ring doesn’t mean a thing
In a world that constantly tells women to couple up, saying "no" is revolutionary. It's brave. It's bold. It’s the kind of energy we need more of. And now, a new trend is emerging—one that defies the norms and embraces the idea of building your own happily ever after. More women are calling off their weddings, selling their engagement rings, and using the proceeds to invest in themselves. Why? Because they’ve realized that happiness doesn’t come with a ring—it comes from self-love, financial independence, and knowing when to walk away from something that’s just not right.
20% of engagements are called off before the wedding.
The numbers don’t lie. According to recent studies, roughly 20% of engagements are called off before the wedding. And when it comes to marriage itself, the U.S. divorce rate hovers around 40-50%, with women initiating around 70% of those divorces. It’s safe to assume that many women in these situations ignored the red flags, convincing themselves that a relationship—any relationship—was better than being single. The societal pressure to find "the one" is real. We’re conditioned to believe that happiness and success are measured by whether or not we’ve found someone to marry. But what happens when we stop prioritizing a relationship over our own well-being?
Take a moment to think about the length of the average engagement. In the U.S., it’s around 15 months—15 months of planning, second-guessing, and trying to convince yourself that everything will be perfect once you say "I do." But sometimes, after all that time, you realize you don’t want to marry that person. Maybe it’s because you’ve grown apart, or maybe it’s because you were never truly in sync. Or maybe, just maybe, you woke up and realized that your fairytale ending doesn't have to come with a man by your side—it can come with a house of your own, a career you love, and the freedom to build a life that’s all yours.
As highlighted by Time, canceling a wedding isn’t as uncommon as you might think. Many women who call off their weddings find themselves better off in the long run. It takes a lot of courage to admit that you’re not ready to settle for a life that doesn't feel right. And that courage is something to be celebrated, not shamed. Walking away from an engagement isn’t a failure—it’s a victory. It's a victory of choice, of independence, and of the realization that you deserve more than just "being chosen." You deserve a life that excites you, challenges you, and makes you feel whole.
You deserve a life that excites you, challenges you, and makes you feel whole.
So, what happens after the breakup? If you’re like many women who’ve ended their engagements, you might be staring down a hefty engagement ring. That’s where the trend of selling engagement rings comes in. In the wake of a breakup, women are turning what’s often seen as a painful reminder of the past into a financial asset that can help them move forward into a brighter future. Selling the ring isn’t about erasing the past—it’s about investing in your future. It’s about taking control and saying, "I don’t need a marriage to build my happily ever after."
Imagine using the money from that ring to buy a house, start a new business, or travel the world. Suddenly, that ring isn’t a symbol of something that didn’t work out—it’s a symbol of your financial independence and empowerment. Platforms like Worthy and WP Diamonds are helping women sell their engagement rings for a fair price, allowing them to take that money and reinvest it into their futures. Whether it’s buying a home or putting it toward a career move, that ring becomes a stepping stone to a future that’s all about you.
And why not? For too long, women have been taught that our worth is tied to the presence of a partner. We’ve been sold the idea that marriage is the ultimate goal, the grand prize we’re all working toward. But the truth is, marriage isn’t the end-all-be-all. It’s not the only way to create a fulfilling, successful life. When women call off their weddings and sell their engagement rings, they’re not just walking away from a relationship—they’re walking into a new chapter of their lives, one that’s theirs to write.
In a world that tells us we need to couple up, it takes bravery to say, "Not for me." It’s time we start celebrating women who choose themselves—not just the ones who find their happily ever after with a man.
Let’s be real: the pressure to couple up is intense. From family gatherings to social media to our favorite rom-coms, the message is clear—find someone, get married, and live happily ever after. But what happens when that "someone" doesn’t feel right? What happens when you realize that your happiness doesn’t depend on another person? In those moments, walking away becomes the most empowering thing you can do.
Let’s toast the brave women who’ve broken with convention, who aren’t afraid to say no to a relationship that doesn’t serve them. Here’s to the women who are flipping the script and selling their engagement rings to buy homes, start businesses, or just live their lives the way they want to. In a world that tells us we need to couple up, it takes bravery to say, "Not for me." It’s time we start celebrating women who choose themselves—not just the ones who find their happily ever after with a man.
Because, at the end of the day, the real fairytale is the one where you live life on your own terms. And nothing says "I’m in control" more than turning a symbol of a broken engagement into a down payment on your future. Here's to finding your own happily ever after—no marriage required.