WEDDING RING TRADITIONS

The Wedding Ring is a vivid symbol of love, partnership and unity that is recognisable the world over. It sends out a strong signal to everyone you meet, and its presence can even change the way that people interact with you!

No single other object symbolises marriage more than the Wedding Ring, yet the exchange and wearing of the rings is a custom that married couples take for granted without even questioning why it is done. So without further ado, let’s uncover the story behind the piece of precious metal that you will wear for the rest of your life.

There are a number of differing views surrounding the origin of the Wedding ring, but consensus of opinion points towards Egypt. That said, some would argue that it goes back to Neanderthal times where tokens were exchanged as a sign of friendship. But anyway, getting back to Ancient Egypt. The oldest recorded exchange of Wedding rings took place there nearly five thousand years ago. Ring-money (used prior to the introduction of coins) or hemp, twisted into a ring, was given to the Bride and placed on the fourth finger of her left hand (the one beside the little finger). The ring shape was linked to the supernatural, with people believing that the continuous band led to everlasting love, whilst the use of ring-money indicated that the Bride was endowed with her husband’s wealth (or lack of!) 

Later on, in Roman times, a ring’s acceptance by a lady was viewed as a binding, legal agreement and a symbol that she was no longer 'available'. Neither gold nor silver was used, but instead the Romans favoured the romantic metal of iron with it's world famous ability to rust – what a loving bunch they were! At the same time in Ancient Rome, another trend was emerging – this time with key rings. Following the 'carry over the threshold', the new Bride would be presented with a ring with a key on it. The key would be used to access a form of safety deposit box where the Groom’s valuables were kept. The presentation of the key was seen as a token of confidence in the relationship and that a belief that all that they had, they shared.