The wonder of wedding bands

[KILO NOVEMBER]

"If you really loved me, you'd abdicate." -- Wallis Simpson.

If ever there was a couple who deserved each other, that's it. (Lest anyone misunderstand, that is not a flattering statement.)

 

[LizzieMaine]

As an antidote to royalism they were like a barrel of castor oil.

 

[Edward]

"If you really loved me, you'd abdicate." -- Wallis Simpson.

Hah! Of course, the reality is that both of them had to be forced into the marriag which neither of them really wanted, as it was the only available mechanism for the government of the day to push an open Nazi-sympathiser off the thone...

 

[MisterCairo]

Hah! Of course, the reality is that both of them had to be forced into the marriag which neither of them really wanted, as it was the only available mechanism for the government of the day to push an open Nazi-sympathiser off the thone...

They couldn't have simply provided them with a wedding gift of lead cutlery?

 

[Edward]

They couldn't have simply provided them with a wedding gift of lead cutlery?

Ha, if only.... But no, it turns out that a lot of folks weren't keen on having a divorcee on the throne and at the head of the Church of England..... even if that latter was started in order to facilitate a divorce..... (techincally an annullment, but....).

 

[3fingers]

I have been married twice. My ring from my first marriage is and has been in a cup of junk in the cabinet for many years. I have no idea why I've kept it. It's odd because I never liked that ring and hated wearing it. Perhaps it was a symbol of the train wreck I somehow knew was on the horizon.
I wear my ring from my second marriage every day, even though I work in an industry where wearing jewelry is rare because it is a good way to lose a digit. It seems to be part of me, and I rarely remove it. If I do take it off, I put it back on as soon as the dangerous task is complete. Our rings were made by my step daughter in law, who is a jeweler, from scrap silver we gave her. She also made my wife's engagement ring using a loose stone that my father in law (now deceased) had given my wife.

 

[Harp]

I wear an Irish Claddagh ring...
This may not be canon, but there supposedly is a message sent based upon which hand and in which direction it is worn. Irish charm not withstanding- is still nothing but trouble.

Confirmed Irish bachelor and never heard any of this Gaelic leprechaunism before; interesting however.

 

[Grant Fan]

I wear a white gold band with hand tooled scroll working and my engment ring. They both come off for the gym and cooking. And while my husband was deployed I smacked a knuckle and it got pretty swollen. The doctor wanted the rings off I leveled with him and took the engment ring off but refused to take the wedding band off, it is a half size to big so even on a swollen finger I am fine and I am not going to be without my wedding band while my husband is deployed , not happening. He wears a plain tungsten band and per my request keeps it on his dog tags when flying or on the ship. The way I see it is the ring doesn't make us any more or less married and while I like it on his hand I much prefer his finger on his hand than my ring.

 

[VintageLincoln]

I wear my engagement ring because it's beautiful and my OH picked it for me. We have bought our bands but can't wear them until 28th August. One thing I utterly hate is that, as mentioned in the first post, some women wear them to deter "pests". She has to show she's with another, traditionally a man, to be respected and left alone. It's as if they have more respect for a made up man than for the actual woman before them.

I've long appreciated the custom of the wedding ring. The presence of one tells others that its bearer either is "spoken for," or wishes people to think that. I've known cocktail waitresses who referred to their wedding bands as "no-pest strips."

This is not to say that the absence of a wedding ring means that ring-less person is looking to get hit on. But the presence of one certainly suggests he or she is not.

 

[tonyb]

I wear my engagement ring because it's beautiful and my OH picked it for me. We have bought our bands but can't wear them until 28th August. One thing I utterly hate is that, as mentioned in the first post, some women wear them to deter "pests". She has to show she's with another, traditionally a man, to be respected and left alone. It's as if they have more respect for a made up man than for the actual woman before them.

I'm now of an age when the available (straight) women outnumber the men, by significant margins. I don't object to be chatted up by these old gals, but if I sense they might have designs on me, I make a point of mentioning my lovely wife. Only seems fair.

 

[jkingrph]

My wife had her original set lost or stolen. She still has the replacement, but has developed arthritis and swollen joints after 45 years of marriage and can no longer wear rings. I still have my original on and have had it there every day, except for about 3 months when I badly injured the adjacent bigg finger and had to have it pinned back together and rehabilitated about 20 years ago. It is rather plain gold, and originally had fine beading around the edges which has long since worn smooth.

 

[Edward]

This may not be canon, but there supposedly is a message sent based upon which hand and in which direction it is worn.

I don't know how far back this goes, but yes, this is genuinely considered "traditional" by we Irish today.

The other, less commonly purported end of this tradition is that you're not supposed to buy your own Claddagh - they should always be received as a gift if you're going to wear it. I've yet to encounter an Irish jeweller that will refuse your money once it becomes obvious you're buying one for yourself, though....

 

[SurfGent]

I've read in several places that they have to do with a lore surrounding the planet Saturn.

 

[Michaelshane]

I made these wedding rings for friends who wanted something different than what most couples get.I make lots of Wedding sets.

 

[prairieschooner]

I've worn my wedding ring through (as of this June) 47 years of marriage to the love of my life. I've had it resized twice; I'd feel naked without it.

My late father-in-law almost declined heart surgery because they told him they'd have to cut his wedding ring off; he hadn't had it off in so long he couldn't get it over his knuckle. We had to talk him into it. My wife had it incorporated into a ring for herself when he passed. Wedding rings may be only a symbol but they're mighty important to some folks.

 

[St. Louis]

I'm now of an age when the available (straight) women outnumber the men, by significant margins. I don't object to be chatted up by these old gals, but if I sense they might have designs on me, I make a point of mentioning my lovely wife. Only seems fair.

My goodness, dear, you must be irresistible!

 

[tonyb]

My goodness, dear, you must be irresistible!

If only it were so.

I enjoy the company of women, though, and enough of y'all are cool with that to keep me in conversation.

 

[tonyb]

"White gold" was very popular for wedding bands in the 1930s. My grandfather, rough-hewn fellow that he was, always wore his until it wore thru and split at the back.

My twice-widowed mother lost her first husband when she was 21-years-old and had three young children, the youngest of whom was myself. I was four months old then.

She kept her white gold wedding bands from that marriage stashed away, to perhaps bestow upon a child or a grandchild someday. But a burglar had other designs.

I like to think that those who steal might not if they knew just what it was they were taking from their victims. But I am not so naive as to actually believe that.

 

[scotrace]

I have my grandmother's two engagement/wedding sets, and my parents' bands. More stuff that will probably be lost when I'm gone.

 

[Rumor Control]

In the middle 1990's my great aunt (90+ years old) wanted to give me her wedding band as she was in the hospital. I said no give it to me when you get out. She never got out and I regret to this day not taking the ring. It was not worth much. It was inscribed wth her and her husbands initials and the year 1918. (I do have my uncles pocket watch with his initials.) Point of the story; if someone offers you something especially with great sentimental value, take it. You may not get another chance.