MSN Living readers share engagement rings

My fiancé Gaetano and I have a long-standing tradition of surprising each other in sneaky ways -- for birthdays, special occasions and even just on a whim. We're both amateur photographers and love to explore and see new things and places, so going out on a snowshoeing and photography hike out to a frozen lake was a pretty standard weekend date this past December.

As I was taking pictures of some ice, he asked if I would take a picture of him. As I brought the camera back up to my face, I suddenly realized that something looked different. Sure enough, there he was, standing with an open engagement box in his hands, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

I still haven't admitted this to him, but he definitely won the surprise war that day in a way that'll be almost impossible to top. – Carmen, Washington State

Video: How to find your first dance song

Bradley was in the Army when we met, and he was leaving Germany on his way to Fort Bliss, Texas. He proposed over Skype, actually, as we were states apart. It was not too romantic, but it was perfect for me. I didn’t care; I just wanted to be with him for the rest of our lives.  – Barbara, Phoenix

Bing: Clever proposal ideas

My fiancé and I picked out rings together. I always thought I wanted a two-gold, princess-cut solitaire with no side stones, and then I wanted the Lotus engagement ring. He massaged me over to this ring and I fell in lust. When I saw the entire wedding set with the bands on top and bottom I fell in LOVE (engagement ring pictured only). I love my rings but love him even more! – Keisha, Indianapolis

Video: Write your own wedding vows

This ring is actually a combined family heirloom. The diamond is from his aunt's ring. We took that out and put it into another setting, which was his grandma's. In his words, I sort of designed it and it's special and unique to me.  He proposed the traditional way, by getting down on one knee and asking me to be his Mrs. Kulczyk! – Hillary, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Bing: Resetting ring designs

In January, I turned 40 and planned a trip to Barcelona, Spain, to celebrate this milestone birthday. My boyfriend of over a year had done some planning of his own and surprised me with an engagement ring. We were sightseeing the oldest cathedral in Barcelona, and we took a moment of quiet time by sitting in a pew.

He starts telling me how he thought I was the prettiest girl in junior high (we had known each other since then) , how he wants to spend his life with me, how he would like to be my husband. Before I knew it, he was kneeling in front of me with a garnet ring (our birthstone) and asking me to marry him.   – Margo, Arizona

Video: How to dress your maids

My fiancé is in the Navy and has been deployed for the last year and a half.  He took leave to come back to the states, on his last day here we were in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.  Early in the morning, I asked if he wanted to take one last walk on the beach before I left.  We were walking on the beach and there were sea turtle nests along the beach from the night before. 

Just to let you know I LOVE Sea Turtles.  He goes near one of the nests and asked “what are these”?  I told him what they are and he bends down near it and starts moving sand around, then looks and asks how far down the eggs are.  Then, he pulls up the ring.  As it starts to rain he told me how important I am to him and asked me to be his wife!  It was the best surprise ever!  Could not have been more perfect for me! – Crystal, Missouri

Tanzanite with diamond accents in white gold. Now-fiancé  proposed the first day it snowed this winter at my favorite spot in the park! – Jill Fagan, Abington, Mass.

My fiancé ... I love saying that word, was just my boyfriend when he left Houston to move to Columbia, Mo., for work. I remained here for my job, wondering if our relationship would survive.  He surprised me four months later by proposing to me at a football game in front of 25,000 people after secretly flying into town.

When I saw him walking toward me on the 50-yard line, I almost passed out. – Danyale, Texas

We were in Hawaii on a trip that my fiancé, Dan, had won at work. It was also our three-year anniversary of when we started dating. We went driving around for the day and stopped at a beach. Walked out onto some rocks and he got down and proposed. I was crying so hard that I did not respond. He then asked "Well”? And of course, I said yes. – Lisa Trucano, Bradenton, Fla.

I was proposed in Juneau, Alaska, on Sept. 19, 2008, after less than a month of dating. I think our rings are pretty simple, yet beautiful. Mine says: "Robert: Love and Friendship" and his says: "Yana: Love and Friendship". Robert proposed to me standing on his knee, and it was just as I always imagined it would be! We got married six months later, and we are the happiest couple! – Yana, Juneau, Alaska