I'm confused on the wedding ring, Wedding band thing. Which is which?

[greeniebeenie]

I HAVE A QUESTION:

 

 

I know I could ask friends, but i would just feel stupid about, I have no idea about this kind of stuff...

 

 

When you ask a girl to marry you and you buy a ring, The ring you buy is the engagement ring, TRUE? And when you actually get married, you buy her the Band to go with it, right?

 

Because sometimes i see married women and they only have (1) ring on their finger, no band in sight. Is it optional?

[quankanne]

actually, it's a good question, greenie, so I'll try my best to explain.

 

an engagement ring traditionally is a ring with a stone, given at the onset (or during) the engagement period and symbolizing the engagement.

 

a wedding band is the ring that you put on your bride's finger when you exchange vows to signify that commitment. Though, technically, it doesn't have to be slipped on her finger at that moment if you can't afford a ring or it hasn't been sized to fit her finger, etc. Basically, it symbolizes marriage.

 

a lot of times a couple will choose a matching set: the bride's and groom's wedding bands match, and her ring can easily be worn with her engagement ring. Or the engagement ring-bride's wedding band is a combo, and his is something different.

 

the engagement ring can be optional, depending on the prospective bride's decision. I don't have one. Didn't want one because I knew I wouldn't really wear it, I'm just not a jewelry person. And my wedding band is actually a four-band gold puzzle ring my husband brought back from Saudi Arabia not long after we married. It's really the only piece of jewelry that I wear, even though he's gotten me some pretty earrings and a really nice diamond 10-year anniversary ring ...

[HokeyReligions]

good job explaining Quank

 

My mom only ever wore her wedding band. When I got married I had a diamond solataire engagement ring - at the wedding I did not have that on because my husband slipped a plain gold wedding band on my finger. I put the diamond back on after the ceremony. I wasn't going to let that diamond sit around in a drawer somewhere! I don't even remember the reasoning behind the wedding band needing to be the first ring on the finger and the engagement ring above it - but there was something at the time that dictated that. We did not buy the rings at the same time - I had my engagement ring for a year or so before we bought our wedding rings.

 

Now I have a single ring that I wear. I had my engagement diamond reset a few years ago into a wider band with some diamond baguetts around it. The shape of the new ring does not fit in with the simple gold band that I have as my wedding band so I wear a single ring.

[greeniebeenie]

hmm...okay so,

 

 

WHen i propose to my girl next year, I just assumed I'd buy her a diamond ring, I mean : Will you marry me? BOOM! here's a ring.

 

Be engaged for a year or two, figure out wedding plans, careers, living situations, then buy her a wedding band to go with her ring?

 

Does that sound like a bad idea???

 

 

Or should I buy her a whole other ring for the ceremony?

[HokeyReligions]

Sounds like a plan to me.

 

Is she the kind that would prefer to choose her own ring? Some women like to be surprised, some don't. You might ask her mother or someone close to her that you can really REALLY trust not to spill the beans!

 

 

Buying a "whole other ring" is the same as buying her a diamond now and then a wedding band later Some rings are in sets and you buy them at the same time - my sister in law's wedding set were two rings that fit together on the hand and became one wide ring. She just didn't put the wedding band on until after they were married.

 

Some 'sets' are very standard styles and you know you will be able to buy a matching band even years later.

[cdn]

Originally posted by greeniebeenie

hmm...okay so,

 

 

WHen i propose to my girl next year, I just assumed I'd buy her a diamond ring, I mean : Will you marry me? BOOM! here's a ring.

 

Be engaged for a year or two, figure out wedding plans, careers, living situations, then buy her a wedding band to go with her ring?

 

Does that sound like a bad idea???

 

 

Or should I buy her a whole other ring for the ceremony?

 

There are usually only 2 rings purchased. First is the an engagement ring (usually a diamond solitaire but some women prefer something else). You can either have this in hand at the time you propose or you and your financee can shop for it together after she says 'yes.' Second is the wedding ring (also called wedding band). While you will likely shop for this together, it is not worn until after you are married -- it is slipped onto your wife's finger at a certain point in the marriage ceremony. As someone else mentioned, the wedding ring can either be part of a set (with the engagement ring) or a completely separate ring (i.e., not matching). There are also three-way sets, in which the woman's engagement ring and wedding ring match as does the man's wedding ring. This can lead to either a too-masculine woman's band or too feminine man's band, but some people really like this. Everyone has a different preference here so it's a good idea to discuss this with your fiancee rather than making any assumptions.

 

After the wedding, most women will wear their wedding rings on their left ring finger (in the US). Some will continue to wear their engagement ring, too, most often also on the left hand (on top of the wedding ring) but sometimes on the right hand (especially if both rings are beautiful in their own right and the woman wants to show them both off).

 

Has this helped? Hope so!!

[greeniebeenie]

Thank you very much. Yes, All your advice was very helpful....I'll just get her a cute little ring to symbolize the engagement, something very nice, but not too outrageous.......and then when we work out plans and our future and the WEDDING, we can shop together for the perfect ring, that she would love to wear.

 

 

Thanks again.