Have Ring Pops Earned Their Rightful Place On 'That' Finger?

Between holding wedding ceremonies at unorthodox locations and choosing to forgo formal dresses, millennials are changing the way we're expected to get married – and one of the trends that has been redefining the marriage process is using Ring Pops to pop the question.

Before people found themselves proposing with the jewelry candy over a diamond ring, Ring Pops seemingly exploded onto the candy scene in the '80s. However, the edible rings were actually first created a decade prior to becoming a member of American children's "top 10 most loved brands" (per Bazooka Candy Brands).

Frank Richards founded the now well-known candy as an attempt to get his daughter to kick her thumb-sucking habit. He invented Ring Pops after figuring that she might want to suck on candy rather than her thumb. But how did a brand of candy first made to deter a child from thumb-sucking become seemingly as popular as an expensive ring to say "let's spend forever together"?

While a Ring Pop will certainly never match the monetary value of a diamond ring, according to Bon Appétit, it can have just as much, if not more, emotional value to a couple. In the article, Landis Bejar, a therapist dedicated to helping couples with the emotional process of planning their weddings, explained that the act of proposing with a Ring Pop is child-like and such a low-pressure proposal will often make for a marriage filled with the same "laughter" and "nostalgia."

In fact, Ring Pops' fun appeal drew many couples to it during the lockdown brought on by COVID-19. One pair was unable to get an engagement ring due to world shutting down (per Fox News). However, a member of the couple improvised and proposed with the only ring they had — one that happened to be edible. The two apparently joked about using a Ring Pop as an engagement ring throughout their relationship, which only sweetened the deal.

While unconventional, it seems Ring Pops have just as much a right to seal a couple's long-term future as a diamond ring. However, there does seem to be an option among couples to combine the whimsy of a Ring Pop Proposal with a traditional one. In a viral TikTok video, @daemxn recorded themselves proposing to their partner with a diamond ring inside of a Ring Pop-shaped box.