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When your <\/span>wedding day is behind you<\/span><\/a>, and the photos stashed lovingly away, there’s one symbolic element of your union that remains: the exchange of rings.<\/span><\/p>\n Day-in-day-out, the rings you’ve shared serve as a constant reminder of your vows, your love and your commitment.<\/b><\/p>\n What’s fascinating about the exchanging of rings, is that this element of engagement and marriage is a ritual<\/a> we still enjoy, with roots stretching back thousands of years.<\/span><\/p>\n Conjure up in your mind a classic image of wedding ring exchanges from a wedding day.<\/span><\/p>\n Almost certainly, your mind will come to rest on the couple, hands held delicately between them, <\/span>exchanging their vows<\/span><\/a>, while giving rings. This iconic image of romance is the one we all cherish, want to remember forever, and will likely display on our wall for years to come.<\/span><\/p>\n It’s the one image which doesn’t fade with time.<\/span><\/p>\n The rings are still worn and touched every day. It’s even more magical to realize that this tradition stems back as far as the Ancient Egyptians!<\/span><\/p>\n The Ancient Egyptians are believed to have used rings as part of the wedding ceremony as long ago as dating to 3000 BC!<\/span><\/p>\n Made from reed, hemp or other plants, formed into a circle, perhaps this was the first use of a complete circular ring to symbolize the eternity of marriage?<\/span><\/p>\n As in many cultures today, the ring was placed on the fourth finger of the left hand. This stemmed from the belief that the vein here ran directly to the heart.<\/span><\/p>\n Obviously plant rings didn’t stand the test of time. They came to be replaced with other materials such as ivory, leather and bone.<\/span><\/p>\n As is the case still now, the materials that were used represented the wealth of the giver. Now of course, there’s no ivory, but<\/span> the most discerning couples choose platinum, titanium and the most exquisite diamonds.<\/b><\/p>\n The Romans also had a ring tradition<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n This time, the custom around wedding ring exchanges was for the groom to give a ring to the father of the bride.<\/span><\/p>\n Against our modern sensibilities, this was actually to ‘buy’ the bride. Still, by the second century BC, brides were now being given gold rings as a symbol of trust, which could be worn when out.<\/span><\/p>\n At home, the wife would wear a plain engagement ring, the <\/span>Anulus Pronubus<\/span><\/a>, made from iron. Yet symbolism was still central to this ring. It symbolized strength and permanence.<\/span><\/p>\n Again, these rings were worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, due to the heart connection.<\/span><\/p>\n Over recent years there has been a notable trend around wedding ring exchanges for engaged couples to customize their rings.<\/span><\/p>\n Whether it’s being involved in the design stage, using a stone inherited from a relative, or engraving the band, couples want their symbolic rings to be unique.<\/span><\/p>\n Yet, this trend of unique wedding ring exchange is resurging rather than something new. The Roman’s engraved wedding rings too! <\/span><\/p>\n During the Middle Ages, rings were still a symbolic part of the <\/span>marriage ceremony<\/span><\/a>. However, being associated with paganism, it took a little while before the Church started to incorporate rings in the service.<\/span><\/p>\n It was in 1549, with <\/span>The Book of Common Prayer<\/span><\/a> that we first heard “with this ring I thee wed” in written form. Still part of many Christian wedding ceremonies today, it’s incredible to think these same words, and the same symbolic act, stretch back so far in history!<\/span><\/p>\n However, if we dig a little deeper then things get more interesting. <\/span>Not only was the ring a sign of exchanging valuables, following this, the groom would hand gold and silver to the bride.<\/b><\/p>\n This was symbolizing that marriage would have been more of a contract between families than a union of love.<\/span><\/p>\n Even more amusingly, an old German marriage vow was very stark about the realities.<\/span><\/p>\n The groom would state: “I give you this ring as a sign of the marriage which has been promised between us, provided your father gives with you a marriage portion of 1000 Reichsthalers.” At least it was honest!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>The iconic image of romance<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/span>Symbolizing eternity<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/span>Moving over to Rome<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n<\/span>Making rings personal<\/span><\/h2>\n
Related Reading:<\/strong><\/em> The Engagement Ring Dilemma– Is It a Sign of Love or Status?<\/a><\/em>\r\n\r\n<\/pre>\n
<\/span>Wedding ring exchanges as a modern tradition<\/span><\/h2>\n