Are you about to propose with a beautiful ring? Then you might be wondering what the difference between an engagement ring and a wedding ring is. A wedding ring and an engagement ring can both be worn every day to symbolize your eternal love, but they also have very different looks and feel.
Although both are very common and popular, an engagement ring and a wedding ring are not the same.
You may have begun your quest for the ideal ring to wear when engaged, on your wedding day, and until death do you part. One thing, however, remains a mystery: what is the difference between wedding and engagement rings? Let us dig deeper into it.
What Is an Engagement Ring?
Things can get a little tricky in the world of engagement rings and wedding rings. How can you decide which one to purchase? Especially when you consider all of the other decisions, you’ll have to make leading up to your wedding day, such as the dress, the venue, and the flowers. The first item on the agenda is to find out what an engagement ring is.
After a memorable proposal, a woman wears an engagement ring. An engagement ring is a pledge, a commitment, that a couple will marry before the real vows are read. Engagement rings come in a wide range of styles, from a gleaming band adorned with dazzling embellishments such as lab diamonds to a custom-colored center stone. You can design your engagement ring to represent your personal style in any way you like.
What Is a Wedding Ring?
Married couples exchange wedding rings during their wedding ceremony. Wedding rings are typically plain and understated, as opposed to the glitzy and extravagant designs of a conventional engagement ring. Wedding rings may be worn alone or in a wedding ring package with an engagement ring. The biggest distinction is that both men and women are expected to wear wedding rings—but what is tradition, anyway? Wear the rings you want, no matter what type they are.
Traditionally, How Are Engagement and Wedding Rings Worn?
Once you have found the best engagement ring for your partner, you might be wondering which finger to place it? If you love to follow traditions, then the engagement ring should be worn on the left hand. The Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans believed the “vena amoris,” a love vein that runs directly to the heart, flowed through the left ring finger. Even if it’s a myth, it’s kind of a romantic thing.
Wedding rings are also worn on the right hand in this case. However, your religion or country of birth can influence your decision. Some women wear their wedding and engagement rings on the same side.
Where Did the Custom of Wearing Wedding Rings and Engagement Rings Originate?
Engagement rings and wedding rings were interchangeable until the late 15th century. The custom of wearing a wedding ring dates back to ancient times, when people farmed the land and made rings out of plants.
The norm for engagement rings developed along with mankind. Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, defied custom by giving his fiancée, Mary of Burgundy, a precious diamond engagement ring. According to the historic records, this gift is regarded as the first official diamond engagement ring.
The craze spread through Europe before making its way to America. Even then, diamond engagement rings did not become prevalent until centuries later. Following the roaring twenties came the Great Depression, the world’s worst economic downturn. The jeweler’s shelves were becoming very dusty in terms of diamonds. How did diamonds progress from dust collectors to the modern engagement ring center stone in just 70 years? With a brilliant, albeit divisive, slogan.
The De Beers diamond marketing strategy was first used by couples in the twentieth century. With the popular slogan, “A diamond is forever,” a tidal change occurred in the engagement ring industry in 1947.
Rising environmental and social concerns in the twenty-first century are driving demand for conflict-free, lab-grown diamonds—diamonds that are unique, more affordably priced, environmentally friendly because they are not mined, and built to last for generations.
What’s the Difference Between Wedding Rings and Engagement Rings?
Wedding rings and engagement rings are distinguished by the fact that engagement rings are exchanged when couples become engaged, while wedding rings are exchanged during the wedding ceremony. In certain cultures, such as Sweden, both men and women wear engagement rings, but only the woman receives a wedding ring during the ceremony. In certain countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, it is the other way around.
A wedding ring is typically a simpler ring, such as a rose gold band with tiny diamonds or a white gold eternity ring. Wedding rings, for the most part, do not contain massive diamonds or gemstones. To complement their engagement ring, some brides opt for a plain, pave, or channel set band.
Any ring can be used as an engagement ring; it does not have to be a diamond or an expensive ring. The most important factor is to choose a style that your partner can appreciate. Engagement rings come in a variety of types, from plain solitaires to sophisticated vintage rings.
Since certain people don’t buy a separate wedding ring, the engagement ring may also be the wedding ring (if you want it to be). It is up to you whether or not you want to use your engagement ring as a wedding band. That means you can wear your engagement ring after the ceremony without a wedding band.
You can purchase both an engagement ring and a wedding band at the same time, particularly if you want to make sure they fit and complement each other. And such sets are called bridal sets. The sets typically have matching metal colors and work together seamlessly. However, a large number of people purchase the rings individually.
It is up to individual opinion how well the rings fit, as the wedding band does not have to match the engagement ring. If you choose, you can wear two different types or shades of gold. Furthermore, your spouse’s wedding band does not have to match yours, but it can. A bride can have both an engagement and wedding ring made of white gold, while the groom can have a wedding band made of yellow gold.
Which Ring Is Better for You: A Wedding Ring or An Engagement Ring?
There are no hard and quick “rules” for engagement and wedding rings. Instead, there are ideas and suggestions to help you make a more informed decision. It all simply boils down to what you envision as your forever ring. No matter your job or lifestyle, you deserve a beautiful ring that represents your style and love story.
Your love is endless, like the circle of your ring; it is an eternal promise and an infinite bond. And, just as you did when you fell in love with your fiancée, the best thing to do when selecting your ring is to trust and follow your heart.
