Getting married is an expensive enterprise.

These days, even the couples who choose to elope sometimes seem to run up the budget into the thousands for one thing or another. As for those who opt for the traditional route, wedding planning can prove to be an eye-opening lesson in just how much price gouging goes on when it comes to preparing for the special day. Getting married takes money.

Of course, the expense starts long before anybody walks down the aisle. The whole point of an engagement ring is to show that you are willing to make a commitment to another person in every single way, including financial. There is usually the expectation that it will be some kind of investment piece, even if it isn’t the most expensive or flashiest piece of jewellery.

While opinions may differ on how an engagement ring should be chosen and presented, many would agree that it is good for both sides of the couple to have some input into the kind of thing that they want. Nobody wants to walk around wearing a ring they secretly hate, or one that feels like it represents something uncomfortable about the relationship rather than the worthwhile commitment it is supposed to be.