Sarah Caden remembers:

MY HUSBAND haggled over the price of my engagement ring, and I might have harboured doubts about our engagement had he not. With some bothering of shop staff, he got 20 per cent off and I left the shop as happy with him as with my first diamond.

The article goes on to lament the high cost of weddings today. But rather than discuss that, let’s stick to the engagement ring. Is it “bad” to haggle? Or does that simply show he is smart, therefore sexy?

A question for the men. Is it more important to surprise your girl, or to find out what kind of ring she wants before getting it? Feel free to surprise her if you’re confident that your taste will suffice, but be prepared that you will be the surprised one, because she has to wear it for a lifetime and a little mistake can be costly to the relationship.