The meaning of wedding rings has not changed much in the thousands of years since people first started using rings to show their love and commitment to each other. At the most basic level, the wedding ring symbolizes your commitment and love to your partner.
On a deeper level, it symbolizes your fidelity towards each other and the end of one journey and the beginning of the next.
As you consider what wedding rings you want, take a little time to learn about what they mean and why you exchange them on your big day.
What Does the Wedding Ring Symbolize?
When you exchange rings on your wedding day, you are participating in a tradition that is several thousand years old. Ancient Egyptians are thought to be the first culture to use rings as a symbol of love and eternity.
They would harvest flowers and reeds from the edge of Nile river and wrap them into bands that they would then wear on their fingers. As the tradition grew, they started to use other, more durable materials like leather, ivory, and bone. In some cases, they would inscribe their rings with hieroglyphics, symbolizing commitment and eternal love.
Over the years, many cultures, like Roman and Greek, around the world started to adopt the tradition of using wedding rings to symbolize love, commitment, and faithfulness in couples and that same tradition continues to this day.
Commitment
One very important meaning of wedding rings is commitment. It shows anyone you meet that you have a commitment to one another. In a subtle way, it shows pride or happiness in your marriage and your love, so picking the right wedding ring can be a very important choice for couples.
It also serves as a daily reminder of your love for your partner. Gazing at your ring throughout your day should make you smile, thinking about times when you are not at work toiling the day away. It can also give you something to look forward to as you get to go home to them at the end of a long day.
Meaning Behind the Circle – Its more than just fit
The circle represents unending, infinity, no beginning and no end, and, well, you get the idea. The very shape of a wedding ring instills a meaning of a forever commitment to your partner.
While the wedding ring itself represents unending love, the center hole also represents the way forward. You are starting a journey together that will move forward with together, ending your individual journey.
Placement of the Ring
The placement of the wedding ring is also steeped in years of tradition, though different cultures vary on the exact finger they use.
Historians suggest that the Romans were the first to place the wedding ring on the fourth finger on your left hand. They believed that this finger contained vena amoris or the “vein of love.” Many cultures, including American culture, continues this tradition to this day.
But this is not the case in all western cultures. In some European countries, like Germany, Russia, and Spain, it is common practice to wear the wedding ring on the fourth finger of the right hand.
The Jewish tradition involves the groom placing the ring on his bride’s right pointer finger during the ceremony. The traditional belief is that the right pointer finger is more holy than the others and has a direct connection to the heart. Often, the bride will move the ring to her left hand ring finger after the ceremony ends.
Chinese tradition involves the bride wearing her ring on the fourth finger of the right hand, while the groom wears it on the fourth finger of his left hand.
Wedding Ring vs Engagement Ring
You typically exchange wedding rings during the wedding ceremony. They tend to be simple gold, platinum, or silver bands compared to the engagement ring, but they certainly do not have to be made of precious metals or oridinary.
In most western cultures, the groom to be gives his bride to be an engagement ring during his proposal. Though proposals and engagement rings can certainly be flashy and bordering on ostentatious, neither have to be. Any ring can work as an engagement ring, though you may want to discuss what type of ring your partner may like if you plan on proposing. Your partner can give you the best idea of what to look for in a ring for them.
While gold, platinum, and silver rings are still popular, many people getting married today are starting to look for more meaningful wedding rings for them. Unique wedding bands can represent love and commitment, but they can also help tell a small part of your love story or give a glimpse into your interests.
Evolution of the Wedding Ring
The Romans are credited with introducing the first metal bands for wedding rings. The groom would give to his wife an iron ring. Romans are also likely the first to inscribe love messages on their wedding rings.
The metal bands the Romans used for wedding rings symbolized strength and stability for the married couple.
Today, in the United States and many other countries, it is common to see grooms wearing wedding rings along with their brides. But this was not always the case.
Prior to World War II, men often did not wear wedding bands. During the war, this started to change. Men who went off to war started to wear metal wedding rings as a sign of their commitment to their wives back home. Following the war, the tradition of men wearing rings too continued to gain popularity.
More recently, more men and women are starting to look for alternatives to precious metal bands. LMNA Wood Rings offers many varieties of wedding rings to choose from that use wood, meteorite, fossil remains, and more in order to help you show your commitment and display something a bit more meaningful to you when you get married.