Alternatives to Engagement Rings

Wedding fever has spread at Sugar HQ, and while I was researching some prenuptial figures, I came across an interesting quote in a piece by the New York Daily News: "I hear brides saying, 'I don't want the engagement ring. I want the house,'" said Kathleen Murray, former deputy editor of The Knot.

What an intriguing notion! If savvy brides could forgo the enchanted ring, think about the possibilities your soon-to-be household could attain. We know the average cost of an engagement ring in 2010 was about $5,000, so I've rounded up big-ticket items essential for starting a new family that equals your future finger bling. What'll you want more?