step. Obviously you’ll want to choose one of her close friends, who knows her personal tastes and may even have insider intel on her preferred engagement ring style. They also need to be able to keep a secret. That’s a pretty big deal here.

Step 2: Arrange a group outing

Orchestrate a group outing between you, your soon-to-be-fiancee, the chosen friend, and a couple of other people. It can be a party, a lunch, a day trip – any kind of group activity where mingling occurs! If it’s in a location with ambient noise, all the better. When your other half is mingling, approach the friend and ask if you can talk about something confidential, tomorrow (you don’t want to raise suspicions by huddling and whispering in a corner there and then).

Step 3: Pop the (other) question!

Text, call, or meet the friend out of sight and out of earshot of your fiancee. Tell them you want their help with something special for your other half… but before you tell them what it is, ask that it stays 100% confidential, no matter what. If the friend agrees, then go ahead and ask for their engagement ring expertise! Don’t worry, she’s definitely going to say yes.

Step 4: Pick her brain

First things first: find out if your wife-to-be has ever mentioned ANYTHING about engagement rings to the friend. If not, ask the friend what kind of style she might like instead. Get out your phones and browse Instagram, Pinterest or jewelers websites to get a sense of what she’d think is hot or not. If you come across a style that could be hit, take a screenshot of it.

Step 5: Narrow down the rings

With a more informed idea of what style of engagement ring your future fiancee will like, it’s time to hit the shops. Take the friend with you if you think it will help. Talk to a couple of different jewelers and show them your screenshots – they’ll easily be able to show you some similar styles. Ask the friend to try on a couple of rings… you’ll be surprised how different some engagement rings can look on a finger vs. inside a glass case.

Step 6: Get her final seal of approval

Select a few contender rings, take pictures, and then focus on something else entirely for at least a day or two. That way when you next look at them, your eyes will be fresh. Try and narrow it down to one single ring but if you just can’t decide, ask the friend for her honest opinion. Use this to inform your decision, but remember you need to make the final call yourself.

Best of luck with your search!