A woman sparked a furious row online when she denounced women wanting to choose their engagement ring. The exchange of firmly held beliefs about the topic took place on TikTok when Jacqueline Monroe addressed a reportedly growing trend of women choosing a ring before their husband-to-be uses it to propose. She said the ring represents love and commitment rather than “perfection,” and if a guy doesn’t get the right ring, then he’s not the right guy.
“Insecure and Entitled”
Expanding her argument, Monroe suggested that women had become “insecure and entitled” and were more concerned about how they appeared on social media than embracing what the ring really means—commitment. “They’ve forgotten what the proposal and what the ring even symbolizes,” she said.
Some brides, however, took issue with Monroe’s stance. One woman said she had to wear that ring for life, so she needed to make sure she would love it. Laura Jackel, who married her husband 23 years ago, said the couple picked out the ring together, and it was a wonderful experience for them to share.
Another woman explained that she had input into her ring’s design simply because she wanted to be involved in what she saw as a hugely significant moment in their relationship. Yet another said she had to play a part because her husband bought her wizard hat earrings, thinking they were mushrooms. “He couldn’t tell the difference,” she joked.
It’s not the first time the discussion around engagement rings has made an online splash. Back in 2022, Talia Ergas sparked a similar debate when she wrote an article describing the backlash she endured after telling people she chose her own engagement ring. Ergas noted a generational divide and said many older women were stunned by the idea of being involved in selecting the ring. Younger women, however, were mostly on board. Reasons ranged from not trusting their husband’s jewelry tastes to the possibility that a lousy ring would ruin the proposal. “I’m a terrible liar and he obviously knows me well enough to tell if I don’t like something,” one said.