It has only been within the last two generations that most grooms have been exchanging wedding bands with their brides. Called "double ring ceremonies" this phenomenon slowly caught on after the Second World War and has been growing ever since.
There were two reasons why a man wouldn't wear a wedding ring: cost and custom. The economic boom of the 1950s increased disposable income, which meant that people had extra cash available to buy treasured items including jewelry also up until that time, many men weren't that interested in jewelry, although a gold tie clip, watch, or money clip often made for an appropriate gift.
As times have changed, so have customs. Jewelry designers, seizing upon the demand for gold, silver, and platinum, as well as precious stones, began to craft "his and her" wedding bands as customer tastes began to shift. By the 1970s, double-ring wedding ceremonies came into vogue and, today, the vast majority of American weddings have bride and groom exchanging rings while they exchange their vows.
Still, some guys are resistant to change thinking that a wedding ring isn't manly enough or that they're just not comfortable with wearing jewelry. Designers understand the difference between men and women, and have crafted matching rings that look feminine on a woman's hand, yet masculine on the man's hand. In addition, jewelers make sure that when a guy tries on a ring that it fits right and looks good. After all, he'll be wearing a wedding band for the rest of his life - he might as well look and feel good wearing it!
Brides are appreciative when the groom heartily agrees to wear a wedding ring. Women value symbolism, seeing wedding bands as an expression of mutual love, a visible commonality uniting husband and wife together.
When selecting a wedding band, you'll be shown rings containing the following precious metals: gold, silver, or platinum. Usually, the metal selected matches the bride's engagement ring, therefore if you chose a white gold or yellow gold ring, then the same metal should be chosen for the wedding rings. If you already own a gold watch, then a yellow gold ring would match that perfectly.
Many wedding bands contain stones, specifically diamonds. Not many men want to wear diamonds, while most women do. Therefore, when choosing rings the style of the band can be the same, while allowing the bride to have hers embedded with diamonds. Most men's wedding bands are wider than the woman's too; therefore there is no mistaking which is the guy's ring and which is the gal's ring.
The most difficult part of shopping for wedding rings is traveling from store to store in search of the right pair. Fortunately, the internet has revolutionized jewelry buying by putting entire stores online. Go ahead and make that one visit to a favorite mall jeweler to look at rings up close and to try some on.
Why purchase online? Well, it certainly beats several trips to the mall and traveling through traffic eating up time and gas. In addition, with a lower overhead and, in most cases, no sales tax to pay, you could save a big amount of money by shopping online. These days we're all looking to save and she won't mind as long as the wedding rings match her expectations.
Once you've shopped from the comfort and convenience of your own computer, you'll be in a better frame of mind to choose a pair of wedding rings everyone will be happy with. Shopping online is fast and convenient, just the way us guys like to shop in the first place!