What do you think of a proposal with no ring?

[Brainded]

Just this really. Wanting to get opinions. What would you think of a proposal with knowing and in fact nothing special going, just the question “will you marry me?”

I don’t want this to turn into a debate about weather proposal is the right way to go. I just want to know how you would feel if you were proposed to with not even a dummy ring. Would it bother you?
so
YABU- it would bother you
YANBU- it wouldn’t bother you

I'd have been gutted not to have had one.

Why?

Surely, the sentiment was far more important than a bit of metal with a gemstone?

He sort of blurted it out one evening and then booked the registry office for 6 weeks later and a ring came a year after that. 25 years married now.

I'd prefer it. I feel like the down on one knee, little speech etc is a bit false and awkward with someone you know so well.
I do realise that's really personal though.

I know at least three couples where they were basically engaged (one had even booked the church) but then had a big proposal moment with pictures and social media and a ring etc.

We were basically informally engaged and our proposal moment was more a casual conversation and then we got the ring together which was lovely and then told people. I'd have died of embarrassment if DH had gone down on one knee and I loved picking a ring. But everyone is different.

I'd prefer it so I could choose my own. I proposed spontaneously to dh though so no rings involved!

In a pub one night, I asked DH what he thought about getting married, he said okay, and we did so eleven months later. No engagement rings, I/we don't care.

DH asked me to marry him after two years together. There was no ring and tbh I didn't even think about that for a week or two when I decided to wear a ring my mum had left to me.

It was about planning our future, not a piece of jewellery

Much the same here, though I didn't bother with an engagement ring. We did get wedding rings made.

Wouldn’t bother me in the slightest.
Me and DH had a discussion about getting married, I wasn't bothered about an official proposal or ring etc but he wanted to get me a ring. The actual engagement was us discussing and deciding we would like to get married.

However, in saying that, it depends on the person and I don’t think anybody is wrong for being disappointed because they wanted a formal proposal with ring and knee etc.

I would have hated the whole ‘bended knee and speech’ scenario, especially in public. I absolutely hate anything that puts a spotlight on me.
My husband knew this so proposed when we were at home, in a fairly casual way. He had a ring that he had picked which was really nice but it wouldn’t have bothered me at all if hadn’t had one and had just wanted to set a date for the wedding instead.
I don’t wear much jewellery, so don’t wear my engagement ring/eternity ring/original wedding ring, because I don’t like the feel of them all on my finger especially together.

I wear a very lightweight as thin as possible titanium band on my ring finger.
I guess the lack of a ring/big proposal for someone who wanted one would be disappointing, maybe the poor chap didn’t want the responsibility of picking the ring and is himself quite a shy person?
I don’t think big proposals or small ones are indicative of commitment, my marriage (also a very small registry office wedding) has outlasted many of my friends marriages that had all whistles and bells..(and rings 😂)

I don't see the problem. If someone asks you to marry them, that's the important bit. The ring is symbolic.
I was proposed to without a ring - we picked one out together at a later date. 30 years on we're still going strong.

Couldn't care less about the ring.
My late husband proposed to me in the least romantic way possible. Sitting on the ugly sofa in his rented flat, a few weeks into our relationship. No idea what we were talking about but he suddenly turned to me and asked 'you will marry me won't you'? I was rather taken aback.
Turns out he was planning to ask me on a trip to Rome we had planned for a month later. And I kinda wish he had! But the ring thing? No issue with that - it was rather nice shopping for it together!

My ex husband proposed like this. When I said yes, he took me shopping for the ring I wanted. I was fine with it.

I would be actively annoyed if someone surprised me with a ring. I would want (and in fact this is what did happen in my case, possibly because I dropped hints about it) the proposal first and then to choose the ring together. You may be wearing that ring for decades, it's important to like it!

This. My DH hadn’t bought the ring, he knew I’d want to choose it. He’s not a jewellery person at all and was worried he’d get it wrong. I wouldn’t have wanted a dummy ring, seems like a waste of money to me, but we did get my engagement ring a few days after the proposal, so didn’t have to wait long.

I'd be happy to have someone who loved me and wanted to marry me. It doesn't happen for everyone.

Ring would be the furthest thing from my mind.

Pretty much how my husband of almost 18 years did it. He didn't want to make a show or be centre of attention in a restaurant, and we shopped together for a ring thank goodness as our tastes are very different.
It shouldn't be about the show or the occasion or the ring, but do you want to marry then or not?

Dh proposed totally impromptu with no ring, didn't bother me. I found it being totally off the cuff more special than a planned proposal, but I know not everyone would feel the same.

I'm glad my husband knew me well enough to know id want to choose my own. Still wear it 23 years later. Proposal was also "unplanned" (although he had very un-mumsnetterly asked my dad a few weeks beforehand).

Far more important things to proritise in my opinion, but sometimes when you are unhappy the small things become bigger things, so i suspect that is/was really the problem.

I hope you are happily in a new relationship OP (or happily single!)

DH proposed without ring (no dummy either) and we went and picked it out together over weekend. Didn't mind it at all as I know he'd put serious thought into getting married and him suggesting it was from the heart.

I did want a ring though and it made the engagement feel more complete. Nothing expensive but it's my only 'nice' jewellery, he likes seeing it on my finger and how happy it made me, and something I treasure loads. Without a ring at some point I wouldn't be as excited. Also DP wouldn't have become DH if he didn't realise the important of a ring for me!

My mother never had an engagement ring, my father never had a wedding ring. They said they preferred to save for the wedding.

I would be, and was, quite happy. Bought a ring together afterwards. Didn't need to be a grand gesture as it was a decision about our future we made in a low key way feeling comfortable together. Not everything in life has to be Instagram worthy!