R is for Ring

We’ve done engagement (Emma is not reliving the curry story again), but the ring itself? Different story. First off, how many grooms actually have the sparkler when they drop to one knee (or clear away the takeaway containers if you’re Mr Illustries#1)? Most of our chaps had been carrying the ring nervously around for weeks before they popped the question. And ingeniously, they’d all played the ‘so-if-you-had-to-choose-a-ring-what-would-it-look-like-while-passing-jewellery-shops’ game: ladies, we can’t believe you were still surprised! In the first of two polls we’ve been running on the blog and on Twitter (follow us @Illustries!), we asked if the ring had indeed been pre-purchased, and the results surprisingly (but heart warmingly) went with the traditional! With 100% of your proposals being romantically delivered with the engagement ring in hand.

And the second burning question? Should he wear a wedding ring? Since the newly married Duke of Cambridge (we were so hoping the Queen would plump for Earl) elected to skip the ring, we wondered if that was a decision likely to affect the guy in the street: indeed, is it still the done thing for the guy to wear a ring? Well, we polled that one too, and it seems that the majority (80%) of you felt that of course the groom should don the customary wedding band. 20% of you though, said that it was the groom’s personal choice – you generous and fair lot!

So, to finish up on rings (we’ve come full circle! Groan…), we thought we’d share another of our favourite things when we meet newlyweds to talk about their wedding. When we get to the proposal and ask about the ring, they always do the ‘ring flash’ – hand pointed slightly away from body at 30-degree angle and tilted downwards. We do it too – it must be instinctive!