• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Wedding band etiquette?

Thracozaag

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2002
Messages
3,093
Reaction score
9
My father was doing some research about a gentleman, and came across several pictures, circa 1901 showing him wearing his wedding band. It seems that prior to WWII this was a rather uncommon occurence, does anyone know when this tradition started and/or why?

koji
 

stach

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2006
Messages
558
Reaction score
1
Eastern European men in particular still tend to not wear them.
 

lee_44106

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2006
Messages
8,043
Reaction score
100
Here in the US, I've always thought the wedding band should stay on the left ring finger. I do take it off sometimes at work. I also take it off at home because I find it inconvenient when doing house chores, washing dishes, and occasionally when working with food/cooking.
 

odoreater

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2005
Messages
8,587
Reaction score
45
Originally Posted by stach
Eastern European men in particular still tend to not wear them.

My family is originally from Eastern Europe and I have never seen my father wear his wedding band. But, then again, my father is a plumber so I'm not sure how much sense it makes for him to wear it. Also, in our culture, wedding bands are worn on the ring finger of the right hand.
 

skalogre

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
6,348
Reaction score
157
Originally Posted by odoreater
My family is originally from Eastern Europe and I have never seen my father wear his wedding band. But, then again, my father is a plumber so I'm not sure how much sense it makes for him to wear it. Also, in our culture, wedding bands are worn on the ring finger of the right hand.

Yep, same here - wedding band on right hand. Probably an Orthodox church thing.
 

Tomasso

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
4,067
Reaction score
19
I've never worn one and neither did my father or grandfather.
 

jeansandtshirt

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 15, 2006
Messages
258
Reaction score
0
I'm not married, but if I was, no way I'd be wearing one. I'm a scratch freak, and would never wear something that could leave a mark on something I handle. Instead of a ring, how about a wedding watch? That way the bride can spend as much on the guy as he spends on her diamond. Doesn't every woman want "equality" now?
laugh.gif


I'm not sure this falls into etiquette, but one thing a guy should do, if he does wear a ring, is get a new one when he gets old and fat. Seeing older guys that have gained 50 lbs since their wedding and wearing a "skinny" band is freaky looking. That is if they can still get them off.
laugh.gif
 

LabelKing

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
May 24, 2002
Messages
25,421
Reaction score
268
I have seen interwar pictures of German aristocrats wearing a wedding band, a signet ring, a pinky ring, and a decorative ring.
 

lawyerdad

Lying Dog-faced Pony Soldier
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
27,006
Reaction score
17,139
Originally Posted by jeansandtshirt
I'm not married, but if I was, no way I'd be wearing one. I'm a scratch freak, and would never wear something that could leave a mark on something I handle. Instead of a ring, how about a wedding watch? That way the bride can spend as much on the guy as he spends on her diamond. Doesn't every woman want "equality" now?
laugh.gif


I'm not sure this falls into etiquette, but one thing a guy should do, if he does wear a ring, is get a new one when he gets old and fat. Seeing older guys that have gained 50 lbs since their wedding and wearing a "skinny" band is freaky looking. That is if they can still get them off.
laugh.gif

In 10+years of marriage, I can't recall every scratching anything with my wedding bad. Conversely, the band has definitely developed a "patina" of scratches, etc. Wedding bands tend to me made of soft metal, and men's bands usually don't have gems or the like that would tend to cause scratching. However, as someone who generally did not wear jewelry (I did not and generally still don't wear a watch, for example) it did take some getting used to (physically as well as mentally
wink.gif
)
Oh, and I wear it on the ring finger of my left hand.
Edit: Err, make that "wedding band", not "wedding bad". LOL
 

kronik

Distinguished Member
Joined
May 2, 2006
Messages
3,905
Reaction score
8
sly.gif
Take it off when you go to the club.
 

acidboy

Stylish Dinosaur
Spamminator Moderator
Joined
Mar 13, 2006
Messages
19,672
Reaction score
1,555
as i've almost lost my wedding band twice, my wife pleaded me to just put it in the safe. works well for me.
smile.gif
 

luk-cha

Distinguished Member
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Jun 1, 2006
Messages
4,530
Reaction score
83
mine encrusted in black diamond set in white gold and my wife's is white diamonds in rose gold - i guess sort of yin yang thing but i sometime forget to wear it which p@#$'s her of at times - women are just so sensitive but working away form home in the week i guess help that!
laugh.gif
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.2%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 38.8%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.2%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.1%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,155
Messages
10,578,844
Members
223,880
Latest member
nor77man
Top