Engagement Rings vs. Wedding Bands

Engagement Rings vs. Wedding Bands

Posted by Koorosh Daneshgar on May 7th 2020

What is the difference between an engagement ring and a wedding ring/band?

difference between an engagement ring and a wedding band

Still, for many couples, the question is: What is the difference between an engagement ring and a wedding ring/band? In this article, we will elaborate on some details about the wedding rings vs engagement rings. We will also tell you where to buy engagement rings in Chicago.

What is the difference between an engagement ring and a wedding band? The engagement ring is offered at the proposal. This ring usually has intricate details and at least one diamond stone in the center. The bride wears the engagement ring on their left hand, after saying "yes" to show that they are engaged to marry someone.

A wedding ring typically has a simple look. Wedding rings are exchanged by the bride and groom at the wedding ceremony to show everyone that they are married.

Features Wedding ring Engagement ring
Design Simple Complex
Diamond Usually doesn't have a diamond Usually has a diamond
It is for Both bride and groom The bride
Where to offer In marriage ceremony During the proposal
When to offer After vows are said After the bride says yes

It is not enough to only know the definition of ring types. What an engagement ring symbolizes and represents a societal culture in Chicago can be vastly different in other areas such as Delhi. This article will give you more details on when and how to wear an engagement ring, especially from a Chicago point of view.

The anatomy of ring (difference between an engagement ring and a wedding band)

Can you use your engagement ring as your wedding ring?

To answer this question, I have to say that it all depends on your priorities. Some people are so interested in their engagement ring that they prefer to wear it even after the marriage ceremony as a secondary wedding band. But some people prefer to follow the traditions and have everything in place, so they prefer to have a separate wedding ring for the marriage ceremony. It is really up to you to decide what you want to do.

Although traditions sometimes dictate how we should behave, there is always an intermediate option too. We strongly recommend you order the wedding band and the engagement ring with one jewelry designer. The jewelry designer can create a personalized bridal set with an engagement ring and a wedding band together. In the bridal band set, two rings can perfectly be matched to each other.

If the bridal set is designed well, two rings will look as one united ring. In this case, you can always wear the engagement ring and the wedding ring together. Whenever you feel uncomfortable about wearing the engagement ring for any reason, you can use the wedding ring alone.

Which ring is the engagement ring?

The engagement ring is the ring that you will propose with it for your beloved. The engagement ring is a ring to symbolize your forever love. Although the engagement ring usually has one or more diamonds at its center, this is not a rule! Your engagement ring and its gemstone(s) may look different depending on your priorities, culture, and budget.

After saying yes, the bride wears the ring to show everyone that they are engaged or promised to marry someone they love and that they are no longer available. Usually, at least until the day of the wedding, they do not remove the engagement ring.

The engagement rings can be made of a variety of metals some of the most common includes rose gold, yellow gold, white gold, and platinum. Center stones and side stones can vary among colored diamonds, colorless diamonds or other gemstones. From a design standpoint, it can range from simple rings with minimalism designs to rings with lots of details in vintage design.

To be able to easily find your favorite design from this wide range, you need to know about the anatomy of the engagement ring. The following link helps you increase your knowledge of ring anatomy so you can consult your wedding jewelry designer more effectively.

The anatomy of rings

Traditionally, the engagement rings have a glamorous appearance with at least one diamond at its center. Diamonds have been a popular choice for an engagement ring from the past because diamonds are the hardest gemstone, they also look sparkly, stunning, and most importantly almost all women prefer to have a diamond engagement ring. (You can read more about this in the link below.)

Is it important for girls to have adiamond engagement ring?

Wedding ring vs engagement ring


What Is A Wedding Ring?

The wedding ring is exchanged on the wedding day between the couple. This ring expresses their deep love for each other. Usually, the couple chooses these rings together during the engagement period. Both the bride and groom's tastes are involved and important in choosing these rings that symbolize their married life.

As I mentioned above, there are some differences between an engagement ring and a wedding band. Including that the engagement ring belongs to the bride while the wedding ring is for both the bride and groom. Another difference is that usually, the wedding band has a simple design while the engagement ring has more details in its design and has precious diamonds. Thus, it can be a little difficult to do daily activities with the engagement ring.

Ordering a wedding band allows you to have match your ring with your spouse. Secondly, the wedding ring is more user-friendly than an engagement ring, so you can wear it throughout the day and do your daily activities like going to work, going to the gym, cooking, and so on without worrying about damage to the diamond or gemstone.

When do you get a wedding band?

In general, it is best to look for the wedding ring 3-4 months before the wedding. You are going to keep the wedding ring as a symbol of your married life not only in front of your eyes but in front of everyone's view for several years to come. You should give yourself plenty of time before choosing the wedding band and do your best to find a suitable personalized design that is not boring or repetitive.

