We want to hear your proposal story

Send them to us at therulesofengagements@gmail.com

Steph and James' Proposal Story

So, we are finally getting around to blogging about it. Being engaged is hard work! haha!

James planned a surprise adventure for the two of us after an extremely busy few weeks. After a three hour drive to Saratoga Springs, we went to a creperie for lunch, and then pulled up to the most gorgeous Bed and Breakfast, a 19th century carriage house. I kid you not, I cried when I saw it, the place was amazing! The room featured the original 19th century wood ceiling and the furniture was from the early 1800s.

From adventures in NYC to DC to museums, aquariums, parks, and beaches I expected nothing extraordinary from this particular weekend away. After settling in, James asked me if I was enjoying our current adventure to which I said I was... I was still teary-eyed from the beauty of the area. Then James said, "Stephanie will you spend the rest of your life going on adventures with me?" and I said yes! ! After slipping a gorgeous ring on my finger we enjoyed a bottle of champagne in front of the fireplace. After I stopped crying we went to dinner where James had made reservations at an amazing restaurant. To make the evening even more special, we were lone diners in a sea of gorgeous candle light. We ended the evening at an Irish pub with a live Irish band and some good beer.

Talk about an adventure we will always remember!

A perfect proposal for us! We have talked on this blog about having a proposal that suits the couple, and for us this worked. B&Bs, adventures, and Irish pubs are very significant parts of our relationship.

For those of you who are curious about our wedding, we will be blogging about the process on another blog and will have the URL soon. It looks like it will be August or September 2011.

Engagement Rings

I usually don't do this but I cant help but comment on a few things about rings.

Please note that these are totally our opinions and some people will not agree at all.

I recently stumbled upon these two websites: http://www.diamondnexuslabs.com/ and http://www.danforthdiamond.com/. Totally ethical, totally eco-friendly, and way cheaper than Kay, Zales, and Tiffanys.

Reasons why I love lab-created diamonds:

First and foremost, it is the symbol of the ring that is important.

The metals that rings and other jewelry are made from are killing our environment. Did you know that one gold ring generates five tons of environmental waste?

Did you know that the mining of diamonds kills people, funds wars, and hurts the economy? Do not let someone tell you that the movie Blood Diamonds was exaggerated or that it only happens sometimes. It is possible that even diamonds claimed to be conflict-free could have been mined under unethical conditions possibly by children.

Always remember that a diamond is a rock. A rock that people spend thousands of dollars on. It serves no purpose, it is merely a status symbol. When you think about it, it's really freakin stupid. Spending that much money really doesn't make sense especially in today's economy. I recently heard someone talk about their engagement ring as $8,000 worth of debt that she wears on her hand. How romantic?

Anyone have a lab-created gem? Send us photos!

Why Us, Why This Blog?

For starters, I love love. I like to read loves stories, I enjoy weddings, and I live to hear an engagement story. view the world through rose colored glasses and see everything as an opportunity for someone to share their love and begin a life-long commitment. Lucky for you, I am writing them all down all of my thoughts... from simple to understand "recipes," to forums on rings and ideas I hope this blog helps. My lovely boyfriend will be serving as the objective male voice on this blog pointing both me and my readers in the right direction. If you have a great proposal story please send it to us at rulesofengagements@gmail.com (we love photos too!). Also submit your questions and we will respond to them in 24 hours!

That is all for now,
Stephanie Morgan