6 FUN FACTS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT WEDDING BANDS
November 18, 2021
As everyone knows, the wedding bands are an important part of the wedding ceremony. No, we don’t mean the people who’ll be providing live entertainment at your wedding reception; we mean the rings that you’ll be slipping onto your partner’s finger to solidify their new status as your spouse. The person you’ll (ideally) spend the rest of your days in God’s green earth with. Often seen as the symbol of your eternal love and devotion for them, the importance of a wedding band can never be underestimated and as such, it should be high on your priority list when planning your wedding.
However, before you start shopping for wedding rings, it pays to do some research first and learn a few facts about this particular piece of jewellery that you’ll be wearing for the rest of your days.
In this article, Vella Diamonds, the leading experts to turn to when it comes to bespoke jewellery, discusses six fun facts you might not know about wedding bands.
- The Ring Finger Tradition – When a person gets married, we all know the drill when it comes to the ring exchange bit of the ceremony; you slide the ring into the fourth finger of your partner’s hand and that’s it. But some people don’t exactly know why this is or where this tradition even came from. According to historians, however, the reason why we wear wedding rings on the fourth ring finger is due to the Vena Amoris, or the “Vein of Love”, an ancient belief that states there is a vein that runs from that finger and directly to your heart. This means that if you put your wedding ring, the physical manifestation of your spouse’s love for you, on the fourth finger, it means that you’re keeping their love close to your heart. Based on statistics, about 70% of brides wear their rings on the fourth finger of their left hand due to this somewhat obscure tradition.
- Wedding Rings on the Right Hand – In the western parts of the world, it’s common knowledge that the wedding ring goes on the fourth finger of the left hand. However, in other parts of the world, wedding bands are usually worn on the fourth finger of the right hand because of the old-timey belief that the left hand was bad luck.
- First Recorded Use – Believe it or not, the first recorded use of wedding rings can be traced back to the time of the Ancient Egyptians. Like today, the rings, which were often made of woven reeds, bone, or leather back then, would symbolize eternity and everlasting love. But unlike now, wedding rings in those days also symbolized the sun and moon deities of the Egyptian pantheon.
- Don’t Drop The Ring! – Before the wedding, a common fear that the bride and groom often have is that they’ll drop the ring during the ceremony and as such, they spend a lot of time rehearsing the motions of the exchange. This is pretty understandable; after all, dropping the ring during the ceremony is embarrassing and no one wants to be embarrassed in front of their partner, friends, and family. Superstitious grooms, on the other hand, have another reason to not drop the ring other than sheer embarrassment; luck. According to the usual traditions, it’s bad luck for the groom to drop the ring during the ceremony because once you do so, it’s often a sign that the marriage is doomed. So, keep your grip on that ring tight; your marriage might literally depend on it.
- Men’s Wedding Rings – Nowadays, it’s common for both the bride and groom to exchange wedding bands when they get married. However, believe it or not, back then, only the bride received a wedding ring from their spouse. In fact, the tradition of men receiving wedding rings only began during World War II, when newly wedded young men were being shipped overseas to fight for their country. By wearing a wedding ring, these men had something to remember their wives by and therefore, they receive the comfort of knowing that they have someone waiting for them back home. Ever since, men also began to wear wedding rings upon their marriage.
- Rings as a Sign of Prosperity – In today’s world, wedding rings are usually only given as a sign of one’s love for their partner. Anything less would be frowned upon by society and that person’s commitment to their beloved would most likely come into question by their peers. Back then, however, this wasn’t always the case as wedding rings made of precious metals were not only given to a person as a sign of their ownership over their spouse but also to show off their prosperity and financial stability. Remember; in the olden days, people rarely married for love and more often than not, they did it for financial reasons or business transactions so it’s not surprising that this was the case back in those days.
Is your wedding day drawing closer and closer with each passing day? Still finding it difficult to find the perfect wedding ring set to use? If so, make things easier for yourself and your partner by turning to the master jewellers of Vella Diamonds! We have years of experience under our belts that makes us more than qualified to help you find the perfect set of wedding bands for your special day. You may visit our website to see our wide collection of engagement and wedding rings or learn more about the various diamonds and gemstones you can add to the piece! You can rely on us!