You may have heard the term "Millennials" all over the news and social media lately. They are the generation born between 1979-2000, also known as Gen Y (but they are not too thrilled to be called that). They are the largest generation alive (1/3 of total world population) and are 33% larger than the Baby Boomers (the second largest generation - those born between 1946 - 1964). They account for more than 70% of weddings today. Up until 2007, the majority of couples were Gen X (those born between 1965 - 1979). The oldest millennials are 33, the youngest are 12, so they'll be the majority wedding consumer for a long time.
The “millennial” generation has been dissected from the time they were still in their teens. Although they’re not scoffing at tradition the way Boomers did in the '60s and '70s, today’s 20 somethings are most definitely making engagement traditions their own. It is estimated that 40% of them grew up in broken homes, that's why they are not in a rush to get married. Quite a significant percentage (about 65%) prefer living in first and have longer engagement periods. Statistics show that 91% of millennials consider couples who have had successful long-term marriages to be examples worth following. I think that is definitely a step in the right direction.
MUTUAL PROPOSALS : "ENGAGEMENT DAY"
Rather than popping the question with the usual surprise, many Millennial couples are choosing to make an event out of getting engaged. They plan the engagement moment together, turning it into a mutual exchange of love. In most cases, mind you, the bride-to-be is still the only one receiving a diamond engagement ring.
Though there are still traditionalists among them who prefer and wait for the man to propose, there is a growing number who have decided to make their "Mutual Proposals". A handful of couples have invented an entirely new way of proposing marriage that feels wholly modern, and they call it "Engagement Day". They usually choose a significant date and establish this a special day when they openly declare their love and commitment to each other as an engaged couple, either just by themselves and/or later on joined by friends and loved ones for an Engagement Party. One couple in a survey, maintained an element of surprise by planning small surprises for each other over the course of their engagement day. I personally feel this is a revolutionary idea.
STORY OF THE RING
Millennials have embraced the tradition of an engagement ring, but with a twist. It is especially important to millennial couples that their engagement ring feels and looks "unique". Actually, being "unique" is the underlying theme in all they do and so customization is an integral part of design and planning. Millennials want a custom life, custom career, custom engagement. Custom is seen as a need, not a luxury.“There has been a shift. People want something that is distinctively theirs,” agreed Millie Martini Bratten, editor in chief of Brides magazine.
While continuing part of the engagement tradition, however, the majority of Millennial couples still prefer diamonds. They strongly believe in adding their own personality to the process. Millennial couples want their diamond engagement ring to be truly one of a kind. A beautiful symbol that encapsulates who they are as a couple or who she really is as a person. That ois why some couples seem to love the one-of-a-kind vintage diamond engagement ring styles. They also prefer distinctive diamond shapes ranging from Marquise and the Radiant to the Pear and Asscher cuts.
We here at Diamonds 4C have a wide range of these and other fancy shapes as well as the classic round shaped diamonds. We have many sizes to choose from that your budget will allow. Whatever the couple will decide on, we will share our expertise and guide them on exactly how to create a ring that evokes their personal aesthetic. Diamonds 4C have all the experience and resources necessary to help couples find the ring of their choice. Being in the business for over 30 years, we will guide the couple in finding the prefect ring that is a true testimony of self expression.
THE "ENGAGEMENT RING SELFIE"
The term "selfie" is defined as an image of oneself taken by oneself using a digital camera especially for posting on social networks (as defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary). The “Engagement Ring Selfie” is a phrase which was unknown a decade ago but is now a common tradition as part of getting engaged. Once they’re wearing that perfect ring, today’s brides-to-be usually share a photo of it with their loved ones via social media.
These days, it's practically a must to share a picture of your engagement ring on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — it's such a simple way to get the message out there (there's no mistaking what a diamond ring on that finger means!) and it gives your distant friends and family members a chance to ooh and ahh over your happy news just like your local loved ones.
I don’t think there’s doubt in anyone’s mind that the engagement ring selfie is yet another new ritual introduced to the engagement process by technology. And come on now — it’s awesome! What’s better than flipping through Instagram and seeing oodles of pretty new engagement ring pictures? However, you can’t just snap any old photo and call it a day. Nope — this is THE picture that will let everyone know you’re engaged while also showing off how absolutely gorgeous and perfect your ring is. The bar is high, my friends.
ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS / VIDEO
Social media has changed how older generations communicate, but it mimics how millennials have always communicated. For Millennials, then, sharing photos happens widely, and sharing photos of oneself happens almost as widely. Experiences are important to Millennials, and it has been well documented. Millennials want to participate in special, often communal events. And part of how they experience these events is through documentation—they photograph the events—and share via social media.This is especially true in capturing "once-in- a-lifetime" milestones in one's life, such as an Engagement.
They personalize the announcement in a way that works for them. It may be a reflection of their time together as a couple, or it may also be a short summary of how the proposal went down. It can come in a form of a collage of pictures that show how certain events that led to the proposal. Some might even have a video of the actual event.
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