How Engagement Rings Became a Custom

Engagement rings are a traditional gift bestowed upon a woman when an offer of marriage is proposed. It can be presented to the intended bride during the proposal ceremony, or after the proposal has been offered and accepted. In some cultures, both the man and the woman wear a ring, whereas in North America and parts of Europe, it is typically only the woman who receives and wears the gift.
The Romans are credited with invoking the tradition of a betrothal band, which was known as a truth ring. The ancient Egyptians had a belief that the vein of love, vena amoris, travelled directly from the heart straight to the end of the third finger of the left hand. Therefore, this finger became the choice location to showcase the symbol of love and betrothal. This tradition continues today in many countries.
However, this is not the standard in all cultures. In Ukraine, the betrothal band is worn on the right hand, while in Germany, the symbol is worn on the left hand during the engagement period. The ring is then switched to the right hand upon marriage.
During the middle ages, a man would offer a woman a Gimmel ring, also known as a bond ring, when proposing marriage. It was during this time that the bands became more decorative. Individuals who could afford to do so added fashionable coloured gems such as sapphires or possibly rubies.
At one time, only the highest earning income class could afford to add diamonds to engagement rings. Others with lessor earnings offered a band which featured two clasped hands in lieu of precious stones. This was called a faith ring. The faith ring is the predecessor to the current pre-engagement rings, also known as promise rings. A promise ring is given as a token of commitment until an official proposal takes place.
In the late 1800's, offering a ring to signify upcoming nuptials became an expected practice. The circle is a symbol of fidelity and represents eternity, since it has no beginning and no end. In 1870, De Beers Consolidated Mines gained control of the diamond market when an abundant supply of the stones was uncovered in the Kimberly diamond region of South Africa. Using the unbreakable gem to decorate the betrothal band as a sign of eternal love was a marketing strategy to promote the retail sale of the stones.
By the 1930's, a diamond ring was the accepted standard to offer as a gift for a marriage proposal. Once again, clever marketing campaigns from diamond sellers instilled the belief that a man should spend at least three months salary on the engagement ring. While diamonds continue to be the popular choice, in the modern era, the stone is often an accent to a birthstone or other precious gem.
The tradition of offering engagement rings when proposing marriage is a continuing symbol of commitment and intended marriage. It remains a popular gift to bestow upon a future mate. It is considered a promise to wed and a token of endless love, loyalty and fidelity.

Old Wedding Pictures - Ideas To Bring Them Back To Life

Do you want to keep all your memories safe so you can cherish them forever? Then you should protect them, just like what you do to pictures, by placing them in a picture frame so that it will be safe from most of the factors such as time. Pictures are forever if you take good care of them, just like memories should be kept especially if it is from a moment where you may never do it again or it is a once in a lifetime opportunity like a wedding.

Most people would consider wedding as one of the most important event that had happened in their lives. These people are the ones that usually take this matter seriously and make do it once only. As time goes by, they have conceived children and their children’s children, but the memories from their wedding day are never forgotten.

For those people who are planning to get married, it is righteous to have as many wedding photos as you can, and keep them at the same time. This will enable you to keep something from the wedding day that will make you remember everything every time that you take a look at it. In order to protect these photos, you should place them properly in a picture album or a frame if the picture is one of the best and if it is special for you.

There are many types of picture frames out there today; one of the most interesting picture frames today is a vintage picture frame. This is perfect for your wedding pictures since these pictures are meant to last and that they should be kept until you grow old. Pictures like these will only look good if it is placed in a picture frame that makes it look as if it was there for years already.

A vintage picture frame is a nice frame for your old wedding pictures and even for those new wedding pictures. Some say it is the looks of the designs of these frames, but what really matters the most is the fact that these vintage picture frames are tested and proven to protect pictures that you cherish and wanted to show to people. If ever some part of the picture frame decay caused by time, it would still make a nice accent to the picture since most of the time, a vintage picture frame is made out of wood.
There are many types of wood that are being used for a vintage picture frame. Some of them have decorative designs that are sometimes handcrafted by talented people. The number of people that are capable of doing this are becoming fewer and fewer. This is what makes a vintage picture frame more delightful. These types of picture frames are becoming unique because of the fact that the number of picture frames that have these designs are running out.

Finally, an old picture frame can really attract people’s attention. They are attractive in the first place, and the availability of these picture frames is becoming smaller making you, as an owner proud to have one.