Proposing to your partner must be incredibly nerve-racking. Even if you have been together for years and you are absolutely certain your relationship is strong, you're probably going to be nervous when it comes time to pop the big question.
And when it comes to getting the perfect ring? Well, I'm pretty sure that I would have no clue what to get. When Leo proposed to Jen this month, he had bought the ring that was perfect for her - but that's not how most people took it once they saw how big it was.
Jen Phanomrat and Leo Samanamud, who run the food blog and YouTube channel Just Eat Life, have been together for nearly a decade when Leo popped the question. They shared a photo of their happiest moment on Instagram, but got far more trolling comments than they expected.
Jen posted a photo of herself alongside her fiancé on Instagram, showing the gold band with a small pearl to her 66,000 followers. "9 years later," she wrote in the caption, "I said YES to my best friend!"
Speaking to Yahoo, she said she's used to getting unwanted criticism online as an internet personality, but didn't expect mean comments about something so petty.
"I’ve always been an advocate for women supporting women, so I was shocked to see so many females wasting their time replying to each other to dampen our happy moment," she said. Many focused on the engagement ring, mocking the fact it was quite thin and small.
“Very happy, except that’s the smallest ring I’ve ever seen,” one person wrote while another asked: “Are you getting the diamond at the wedding?” One commenter said: “It must suck to wait nine years for a ring that looks like that.”
The ring size of the engagement surprise was also ridiculed, with one writing, “My best friend would at least know my ring size, especially after nine years". However, as Jen explains, the ring was exactly what she wanted - and definitely something tailored specifically to her:
“He knew exactly what type of ring I’d love. A delicate, hammered gold ring with a tiny pearl. I don’t usually wear any jewellery, but when I do, it’s simple and minimal.”
It's also practical, as she is a cooking show host, with her hands often covered in food or being in use. In addition to this, there was something sentimental about the ring that wasn't obvious from the photo:
“What mattered to me the most was the tiny detail on the inside of the ring. He asked the ring maker to inscribe the initials of our nicknames for each other. I swear I thought I was floating in the air when he pointed it out.
"My heart smiles every time I see it.
Now that they've started to receive much more supportive and loving messages, Jen has given some advice for those who weren't so nice with their messages:
“We encourage others to think about how they measure value in life. We made it our priority to travel around the world, eat bucket list foods, and experience dream adventures together. That’s all we’ve ever wanted and will continue to do, ring or no ring.”
It goes without saying that mocking someone's engagement ring because it doesn't look how you expect it to look, is a waste of your time and needlessly negative.
