Religious Wedding Ring Tradition & Observances

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Both the Old and New Testaments mention rings but not as a way to mark betrothals or marriage. The early rings mentioned in the Bible were signet rings, which were symbols of authority, dignity, and social status. They were first introduced by the Romans and later adopted by Jews and Christians. Historically, signet rings were used to seal contracts, as in the book of Genesis, when Pharaoh gave his signet ring to Joseph as a symbol of authority. In Esther, Ahausuerus gave a signet ring to Haman to seal a royal decree. And in the book of Luke in the New Testament, the father gave his prodigal son a signet ring as a symbol of dignity. Since money often changed hands at early betrothal ceremonies, the signet ring was an appropriate symbol of a business transaction.

Early Christian Betrothal (Wedding) Rings

Though the New Testament doesn’t mention betrothal rings, archeological evidence indicates that Christians began to use them in the latter part of the second century. The earliest Christian betrothal rings found in the Roman catacombs, dating from AD 200, were bronze or iron but rarely were rings made of gold. Like the Romans, Christians used the ring at betrothal ceremonies, which were much more elaborate than weddings.

Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians

Traditions vary widely from one religion to another. For Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Christians, the exchange of rings takes place when a couple is betrothed, not when they are married. This may be the origin of the double-ring ceremony; though, in the past, the groom’s ring was gold, while the bride’s was silver. More recently, however, some faiths have moved the betrothal ceremony to just before the wedding. In these faiths, marriage is symbolized by placing gold crowns or wreaths on the heads of the bride and groom, in addition to exchanging wedding bands. Thus, weddings are often known as crowning ceremonies.

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