A surprise proposal can be a life-changing moment for both you and your girlfriend. But there’s one tricky logistical problem – You’re going to give her a ring, but you may not know what size she wears.
Simply asking her for her ring size will alert her to your plan to propose, and just guessing about the ring size has obvious problems. Here are three clever ways to get your girlfriend’s ring size without her knowledge.
1. Check Another Ring She Owns
This one tends to be pretty foolproof, assuming your girlfriend wears other rings. When she takes it off, or if it’s in her jewelry box, take a quick measurement and you’ve got her ring size exactly.
There’s one danger with this one, though – You have to make sure she wears the ring in question on her ring finger. Many women wear rings on multiple fingers, and using a thumb or pinky ring’s measurement isn’t going to give you anywhere close to the right size. Take some time to scope out the way she wears her rings, and pick a ring she wears on her ring finger.
2. Measure Her Finger While She’s Asleep
This one carries a little bit of risk, especially if your girlfriend is a light sleeper. But if you pick the right spot, you can get your girlfriend’s ring size measurement without her having any idea.
For this technique, you’ll want a small piece of string or yarn. While your girlfriend sleeps, lightly loop the string around her ring finger at the point where she’d wear a ring. May sure to hold the exact point where the string overlaps itself, and then either make a mark or cut the string at that point. You’ve now got her ring size and can order your preferred ring at any ring vendor.
3. Get Someone Else to Ask Her for Her Ring Size
It probably goes without saying that you asking your girlfriend for her ring size is going to make her suspicious. But that same question from someone else, especially someone she won’t suspect is in on a plan with you, can work like a charm.
To put this one into motion, you’ll need to trust someone else, both with the information that you’re planning on popping the question and also not to give the game away by asking her clumsily. Your assistant will need to find some way of casually asking for your girlfriend’s ring size without making it seem strange or obvious.
Oftentimes, getting one of your girlfriend’s family members or friends to help you is best, as they will know her well and will have both the opportunity and ability to get the ring size info without causing any alarms.
Of course, if none of these tricks work, you can always go the direct route and ask her. But if you’re determined to keep your plans a secret, you’ll definitely want to use one of these methods.
If worse comes to worst and you get an incorrectly sized ring, it’s possible to get it re-sized after the fact. But this costs more money and can be a hassle, so it’s far better to use one of these to make sure you know exactly what size of ring to buy.