There are few things in life more challenging than selecting the perfect engagement ring. Honestly, this is a task most men fear, which is why they often conscript another woman, often a friend of the bride-to-be, to make certain they get it right. But engagement rings rarely go wrong, unless the groom-to-be hasn’t done his homework.

For instance, did you know that some women are allergic to Nickel alloy — a common metal in engagement rings? And since you can’t very well ask her the day before if she happens to be allergic to nickel alloy, it’s best to simply go with gold, platinum or palladium.

But even then, my nervous friend, you’re not completely out of the woods. You still have to figure out the intendeds’ ring size. And again, if you don’t know, you certainly can’t ask. That would absolutely scuttle the surprise. What you can do, however, is estimate and then have the band adjusted if you were off by a bit.

But don’t worry, if you get the ring right, she won’t care about the band. After all, that’s why you brought her friend. Because, really, what man knows what a woman wants when it comes to an engagement ring? We have a hard enough time finding two matching socks in the morning.

So, let the girlfriend do the heavy lifting. Then, if your finance is bold enough to admit that she hates the ring, you can always blame it on her friend.