Kate Middleton, of course, will be putting the pedal to the metal with a Welsh gold band bequeathed by the Queen, but her famous fiance is rejecting the most hallowed of bridal traditions for no other reason than - he just doesn't have a taste for jewelry.
Yeah, neither does most of the warm-blooded male population, but they suck it up and wear the universal symbol for 'I'm taken' just the same. Just sayin'.
It’s a bold decision for any groom to make, royal or no. Even Will’s father, Charles, wears a wedding band beneath his signet ring. But according to insiders, the Prince has Kate’s blessing.
What do you guys think of William's wedding band balk? Is it OK for guys (any guy - not just the most famous groom on the planet) to take a pass on the wedding band tradition? Or is it all's fair in love and ring fingers? Thoughts?
17 comments:
Dear Ms. Insider,
When did wedding bands for men become de rigueur?
Who knows maybe he will jump out of his helicopter, catch his ring on a bolt and lose wedding band finger and all. LOL
Although becoming more popular there are a lot of men in Australia who choose not to have a wedding band when they get married. My husband doesn't have one. Doesn't bother me in the least!
You all make valid points. And I'm not sure when the tradition for both men and women to wear bands became the norm (will look into this - you've piqued my curiosity), but the fact is - it is the norm. And I shudder to think what folks would say if it were Kate who felt the way William does. Where is her room to say, 'no thanks' to bridal jewelry? All I'm sayin' is: what's good for the bride should be good for the groom. It's not fair the man gets to get out of the tradition when he feels like it and women aren't. OK. End of soap box. :-)
Wedding rings (male or female) are a symbol. As such, it's really up to the couple, I think. You can wear a heart pendant as a symbol of love, a cross or other religious icon as a symbol of faith, a wedding band as a symbol of commitment, a key as a symbol of trust, etc. Or not...
Nevertheless, I do think it odd. We're not talking about some trendy, newfangled symbol here, but a time-honored and near-universal tradition.
I wonder if his 'highness' will abjure crown, sceptre, robes, coronation, rolls-royces, palaces, public income and other 'symbols' of his 'authority' when that time comes...?
Why should he wear a ring to show he is "taken." The entire world knows he is TAKEN.
A lot of other countries don't consider wedding bands for men the norm and some men who don't wear any jewelry don't feel comfortable wearing a ring - even if its a wedding band.
Prior to the 20th century, men wearing a wedding ring was rare. But the American Jewellery Association promoted men's wedding bands as a way to increase sales in the last years of the 19th century and by the 1920s 15% of all weddings in the USA were 'double ring' ceremonies. Continuing marketing meant that by the 1940s this figure rose to around 40%. A successful marketing campaign!
Also, remember that Prince William is in the military and they don't allow aircrew to wear rings of any type (including wedding bands) as a safety factor.
Thanks, Annette. Very informative. You know, I do understand the 'miliatry' aspect. My husband is a wildland fire fighter and he doesn't wear his ring when he works. But he does have one - and trots it out when there isn't a risk his finger might get cut off. If nothing else, I love that his choice is sparking so much debate. It's good to liven things up and ask ourselves why we do the things we do. When it comes to jewelry, thoug - I'm a 'more is more' kinda gal! For men and women. So I'm a little biased. :-)
i disagree with "I wonder if his 'highness' will abjure crown, sceptre, robes, coronation, rolls-royces, palaces, public income and other 'symbols' of his 'authority' when that time comes...? "
I'm thinking on special occasions like coronation he'd relent and treat us all to a show of the good stuff as far crowns and sceptres go, I'd hope. I totally picture him or Charles doing an "I'm the Wiz" routine to crack up their ladies, but maybe it'd be a more British type humour who knows.
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Hmm, I think it is just usual for men not to have a wedding band. For me its ok..
Hmm... Maybe the Prince just wants to prove that, even without the rings, their bond will be as strong as any other couple's. If he didn't like rings, he could have kept them as a symbol of their commitment with each other, something to remember one of the greatest days of his life.
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