Some couples even prefer to wear the wedding ring almost a month before the wedding to get used to both its size and comfort. On the other hand, since it is best to order a wedding and engagement ring from a jewelry company, you need to check with them to ensure how long it takes to get your order delivered.

By considering all these aspects, you should begin to search for a wedding band at least 3 to 4 months before the wedding ceremony. In this case, you can make the best choice without having stress about lack of time.

Does your wedding ring have to match your engagement ring?

Many couples have this question that do I have to wear a ring set? Is it necessary to match the engagement ring with the wedding band or not? To answer these questions, I have to say it depends on your taste too.

It is not necessary to wear a ring set. You should determine your style and consult with a wedding jewelry designer to determine whether you prefer a matched wedding band and engagement ring or not.

Having the matched rings allows you to use both rings together or alone easily. However, in some cultures and tastes, having a set ring is not important. If in your culture, the bride usually has different wedding jewelry (like in India) you can skip the matched rings if you want.

But if you prefer to wear only one ring, I recommend you to consult with a jewelry designer to design a matched wedding band and engagement ring that fits your taste, so that you won't have any trouble by using it even in the coming years.

It is important to note that some women, even after many years of marriage, prefer to wear the engagement ring alone, due to their interest in their unique engagement ring. So, you can see that everything depends on your taste and style.

The difference between an engagement ring and a wedding bands

Who buys the groom's ring?

Traditionally, the bride usually buys the groom’s ring. Traditions dictate to us that the groom pays for the engagement ring and the wedding ring for the bride, and the bride buys the wedding ring for the groom as a gift.

Of course, since the wedding ring is chosen and bought by the bride and groom together, many modern couples who do not want to follow the traditions prefer to pay the cost of the wedding rings equally. In some cases, some couples prefer to pay for their ring.

Can you wear engagement ring on right hand?

Different cultures and religions have varying rules about the ‘ring finger’. But within the public culture in the United States, the engagement ring is usually worn on the left-hand finger. For example, an engagement ring in Chicago is usually matching with a wedding band so that the bride can wear both rings on the left hand, as a bridal set.

In some cultures, the engagement ring is worn on the right hand, and the wedding ring is worn on the left. Of course, in addition to the cultural aspect, some brides also use this trick to keep their diamond ring away from being overshadowed by the wedding band to make it look bigger and more luxurious.

If you still have questions or ambiguities about this issue, I recommend you read the following article as it deals specifically with the subject of the ring finger and even explains the history of this culture.

Which finger do you wear an engagement ring?

Do you wear your engagement ring when you walk down the aisle?

Traditionally, brides wear the engagement ring in their right hand when walking down the aisle, and after exchanging vows, it is time to exchange the bands. The groom places the wedding band on the left ring finger of the bride.

Usually, after the wedding ceremony, the bride will wear the engagement ring next to the wedding band in her left hand.

If the engagement ring is not fit for your right hand and you cannot slip it on, wear it on your pinky finger. Another idea is entrusting your engagement ring to a close friend or family member while walking down the aisle, and then getting it back and wearing the engagement ring after the band exchange and photography is completed.

The history of why it is traditionally the groom that should place the engagement ring and the wedding band in the left hand of the bride goes back to the ancient Roman times. At the time, it was believed that a vein would reach the heart directly from the ring finger of the left hand. As a result, the Romans believed that this finger was the closest finger to the heart.

Although modern science rejects this assumption, and we all know that such a vein does not exist in the real world, it is still traditionally the left finger symbolizes to be close to the heart and is welcomed by almost all couples.

what is the difference between an engagement ring and a wedding band

Do you wear your engagement ring during wedding ceremony?

As I mentioned above, you can keep the engagement ring on your right ring finger for the whole duration of the wedding ceremony. Even if your ring is not fit in size for your right hand, then, you can wear it on your pinky finger.

It is usually advisable not to wear the ring in your left hand when you walk down the aisle and let the groom place the wedding band in the empty left ring finger in the ring exchanging time. The rest depends on the bride's choice, whether she can wear the engagement ring at her right hand during the ceremony or to entrust it to a close friend or family member during the wedding ceremony.

So far we've been talking about Wedding ring vs engagement ring. We reviewed the ring selection and traditions of exchanging it. But most importantly, we should learn how to maintain the rings over many years of marriage life.

Before any problem arises for your favorite ring, check out the link below and read the article. This article will help you take the best care of your ring over the many years of marriage life, by gathering solutions for damages to your rings before and after they occur.

We purchased our engagement ring and wedding bands what is next?

When you get married, do you take off your engagement ring?

