Engagement Ring Etiquette

Want to pop the question and tie the knot with the girl of your dreams? But clueless about the engagement ring etiquette? I mean obviously, wouldn't you take an engagement ring and then propose? Or better still, you have proposed and she agreed, you now have to go through the proper engagement rituals. The problem again is that you are not at all conversant about the engagement rings. Well, that is what we are here for!

Understanding the Etiquette for Engagement Rings

Etiquette #1
Well, the first and the foremost thing which sometimes can be ambiguous is who should wear the ring. In other words, is it necessary that both the prospective bride and groom should wear it? The answer is simple. The convention and the norm is that only the woman wears the ring. However, with changing times, men are also increasingly wearing these rings. It adds to the commitment from the man's side as well. Plus, wearing an engagement ring is a fantastic way to make the bond of love and commitment stronger. The flip side though, is that it may appear that a couple is married. It depends ultimately on the couple.

Etiquette #2
Now comes the issue of engagement ring shopping etiquette. The norm is that the groom has to spend on the wedding ring himself. The groom can select the ring and give it to the prospective bride when he proposes. While the bride to be too buys a ring for her fiancee. If he wants to surprise her, he can (without her knowledge) know her ring size and accordingly buy the ring. That adds a nice touch to the whole 'lovey dovey scene'. Or in some cases, the prospective bride and groom may go for ring shopping together. Further, the usual etiquette is that if the girl accepts the proposal, she should start wearing the ring. Although, this is definitely not mandatory as far as engagement ring etiquette is concerned.

Etiquette #3
Often it is seen that men as well as women wear their engagement rings either of the hands. What I have observed, that women wear such rings mostly in their ring finger of the left hand. There is supposedly a vein there which reaches your heart, that is why. While I have seen men wear it in their right hand. Traditionally though, women were required to wear the engagement ring on the right hand. But this changed and now, it again depends entirely upon the couple.

Etiquette #4
They say that diamond is forever and it is a woman's best friend. But if you thought that a diamond is necessary for an engagement ring, let me tell you that engagement ring etiquette does not hold clearly that there has to be a diamond engagement ring . It is the couple's choice. The cost is determined by the budget of the would-be groom. How much to spend is another biting issue for the groom. According to many sources, for a ring he or she has to spend twice the amount of a month's salary. For those who have just embarked on their career path, they need not spend so much. If the groom has a family heirloom, in the form of a ring, then it is priceless and the groom does not have to spend a penny for that. The groom in this case should make sure then that the bride would give it the due respect. It is because the tradition of generations has been passed on to her.

These were the few basic things involved in engagement ring etiquette. Even if these are the general guidelines and conventions, it is not necessary for the bride and the groom to follow each and everything from amongst these tips. What matters at the end of the day is the love and the special bond between the couple. A ring is just a manifestation of their relationship! Even if a couple does not exchange rings and they are fine with it, it should not affect the love between them!