The delivery of the engagement ring is one of the happiest and most emotional moments of the couple. With the request of hand, the union of the couple is formalized, their desire to start a life together and to form a family. The preparations for the wedding are the election of the trousseau, the dress, deciding whether to wear a hairstyle worthy for the occasion and all the planning of the ceremony including what the label marks in terms of decoration for marriage, protocol and of course the traditions and symbols. The ring is, therefore, the beginning of an entire couple’s adventure and for sure you want to be clear about where you should wear it and how to show it to be the ambassador of the most wonderful love story: Yours!
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Since ancient times
The custom of using a ring to ask for a hand began with the Romans, who gave their wives rings as a sign of their love. The institution of this as a tradition is owed to Archduke Maximilian of Austria who in 1477 gave his fiancée Maria Burgundy exuberant gold ring with a diamond embedded in proof of his love.
The hand of the ring
The Egyptians and Greek people believed that the engagement ring should be worn on the left ring finger because they said that’s the vein known as Vena Amoris. Already in the sixteenth century the King of England, Edward VI formalized the use of the ring in this hand giving the ring an additional and very romantic meaning.
Using a ring and not another type of jewelry to formalize the commitment, responds to the beautiful representation of the circle as something continuous and endless, as well as the love of the future spouses. It is also used to choose a short love phrase to mark the inside of the ring, thus immortalizing the feeling.
Strict protocol
Although the tradition as we have already explained indicates that the engagement ring must go on the ring finger of the left hand. Although most of the brides prefer to wear their ring in this hand, many use it on the right, obeying the Christian tradition that associates the left hand with the meaning of sinister, totally opposed to love.
Other brides wear it, as a symbol of a cycle that begins and will culminate in the nuptial ceremony, when they receive the wedding ring, and from that moment both rings will appear on the left. More and more frequent is another variation of the protocol that consists of the bride responding to her jewel by giving her boyfriend an engagement ring for men, with the same meaning as hers.