The Wedding Zone - From Engagement to Honeymoon
Getting Married? Start Here

Wedding Rings

The double-ring wedding ceremony gained popularity during World War II as young soldiers shipped off to war. The token of the marriage contract took on new sentimentality during such troubling times, and the custom remains intact today.

Ceremonies differ, vows are often unique, but the tradition of the wedding ring has survived down the ages, and probably will forever.

The exact origin of wedding rings is uncertain and is steeped in superstition and mythology. Papyrus dating back to ancient Egyptian civilization depict wedding rings, and many historians credit Egyptians with originating the wedding ring tradition.

In ancient times, accepting a wedding ring constituted a legally binding agreement between a man and a woman to become husband and wife. The wife became a chattel or property of the husband.

According to a report in the Daily Mirror (080606)

ABOUT £94million worth of wedding and engagement rings are lost in Britain within a year of being bought. One in six men lose a wedding ring within three months and 16 per cent of women lose engagement rings within 12 months.

The average engagement ring costs £1,576 and wedding rings £385. Insurer Prudential, which polled more than 2,000 people, said: "Insurance can't replace the sentimental value."

---