A promise ring is the ring, before "the ring." It's the commitment before the commitment and, girls go crazy over it.
It's like being engaged, without being engaged. If words weren't enough, you now have this shiny new ring on your finger to prove that your boyfriend may, or may not, stay with you. The ring symbolizes a vow taken by the both of you to stay together through the good times, and bad, and never give up on each other no matter what.
Quite frankly, I think promise rings are an unnecessary purchase.
You're probably thinking, "This girl is just bitter because she's never had a promise ring." Well, you're half right.
In all the relationships I've been in, I've never gotten a promise ring, nor wanted one. Sure I've gotten necklaces and bracelets that were very sweet gestures at the time, but now that we're broken up, all of that is either at the bottom of my jewelry box or in the garbage.
My longest, and current, relationship partner shares my views on promise rings and would rather skip to popping the question when the time is right.
DO wait for the right time. Please don't be that couple that's together for 12 seconds and already knows the name of their future children. Love has no timeline, but at least do a test drive for a few months to find out if this is the right relationship for you before you go and drop a couple of hundred on a ring.
The only relationship I could see myself wanting a promise ring in is my current one. We've been together for two and a half years, and I honestly can't see myself with anyone else but him in the future. But at this point, I don't need him to buy me an overpriced ring to know how much he loves and respects me.
DON'T just do it, to do it. Just because your friend just got his girlfriend a promise ring, doesn't mean you have to too. There are girls that get a promise ring in every relationship they're in, and they still end up single. Make sure the foundation of your relationship is secure and you have semi-knowledge that this person wants to be with you just as much as you want to be with them.
DO make sure it doesn't look like an engagement ring. Unless you want to give her parents a heart attack, stay away from anything with a silver diamond or anything that can be mistaken as an engagement ring.
Understand that a promise ring is a temporary object if you're willing to continue with the relationship. The point of a promise ring is to switch it out with an engagement ring and wedding band. Get her something that says "I love you" without saying "Marry me now, please."
DON'T tell her about it beforehand. I'm a huge critic of the promise ring, but if you're gonna do it, do it right. After dinner one night, surprise her with it and she'll probably cry like a baby. Don't do the one-knee pose because that's lame, but surprises let her know you're thinking about her even when your away.
It's not really about the physical ring at all, it's about making sure you and your partner are ready to fully commit and be in this relationship for good. A lot of the symbolism behind the ring is taken away be the female desire to have one in general, and that's why I don't think I'll ever really one.
But if it makes you happy, f*ck it, do it.
