Two simple gold bands. Out of all the diamonds and gems encrusted, platinum and titanium metal, fashionable design and intricate styles, the most persuasive and most fundamental symbol of marriage remains a simple band of gold, worn without ornamentation on the third finger of the left hand. A wedding band is a winning symbol of marriage. It sends a distinctive message about our marital status, as anyone who has taken a quick glance at the left hand of an attractive stranger will tell you. When a couple adorn it as a pair, it signifies the bond two people share, the solid, enduring, endless bond that connects them even when they're apart. It was the ideal concept of wedding band that made me not to rush into getting one but by furnishing me and my would-be with the vow behind the ring that we are gonna exchange on our engagement day. I wanted to shop for our ring together with Raj and pick on the ones we both get fascinated with. That is how it should be right? But why so much of excitement and hoopla about this little love-binder?
Wedding bands just knock into reality that something indispensable that we all recognize - a wedding ring means marriage, and marriage means the most profound love we're gifted with. The concept of exchanging rings has been around for centuries and is unique in its own way. Almost every culture worldwide seals marriage with an exchange of rings. Though the practices may show a discrepancy somewhat, the sentiment and gist is certainly there. Whatever the culture is, whatever the century is, and people have acknowledged the importance of sealing their unions with rings.
The wedding bands and engagement rings you choose will be one of the most enduring token of love on your wedding day. Not only are they an important element of becoming married, but they are also a long-lasting symbol of your love and commitment. Therefore, you'll want to choose jewelry that is timeless, fine quality and matchless. Eventually, I would prefer to get something precious and worth for the money spent. Since we both will be wearing it for the rest of our life, we want to make sure we both get it right. In the rush to complete wedding plans, it's not uncommon for couples to put off buying the all-important element that seals their vows: their wedding bands. And I am not afraid to admit I and Raj was one of them. It was our first plan to get it done earlier during Diwali festival. But on eleventh hour, Raj had to abide to his duty calls abroad; we were left with no choice but to do it after his return back to Malaysia. So it was only yesterday we manage to scout for it and placed custom-made order upon his arrival. We both loved it as we set our eyes on it and tried on both our fingers to see if it will look good if we had our names engraved on it. As we envisage the fast-forward event in our minds, it felt real good.
So, the next question will be which ring finger should be bind to the band? There are many presumptions as to which particular finger came to symbolize marriage. Both the ancient Romans and Egyptians believed that a vein - called the vena amoris in Latin - ran directly from that left side finger to the heart. So why do we confine ourselves on which finger our wedding rings should go. After all, either finger we slip our rings into, all that matters is the heart and love we have for each other. And so we both sat down with the jeweler staff who was engaging us with the various beautiful designs they have in their display, in the presence of my parents (They left it to us to make up our minds after all; its our choice that matters the most), we had one thing in mind. A plain classic gold band without being too artistic that will obscure the significance of the band.
As I was doing my own homework in quest for our wedding band choices, I got to know that men didn’t even wear them until World War II. Only after that era, it became popular as a way for husbands sent overseas to remember their wives back home and also as a symbol of their marriages. I would look at the concept of betrothal rings as a pure romance, a gesture of love and affection and a promise to spend the rest of my life with the man of my love. I and Raj made it to the gold store to look for an engagement band. We want it to be done together and made sure it was something we both loved for the touch of the design and how comfortably it sits on our finger for the rest of our life. At that point of selection through the various designs and styles lay across the display, we humorously said to each other, “Now we’re gonna be officially bonded to each other with our names engraved on the bands showing that we’re taken off the shelf!” Ha,ha,ha. Both of us more than glad to wear the wedding bands which express our desire and joy to show the world that we have found the soul mate of our dreams and it holds precious to be engaged and soon-to-be-married!
So what does all of this mean? What kind of band shall I go for? Are wedding rings merely an indistinct traditional custom that we've held on to out of respect to our ancestors? Many couples today choose to flaunt tradition with a modern twist to it. Some couples choose silver or platinum rings; some women replace the traditional gold band with ornate, diamond-encrusted rings. As Hindu, we opt for classic gold bands with sophisticated style that fits comfortably on our fingers. While personal style will always be a factor and personal choice must always be respected, I maintain that some thought ought to be given to the fact that your wedding ring is a symbol of marriage. It is not jewelry, or rather, it shouldn't be. Wear whatever elaborate or expensive rings you wish on your other fingers, but consider that the ring you wear to symbolize your marriage shouldn't be garish or clichéd or a way in which to show off your husband's affluence. The desire for pretty diamonds and dazzling precious gems has overshadowed the simple beauty of a plain gold band, especially when that band represents so much more than any diamond ever could.
A wedding band is not something you should "trade up" for something better when your finances become more stable, either. I look up to my wedding band as part of me which I will not toss away when a shinier diamond becomes available. "With this ring, I thee wed..." is the vow we make. We should honour that part of our vows as much as any other.
To me, my wedding band is far more precious than any other jewellery I own in the past and present. If I could keep only one thing from my wedding day to symbolize my love for my husband, I will definitely keep the band to represent our commitment to each other, our ability to weather life's storms together, our trust and faith in each other, our mutual admiration and delight in each other...what would it be beside this?
It would be a simple, beautiful, elegant band of gold that represents the day we both pledged to be together! The wedding band that I adore.
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