Who Buys the Wedding Bands Man or Woman? While some believe that the most traditional way to go about the purchase of wedding bands would be to have the bride pay for the groom’s wedding band plus their wedding gift, and the groom to pay for the engagement ring, as well as the bride’s wedding band, others hold different beliefs, for some, both parties can contribute to paying for the wedding, with the most common approach embraced today, having the couples brooch the subject as a joint investment.
No one party is responsible for the full cost of the wedding bands. But despite this plan appearing as the ideal strategy, not everyone agrees with it, hence this article. In it, we’ll look at different approaches towards the purchase of wedding bands, and who is responsible for the purchase of the ring.
Generally, there is no real answer to this question, and most people find that the best, most comfortable answer to them would be going with what feels right to them and their relationship. Even then, there are endless possibilities.
So, let’s get started!
Let’s Know Wedding rings tradition or history first.
When it comes to weddings, the traditions that are involved seem to evolve significantly, which means that besides your parents’ wedding looking nothing like what you settle on, who buys your wedding rings may also be very different. But it’s not just the wedding traditions that have changed significantly; the wedding rings have changed significantly too.
You see, for the longest time, across generations, it was thought that a specific gender would determine the selection of the rings, but the rules have now flipped.
As a result of changes in gender roles and perhaps the need to have each of the genders participate in the process, more and more couples are making joint decisions on all matters affecting their weddings, where they sit down and discuss everything about the wedding expenses, including the wedding bands and the engagement rings.
But before we recommend one approach over the other, let’s first take a look at some of the most common wedding ring traditions that you may have heard about.
Historic/ Wedding Ring Traditions
Ring exchange has got to be one of the oldest traditions that’s practiced in weddings to symbolize marriage. Rings’ exchange during a wedding can be traced back to the ancient times where the wedding rings exchanged weren’t made of metal or simulated materials, but hemp and leather.
And it wasn’t until much later that people began crafting rings from precious metals like gold and silver.
Over the years and then, with the increase in the price of gold and silver, these precious metals have been used increasingly, with the most notable change being an increase in crafting of rings made of other metals, even as the prices of wedding rings keep increasing.
Interestingly, the high financial burden around the wedding bands is the very reason why there is an increasing amount of pressure for people to buy the best of wedding rings.
Besides the purchase of wedding rings made of expensive materials, the stone embellishments in wedding and engagement rings are also steeped deep in traditions, and the practice has been around for decades.
Out of the available options, diamonds are the most common options, and depending on the couples’ preferences or even the preferences of the bride’s or groom’s family, the rings selected would be purchased by one party.
But who buys the wedding rings? Going by traditions, the groom has been, for the longest time, been the party that buy the wedding ring. This has been the practice upheld by different communities and cultures for generations. However, this tradition doesn’t stand for everyone today.
Traditionally, it was also common for the bridegroom to buy the bride’s engagement and wedding rings, and for the bride to buy the groom’s ring. This was the case for the romantics, where the lovers exchanged wedding rings as wedding gifts for each other.
Today, who buys the wedding band depends on a number of aspects; for example, does the couple run things from a shared bank account, or do they prefer splitting their costs whenever possible? This is the most important consideration because couples lead different lives and have different opinions or perspectives, which means that when it comes to a decision overt the wedding bands, they have to make the decision jointly.
With this approach and changing perspectives, one of the things that would help in determining who buys the wedding band is open communication.
For couples who do things against the grain, their ability to communicate effectively and openly about their preferences will go a long way in preventing squabbles. Open communication ensures that regardless of how you choose to handle your finances, and if you choose to keep your finances open, you come to a decision that you are both happy with.
Who buys the woman’s wedding band?
Traditionally, the groom would buy the bride’s wedding band, while the bride paid for the groom’s wedding band. This was done as part of a binary language that was meant to uphold the tradition of each person paying for the other’s wedding ring.
But nowadays, who buys the bride’s wedding band is up to the couple. There are no rules, and either or both of you could buy the rings for each other or as a joint purchase.
Who buys the groom’s wedding ring?
Traditionally, the bride, with or even without the help of their family, would buy the wedding band for the man. But like the rule on grooms buying the bride the ring, it all involved a binary language, which means that in the most exclusive terms, each half of the couple was expected to pay their other half of the wedding band’s cost.
Nowadays, however, the decision regarding the party that will pay for the wedding band is more or less up in the air.
This means that although some couples choose to split the cost of the rings, something that makes sense for the couples that have already combined their finances before the wedding, or they could each contribute equally towards the purchase of the wedding bands. Some couples also choose to divide up the costs proportionately to their individual incomes.
And like the relationship matters and situations that involve money, couples are encouraged to talk about these matters and only make a decision/ move after they’ve agreed on the best course of action suiting them both.
This means that although splitting the costs feels like the ideal strategy, you could also choose to have one partner cover the cost of the two wedding rings and their partner to cover another wedding expense.
If you are lucky, your parents may chip in, in which case you may buy your wedding band, and your future spouse buys theirs.
Tips for buying wedding rings
Buy wedding rings that you like
It is important to keep in mind when purchasing your wedding band that the wedding band you settle on is something that you will wear for a really long time, maybe even forever. Therefore, it’s a good time to opt for rings that both of you like.
This means that if one of you works in an industry that’s hard and unfriendly to jewelry, you may want to choose a plain, expensive wedding band that they can wear to work and something really nice for them to wear for the wedding.
Some of the options of the most durable rings are the ones made of materials like Damascus Steel, Black Zirconium, or titanium. These are also affordable and very stylish.
Honor your individual styles
it is crucial for you to honor your individual styles by choosing what each of you likes, not what one party likes or thinks will look nice on you.
Again, it’s about settling on a wedding ring that you will have with you for a really long time, which is why you should choose something that reflects your individual taste and style.
This means that whether they prefer rings with wooden inlays or meteorite stones, or even simple, plain rings, they should wear them. On that note, your wedding bands don’t have to match.
Finances.
As mentioned above, different couples will come to different agreements regarding who buys the wedding rings or how they choose to make the purchase.
Therefore, it would be a great idea for you to look at your finances as a couple, making sure that the decision you settle on steers you close to a decision that yields the results you desire.
Budget.
Along the lines of your finances, it is also important to keep in mind your budget. If you are planning a wedding, you are likely planning a future together.
What this means is that you must consider your finances before and after the wedding and whether you can afford the wedding and have a good, happy life afterward.
This means that it’s okay for you to buy a set of inexpensive bands for your ceremony then have them replaced later on.
Conclusion
Times have changed as have ways of life, which means that you are no longer expected to live by the old traditions or customs.
When it comes to wedding bands, this means that you get to choose exactly how you’d like to buy and pay for the wedding bands.
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Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.