Wedding Invitations

Do you like a good surprise? Many brides were surprised with an engagement ring by their suitors at the time of the proposal, but it’s becoming more and more accepted for couples to select an engagement ring together. Yes, it takes away some of the surprise of the proposal, but the bonus to selecting the ring together really reduces any secret disappointment the bride-to-be might have about her ring. For example, what if you’d dreamt of a lovely round solitaire and your fiancé presented you with a marquise-cut stone? We all can agree that the marquise is just as beautiful as the round solitaire, but at the same time, it’s not quite what you’d been dreaming of all those years.

In terms of wedding etiquette, there aren’t really any hard and fast rules about the rings. Contrary to what some might believe, in engagement ring etiquette there is no rule that states that if a ring is worn it has to be a diamond. Additionally, there is no rule that an engagement ring must be worn at all for an engagement to be official. There’s no question that many people consider an engagement ring to be absolutely compulsory, but by no means is it required according to either etiquette or the law.

As far as wedding rings go, once again, it’s more tradition than etiquette that has the bride-to-be purchasing her fiancee’s wedding band while he purchases her wedding band. Couples today often like to select matching wedding bands, matching either in style or type of metal (such as white gold, platinum, titanium, tungsten, or yellow gold settings).

One wonderfully handy thing about wedding etiquette is that it makes it very easy to find information about every detail of a wedding, from the very largest to the very smallest detail. No matter what, the odds are good that you’ll find that wedding etiquette has an opinion on the matter.

Not sure you should believe us? Well, let’s take a closer look at some examples. Maybe you didn’t realize it but there’s etiquette regarding the wedding and the engagement ring. Etiquette says that the wedding band must not be put above the engagement ring. The wedding band is worn at the base of the finger with the engagement ring (if any) immediately following, as if to stand guard. On her wedding day a bride either leaves her engagement ring at home when she goes to the church or she wears it on her right hand. She should switch it back to her left hand following the ceremony.

Another good example of etiquette taking care of every last detail is a bride’s escort. The reason the bride is on her father’s right arm is that a gentleman’s right arm is the arm of courtesy. This even extends to the groomsmen or ushers. You know that it is the duty of the ushers to show all guests to their places. An usher offers his right arm to each female guest as she arrives, whether he knows her personally or not.

While some might think wedding etiquette is outdated, the truth is that it’s a helpful guide for many brides today.