Am I the only girl who thinks this way?

No, I went through the same thing. Why spend so much on a stupid diamond when you can put that money towards.... a house, a honeymoon, kids, food, etc. ?

My fiance proposed to me with a ring he carved out of a flat stone. It was so much more meaningful than something he just picked up at the jewellery store. Only problem was that it was super fragile, so I'm hesitant to wear it too much.

We went out and got our wedding rings on Boxing Day. We just got matching gold bands that were on sale. Didn't cost too much, but they're pretty nice.

You don't need a ring, but it sort of nice to have one.

An engagement ring should be a symbol of your love and his intention to marry you. It doesn't have to cost a fortune. He could even give you a paperclip to put on your finger. Spend that money on something useful!

Isn't it kind of excessive to buy an engagement ring *and* a wedding ring? Those are not cheap. I get the concept of wanting to 'show you're taken' and having a new ring to display on your wedding day, but I feel like the money could be better spent.

Just thinking out loud...I said this to my sister and she thinks I'm crazy, but she's definitely the big white wedding type of girl.

It can be excessive. I think spending thousands of dollars for 1 day is insane.

i surely am not the "big white wedding" type girl...but I like having my engagement ring and I sure will love it when I get my wedding band.

However, neither of them cost an arm and a leg

My engagement ring was the big spend, my wedding ring was only $70 so I don't think that was excessive at all.
Its just sorta traditional to have both ... but they don't have to be excessive!

You're not alone, some people don't get rings at all, they don't appreciate the symbolism or just don't care for the expense. People view the rings differently, they're not mandatory, so do what works for you.

I would be happy with just my engagement ring! i agree its a bit excessive but with me doing my nurse training all i can wear is a wedding ring so i told him to spend little as possible!

Actually, wedding bands can be pretty cheap. Especially if you just get a little gold band.
It is pretty customary to have both.
Some people are using their engagment rings as wedding bands too.

I'm not the "big white wedding type of girl" but I will have a wedding band on the day of my ceremony.

No, it is not excessive to buy an engagement ring, then a couple of years later buy a wedding band for the ceremony. The purpose of the wedding band has zero to do with "having a new ring to display on your wedding day" as you say. The wedding band is an unbroken circle which symbolizes a union between two people.

You need not have any rings if you so desire not to.

A married individual need not have a ring to advertise that they are taken. The behavior of a married person is a clear indication of their intentions, good or bad. No ring is that powerful.

I completely agree with you! My mother says the engagement ring is where you spend the money. However, my fiance got me a solid sterling silver ring and I am happy with that. We are getting wedding rings that will be a little bit more pricey but not by much.

All I ever wanted was a wide gold wedding band. I think they are beautiful.

Most women look at men as a sway to accumulate stuff. Buy me a big ring a big wedding a big house. Then at divorce they can collect plenty. Just my opinion. It happened to me.

If you feel that having to separate rings is way over the top, then you can always get the rings that come in sets, they come as two pieces, one as the engagement ring, and one as the wedding ring. Then after the wedding, the two rings get welded together, two for the price of one!! another suggestion would be to look in consignment shops or thrift stores to get rings there, they are often cheaper, and you can get them sized to you somewhere else.

There are many women (and men) who feel the same as you do.

I wanted a wedding ring but I actually wanted to spend a small amount on one. It was my husband who I had to rein in. I had to tell him not to spend too much on an engagement ring and not too much on wedding rings. I think they are nice symbols of your relationship (I'm kind of sentimental), but I don't think they need to be super expensive.

No.

The rings stand for two different things.

1 - Engagement Ring - is the promise from your future husband that he will marry you. You receive this ring before you are married. Some people are engaged for many many many years.

2. Wedding Ring - is the ring your spouse gives you after you are married. You receive this at the wedding ceremony.

Engagement rings and wedding rings are different both in appearance and symbolism.

Generally, engagement rings are worn prior to marriage to signify one鈥檚 engaged status. The most common engagement rings are diamond solitaires, though engagement rings can be any color or choice of stone depending upon taste.

Like wedding rings, engagement rings tend to be worn on the left hand ring finger. They are often purchased alone, or they may be sold as part of a set. When the person is married, the wedding ring portion of the set is added and tends to be worn below the engagement ring on the ring finger of the left hand.

Wedding rings can also be sold separately from engagement rings, and may be comparatively simple in design. Simple gold or platinum bands are still quite popular for both men and women. It鈥檚 a good idea to choose from engagement rings that will fit with a wedding band, or alternately to purchase a set if the ring has any designs that might make it incompatible with a simple band.

Some wedding rings, especially in a set can also be quite elaborate. They may include diamonds or other stones that set off engagement rings beautifully. If engagement rings have peculiarities in shape and are not sold in a set, an alternative to purchasing a band that does not match is having one designed to fit with the engagement ring.

Further, often engagement rings and wedding rings that are designed to go together may be welded in the back to reduce friction of the rings rubbing together. Friction will ultimately wear the rings down, particularly if they are 14 karat gold or higher. Most jewelry stores can perform this simple operation a few days before a marriage takes place so women do not have to be without their engagement rings for long.

It is generally customary for women to wear engagement rings. There are male engagement rings, but these are less common. Generally both new husband and wife will wear wedding rings.

Unlike engagement rings, wedding rings are usually not worn until after a marriage has taken place. While a diamond solitaire on the left ring finger may indicate a lady鈥檚 engagement, a simple band worn on the left hand ring finger by either a man or a woman signifies that the person is married.

Peace.

I agree with you. I am not the blingy/flashy type. Therefore, when it came time for my then BF and I to talk about what type of ring I wanted, I told him that I wanted my birthstone because I have never had a ring with the stone for the month that I was born. He listened and bought me a beautiful ring. I found out later that his mom helped him pick it out which made it even more special to me. :)

We bought our own wedding bands.