Would-be groom accidentally donates engagement ring to charity

ATLANTA – An Atlanta couple's dreams of the perfect wedding could be in tatters after the would-be groom accidentally gave the engagement ring to Goodwill.

Josh Miller, 31, kept the diamond ring hidden in the pocket of a winter coat in a closet at his home in Buckhead, but mistakenly put the coat in a pile to go to the charity, WSBTV reported.

The landscaper only realized the engagement ring was gone Wednesday, but the coat had already gone from the Goodwill center.

He told the TV station, "She talked about the exact right [ring] that she wanted for a long time and we just finally, for once, found the perfect engagement ring and we were very excited. I was just shaking. I didn't know what to do, or what to say, or how to feel. I called Cara immediately, but she thought I was joking."

The solitaire ring had been hidden inside the coat -- a black ski jacket with gray stripes -- for the last two months. It was still inside the Helzburg box in the left pocket.

Miller and his fiancee Cara Epstein said they were not going to postpone their plans.

She added, "It's a setback, but we'll move forward. I'm trying to be positive."

The ring was uninsured. The couple hopes someone will return it.