According to a recent survey of newly married or engaged brides and grooms in America by a leading wedding resource, men are putting an increasing amount of thought, time, and effort into purchasing the ring that’s just right and that which makes the occasion more memorable. What is perhaps somewhat surprising is that the brides are joining in too to find out what they really want in the ring and guiding their spouse accordingly. Unlike some time back, the contemporary brides know exactly how much the engagement or wedding ring costs. Some top trends:
Larger Budget for the Ring and the Bride Knows It Exactly Too
As opposed to $5,095 in 2011 and $5,403 in 2013, the average spend by men in 2015 has grown to $5,978. The contemporary groom also does not seem to be shy of revealing the figure to their better halves. A humongous 68% of the brides have an idea of how much was spent on the wedding ring – half of them even knowing the exact figure.
The Bride Knows Her Preference and Is Not Shy of Letting the Groom Know
Even before getting engaged, a whopping 67% of brides commenced research regarding the rings. A significant number (43%) used their mobile devices to surf the net; 35% shared their ideas about the ring with their fiancés, and 29% logged on to the Internet to find out more regarding jewelry designers and retailers. An incredible 80% of the men reported that they received hints from their fiancées, and this was corroborated by a substantial 71% of the ladies. While shopping, more than half of the ladies indicated the styles they preferred, 36% told the guys outright what they liked, and another 11% went to the extent of leaving pictures or advertisements lying around.
Taking Their Time to Find the Ring of Their Dreams
In a shopping behavior quite contrary to the popular image of men, they did not just visit a jewelry store and buy the first ring that they like. Quite surprisingly, men reported that they took averagely 4.8 months to conduct the research and another 3.6 months to identify what they really liked. While almost all the activity was conducted on the web, they also took the trouble of visiting five retail stores where averagely they looked at 25 men’s wedding bands before making their selection.
Popping the Question in Public
Conventionally, men would choose a private place and occasion to propose to the girls but increasingly, a large number of proposals are seen to be taking place in public places. Scenic spots were the favorite at 28% while the home was preferred by another 21%, and a further 18% took advantage of the relaxed frame of mind to pop the question on vacations. 58% of the girls guessed that a proposal was on the way but wasn’t sure when and where while 40% admitted it to be a complete surprise.
Tradition Prevails
Over three-quarters of the guys (77%) asked their parents’ permission before proposing. Not unsurprisingly, an overwhelming majority (85%) bent their knees in the conventional pose to propose. Vocabulary does not seem to be the strong point for men with 89% enunciating the question “will you marry me?” Ring in hand proposals ruled with 88% proposals done this way.
Planned Photography and Use of Social Media
Popping the question seems to have lost a lot of its spontaneity with 48% admitting that they had planned out the event in great detail and 41% even arranged for a photographer to capture the moment in still or video, as it happened. After the engagement, a whopping 79% spread the good news within three days through various social media platforms.
Author bio: Jenny Hopewell is an expert in consumer behavior, and studies trends in the jewelry market. She has written a number of incisive articles on the changing trends in the purchase of men’s wedding bands in America.
