In a phone conversation today, a friend asked me why men
don't wear engagement rings. She tended to think the one-sided exchange would
let people know the woman wasn't available, while the man would be free to mess
around. I let her know that while engagement rings for men are fairly new here
in the U.S., in many cultures grooms-to-be have proudly worn betrothal
rings to let others know they are taken.
Consider the Gimmel ring
For instance, in Ireland, men often propose with a gimmle ring. Traditionally, these triple interlocking rings
separate, and one part is worn by the woman, a second part is worn by the man,
and the third part of the ring is kept by the best man for safekeeping until
the wedding ceremony when the groom slips it on his bride’s finger.
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| Gimmle ring |
Groom-to-be engagement band traditions
In some South American countries including Brazil and Argentina, both the bride- and groom-to-be wear engagement rings. In Argentina, the man and woman exchange silver engagement bands which they wear on their left hand. Then, during the wedding ceremony, gold rings are placed on their right hands. In Brazil, they wear gold bands on their right hands, and move them to their left hands after exchanging marriage vows. A similar tradition is practiced by some men from Germany Sweden and Finland.
Engagement rings for men growing in popularity
In today's Western culture, engagement rings for men are
growing in popularity and are often referred to as a management ring. These
management rings traditionally look much like a plain wedding band made from
precious metals, however more ornate designs are gaining in popularity.
Depending on ring choice, once the couple is married, the man can either wear
his management ring as a wedding band, or he can stack it with his new wedding
band, much like a woman wears a marriage set.
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