It depends on your style and taste. If you don't like to wear the engagement ring for years after marriage, you can take off your engagement ring after you get married. But if you are deeply interested in your engagement ring and you don't want to take it off, you can keep wearing it.

As the engagement ring symbolizes the groom's endless brides become attached to their engagement ring during their engagement period as they continue to wear it. Also, it can be a pity to have your expensive and extraordinary ring in a corner of the house.

So I strongly recommend you to order your wedding band from the same jewelry company that you had ordered the engagement ring. In this case, the jewelry designer can create a personalized design for you that is completely matched to your engagement ring so you will have this opportunity to both wear the rings alone or together.

Again, I emphasize you to not miss this chance, because no matter what is your initial point of view about which ring you are wearing after you get married, you may want to change your mind over the years of your love life. If you use the same designer to make both rings, you will have all the options you need to wear the rings.

How do you wear a wedding ring and engagement ring?

In different cultures and religions, there are different traditions about the order of the rings. Many people believe that the wedding ring should be closer to the heart, so they place the wedding ring at the bottom and the engagement ring at the top of the left ring finger.

But others also say that you should wear the rings in the order that you got them. As a result, they wear the engagement ring on the bottom and the wedding band on the top of the fourth left finger.

There is the third group who believes that the engagement ring should be in the right hand and the wedding band in the left hand. And finally, the fourth group who prefer not to wear their engagement ring after they get married, so they just wear the wedding band in the left finger.

Before choosing the wedding ring, it is better to check out which arrangement is best for you and then talk about it with your ring designer so that he can make your dreamy ring.

Can you use your engagement ring as your wedding ring?

Do you wear both engagement and wedding rings?

By ordering a matched engagement ring and wedding band from the same jewelry company, so you can easily use both of them. The jewelry designer will offer you different designs and settings and you can choose one according to your taste.

However, if you order a bridal set, you will have the chance to wear both rings, just one ring, or you can wear the wedding band on the left hand and engagement ring on the right.

Of course, some brides also prefer to wear the engagement diamond ring only on special occasions and just wear a wedding ring in routine daily life.

How to pick a wedding ring?

1.Decide exactly what you are looking for

Colored diamonds, white gold, yellow gold, gems, and classic to modern designs can be confusing for the bride and groom. So, first of all, you need to determine the totality of the ring you want to reach.

Order the wedding ring from the same company that made the engagement ring

You may spend hours consulting with your jewelry designer to design the engagement ring according to your taste, opinion, budget, and personality. If you order a wedding ring from the same company, first you will not need to spend a lot of time consulting again and secondly, the designer can easily design the matched wedding band by applying the technique, design, and idea that used in making the engagement ring.

2.Start ring research early

To buy a wedding ring, you must start the ring search for at least 3-4 months before the wedding. If you are one of those people who finds it very hard to find something to suit your taste, then you may even need to get started 6 months earlier.

3.Feel comfortable with your jewelry designer

Feel comfortable with your jewelry designer and share all your wishes with them. A professional designer can create a more special ring based on the information he gets from you. Make sure to share important pieces of information about your lifestyle, interests, and budget with the designer so that he can personalize the ring for you.

4.Think long term

Keep in mind that you are going to wear the ring for several years, so make sure to choose the most comfortable ring, fit in size and with high quality.

Where are the best places to buy engagement rings and wedding bands in Chicago?

If you're looking for a wedding band and engagement ring in Chicago, then be sure to check out Chicago’s Jewelers Row. Jewelers Row, or Chicago diamond district, is a well-known place between couples who want to buy any wedding or engagement ring in Chicago.

The wedding band company is one of the best stores in Jewelers Row. Our company with over 30 years of experience can provide you a variety of engagement rings and wedding rings. Our expert designers can help you to design the perfect ring based on your interests and personality.

The wedding band company’s showroom is located at 43 E Oak St. fl 2, Chicago, IL 60611.

If you are going to plan an engagement party after you say "yes", be sure to check out the link below. This article explains how to plan an engagement party in 10 steps.

How to plan an engagement party 10 stepsto have a great engagement party?


Why should I come to you to design my ring?

We involve you in every step of the process. At first, we will sit next to you and go over any concerns you have and any specific design elements you mind the ring to have. Once we have established exactly how you want the ring looks like, we will proceed with the design process. Once you see this design, if you want to make any change or if you have any questions or concerns we will be happy to address them for you. Our role is to help you to create the perfect ring and that means we will listen to you and make sure that your ring is indeed one of a kind.

We'll help you to design your dream engagement ring without stress and spending countless hours searching for your perfect ring. All you need to do is click on "Free Consultation" to get started.

Koorosh Daneshgar. CEO, Chief Designer, and Founder of Wedding Bands and Co.

By: Koorosh Daneshgar CEO/Design Chief