Men’s Engagement Rings

If women can wear engagement rings to announce their status, why can’t men? Well, there really is no reason. The wearing of men's engagement rings is more common in other countries than in the United States and Canada, but the tradition is becoming more popular in North America as more couples want the man -- as well as woman -- to wear evidence of their engaged status.

Some choose to buy a traditional man's wedding band as an engagement ring, for later use as the wedding ring. Others prefer a more interesting ring so choose a man's diamond solitaire (which can also serve as the wedding band) or other unique design. When the couple becomes married, the engagement ring then becomes a right hand ring and is replaced on the left finger by the wedding band.

Choosing a Ring

A man’s engagement ring with gemstones can still have a very masculine feel. While large diamond solitaires are a bit extreme, mens engagement bands are often set with diamonds or cubic zirconium. Another way to signify commitment is an Irish Claddagh ring, which doesn’t look like a traditional wedding or engagement ring but conveys the same message. Vintage rings, signet rings, and tungsten or titanium rings with unique detailing -- with or without gemstones -- are also excellent options. 

When She Proposes to Him

Proposing is no longer the exclusive province of men. In fact, more and more women are popping the question in today’s modern world. If a woman presents an engagement ring to a man, what does he do? Well, it depends on how avant-garde he is. Many men don’t think twice about accepting both the proposal and the ring. Others are more reticent. Women often want to choose their engagement rings; he may want to do that as well.

If he out-and-out rejects the idea of wearing an engagement ring, the bride-to-be may give him some other personal gift as a token of their mutual commitment. A dress watch, cuff links, a money clip, a masculine bracelet or neck chain are all appropriate symbols of engagement. What matters is his preference, of course. While men’s engagement rings look nothing like the women’s rings, they both signify the same idea: mutual love and commitment to each other.

Men’s Promise Rings

A promise ring, given to a man by the very special woman in his life, is a symbol of friendship, caring, and connection. It is not so much a promise of her intentions as it is the promise of the potential for a deeper romance to develop between them. The tradition of giving promise rings for men has evolved over the years, as have so many other traditions associated with love and romance. In the last century, women sometimes gave promise rings because the man was not yet ready to become engaged. The gift was usually a surprise, and the recipient had the right to decline if he wished. Refusing, while it is an option, had to be handled with great diplomacy; but then that’s a challenge women have faced for centuries. The important thing to remember is that “the times, they are a changing,” and styles in men’s jewelry are changing right along with them.

Special thank you to writing coach, editor, and ghostwriter Bobbi Linkemer, who contributed the original material throughout MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com.

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