Hi everyone!
I'm not sure if this topic has been brought up before, but I figured it could spark an interesting discussion. My fiance and I both wear engagement rings (his is a band, mine a solitaire), so I wanted to share my thoughts about why we chose to do this as well as get opinions about what other people think!
After my fiance and I got engaged, I began to think about how men do not get to have any outward sign that they are deeply connected to another person until they are married. It seemed a bit unfair to me--I got the excitement of people saying "Oh, you're engaged? How wonderful!" and asking me about the wedding. I began poking around Zales' website at men's wedding rings, and I found a very nice band for only $60 that I knew he would love, no matter the occasion. I discussed the idea with him and he was completely on board and very excited to be able to show that we were both equally committed to our relationship.
Our only problem was figuring out on what hand he should wear the ring. We decided that wearing it on his left hand might be confusing, so we agreed that he would wear it on his right ring finger and then once we were married, he would get a new band to wear on his left hand. Of course, since this has yet to become a cultural tradition (who knows, it could get there!) most people do not automatically know what his ring is for, but many will ask and end up liking the idea once he tells them. Many men, too, like the idea, especially since men are becoming more interested in jewelry for themselves and branching out beyond the typical plain gold or silver band.
I also really liked the idea of giving him an engagement ring since it is a step toward reversing the idea that women are more associated with marriage than men. Marriage is something that completely changes BOTH spouses, and this is a great way to express that sentiment.
Has anyone else done this or is thinking about doing this? My best friend/college roommate also gave her fiance an engagement ring for many of the same reasons
. It is a relatively new idea, but it could catch on!