Engagement Rings

Presumably, if you're reading this, you already have an engagement ring on your finger...or maybe not. Quite a number of people commit to marry one another without ever exchanging any rings at all, though wedding rings are a common part of the marriage ceremony. How do we know? We DJs see it all!

If you do have a ring, it's probably your pride and joy, lighting up your days with its sparkle. But do you know the history of the engagement ring?

In all cultures, traditions of engagement, betrothal and other forms of the commitment to marry extend back thousands of years. Whether it was an arranged marriage or a marriage of choice, the engagement provided time for the communities' (not to mention the families') reaction and counsel. Engagement periods also offered everyone involved with the wedding plenty of opportunities to prepare and plan for the ceremony and reception.

Historians do not have a clear idea of when the engagement ring became a standard gift to symbolize the promise to wed. What is certain is that the exchange of rings in the marriage ceremony predates the giving of an engagement ring and that the customs related to engagement itself also existed long before the engagement ring became the most prevalent gift to give.

Traditionally, the seriousness of marriage was marked by the exchange of household wealth. The bride's family was expected to provide a dowry. The groom's family, in exchange, usually paid a somewhat lesser bride price. Note that in some cultures, only one or the other was given. The engagement ring may be a custom that is distantly related to this payment of a bride price, similar to the custom of the bride's family paying for the expenses of the wedding -- derived from that of providing a dowry.

Historical records in Europe show that future grooms from wealthy aristocracy gave engagement rings to their beloveds beginning in the 1400s. This coincides with the rise of Courtly Love, where the wealthy and privileged classes were more free to romanticize marriage, beyond its practical economic, political, and social purposes. Until then, marriages were typically arranged to suit the needs of both families involved, whether their concerns were economic or political. You might not even get to meet your spouse-to-be before the wedding day!

Kind of puts your ring -- and all of the privileges that go along with it - into perspective.


A Music Plus
Denver's Wedding Entertainment Specialists
Disc Jockeys, Live Wedding Bands, Event Entertainment Specialists
http://www.amusicplus.com/