Wedding rings have been around since the time of Ancient Egypt, steeped in symbolism that acts as a daily reminder of our pledge to forever.  The circle for many cultures represented eternity with no beginning and no end.  Originally made out of papyrus, you can imagine that they didn’t last as long as ones suitor intended.  Wedding rings were later upgraded to leather but it wasn’t long before people started using precious metal instead.  

The Romans were thought to be the first to ever engrave the wedding bands.  They also started the tradition of wearing the ring on what we now term today as our ring finger because they thought that a vein from the heart went directly to that finger.  Modern science has proven that to be false but I still love the sentiment behind that idea.

Originally wedding rings were simple but during the medieval period, precious stones were used with the most popular being the ruby to symbolize the heart.  Diamonds in engagement rings and wedding bands were not used until 1477 when the Archduke Maximillian presented one to his future bride.

Each wedding ring has a story and some even a family history associated with them.  I love nothing more than to see a newly engaged girl look down at her ring and get lost in the future possibilities that it promises or the new bride with tears of joy in her eyes as she looks down and sees that wedding band nestled lovingly against her engagement ring.  Because of this, each Wednesday, I will be bringing you love stories, proposals, and marriage insights from past and present brides.  With the ever present desire and drive to preserve and strengthen marriage, my goal is to share the symbols of these women’s pledge to forever and the stories and adventures associated with it.  Join me next week for our very first Wedding Ring Wednesday.