These days, it’s difficult to be young and in love. Housing prices are sky high, most have student loans to pay off, and the job market is still dicey. That’s why some couples are forgoing buying those extra bling-y engagement rings. Today we are going to look at the special story of Ariel, a 22-year-old blushing bride who skipped the “fluff” of a wedding, and focused on what really matters—love!

Ariel Desiree McRae and her now-husband Quinn know a lot about attraction. According to Ariel, the Martin, Tennessee couple fell in love two years ago on their very first date. The cute duo met online and, after two days of long phone conversations, Ariel and her now-husband Quinn met and instantly hit it off.

They actually wanted to get married right away, but decided that 20 was a bit young for marriage, and waited a couple of years until they were a bit more established.

Recently, Ariel and Quinn celebrated their being together for two years, and wanted to finally get married. Went it came to buying the engagement ring, though, Ariel explains that the two couldn’t quite afford a traditional diamond— and why she was more than fine with that fact:

I wasn’t even thinking about rings, I just wanted to marry my best friend, but he wouldn’t have it. He scraped up just enough money to buy me two matching rings from Pandora. Sterling silver and CZ to be exact. That’s what sits on my ring finger, and I am so in love with them.

Even though Ariel felt perfectly happy and secure with her modest ring set, a catty saleswoman, unfortunately, had to go ahead and ruin the special ring-buying experience for the both of them.

Once the rings were picked out, the saleswoman – unaware of the fact that the couple was buying them as an engagement ring – made the remark: “Y’all can you believe that some men get these as engagement rings? How pathetic.” What an ignorant statement!

In her post, Ariel goes on to tell that she watched her

…husband’s face fall. He already felt bad because he couldn’t afford the pear-shaped set that so obviously had my heart and covered my Pinterest page. He already felt like a failure, asking me again and again “Are you sure you’ll be happy with these? Are you sure this is okay?” He was so upset at the idea of not making me happy enough and of me not wanting to marry him because my rings didn’t cost enough money or weren’t flashy enough.

So, how did Ariel respond to this woman’s lack of forethought? In the classiest way possible!

Old Ariel would have ripped that woman a new one. Mature Ariel said, “It isn’t the ring that matters, it is the love that goes into buying one that matters.” We bought the rings and left.

Of course, true to the beautiful bride’s nature, she went ahead and gave her then-fiancée the reassurance that he needed. Afterwards, the two eloped in a romantic courthouse ceremony.

Since the post was first published, Ariel has been contacted by various major news outlets around the world who have helped to pass along her powerful message.

Even Pandora, the jewelry store where the two encountered the rude sales lady, released their own statement to Mirror Online regarding the incident. The company says:

PANDORA Jewelry regrets that Ariel and Quinn had this experience while shopping for such a meaningful testament of their love. Their experience is not keep with our brand values or what we expect from those who sell our products.

You can read Ariel’s full post here. This young woman certainly does have her priorities straight!

What do you think about Ariel and Quinn’s story? Do you have a special story behind your engagement ring? Tell us all about your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below!