Saturday, September 7, 2013


The motto of Winchester and New Colleges at Oxford University is, "Manners maketh man." Etiquette can make many difficult situations easier and less awkward, including divorce. Wedding rings can be a contentious issue, especially if they are expensive or have sentimental value. Because emotions tend to run high during divorce proceedings, abiding by the rules of etiquette can make the process a little easier.

Returning the Ring

    Etiquette, as well as legal precedence, says that wedding rings are a gift from the husband to the wife. Therefore, women do not have to return wedding rings to their ex-husbands if they do not want to. On the other hand, if the woman no longer wants her wedding ring, she can return it to her ex-husband. No sources say whether a man should return his wedding ring to his ex-wife.

Wearing the Ring

    After the marriage dissolves, ex-spouses do not wear their wedding rings. Wedding rings are symbols of marriage, and once that marriage ends, it becomes unnecessary as well as deceptive to continue to wear a wedding ring. However, for those who can not bear to part with their wedding rings, solutions exist. Wear the wedding ring on a different finger or even a different hand. British women in the 1920s would cut notches into their rings to symbolize divorce, according to "Popular Mechanics" magazine.

Keeping the Ring

    Some people cannot bear to part with their wedding rings, but do not want to wear it. Etiquette allows for the storage of wedding rings after divorce. Keeping your ring in a drawer, buried under mounds of clothes, is considered socially acceptable. Some people need a more concrete form of closure. Jill Testa, a Manhattan divorcee, designed the "Wedding Ring Coffin" to contain wedding rings after divorce, according to the "New York Post." The coffin provides a symbolic reminder that the marriage has ended.

Giving Old Rings New Life

    In the age of recycling and re-using, etiquette allows for reshaping a wedding ring into something else entirely. After divorce, some people take their old wedding rings to jewelers to be melted down into another piece of jewelry. The modern ethos of recycling approves this kind of re-use. It is considered bad form to throw items out when they can be given new life.

Remarriage

    Under no circumstances should a couple use rings from their previous marriages for a remarriage, even if they are remarrying each other. Wedding rings exemplify the commitment between two people. If you are using your old wedding ring, you bring a small part of an unpleasant period in your past with you into your new marriage. Use new rings to signify the beginning of a new life together. To be environmentally friendly, purchase or make rings from recycled or re-used materials.


  • Wedding Band & Engagement Ring Etiquette eHow

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    If you've recently become engaged and will be planning your wedding soon, it's important to know how to wear your most cherished pieces of jewelry--your engagement ...
  • After divorce, what to do with the ring? - SFGate

    www.sfgate.com/.../After-divorce-what-to-do-with-the-ring-3227206.php
    After divorce, what to do with the ring? High divorce rates leave the newly single wondering what to do with their rocks Mia Walker, Special to The Chronicle
  • Wedding Ceremony Etiquette Questions Answered; Ceremony Problems ...

    www.bridalguide.com/etiquette/bridal-etiquette-qas/wedding...
    Answers by Diane Forden, Bridal Guide Editor in Chief ... Answers to who walks when, who stands where, and other ways to make sure your ceremony is perfect.
  • Etiquette Wedding Planning, Advice & Etiquette

    www.mywedding.com/blog/planning/?s=etiquette
    Your complete wedding planning guide. Find wedding photographers, wedding reception facilities, wedding ceremony sites, wedding cakes, wedding dresses, and more!
  • Wedding Rings Etiquette Weddings Ring Envy

    weddings.ringenvy.com/wedding-rings-etiquette-1217.html
    Knowing the proper etiquette when it comes to wedding rings will definitely come in handy when you are planning your engagement or wedding ceremony. Many traditions ...
  • Etiquette Wedding Planning, Ideas & Etiquette Bridal Guide ...

    www.bridalguide.com/etiquette
    This comprehensive guide helps specify the financial responsibility of everyone involved in your wedding.
  • Kim Kardashian Gets To Keep The Ring But Should Return The Wedding ...

    radaronline.com/.../kim-kardashian-divorce...ring-return-wedding-gifts
    10/31/2011 Newly-wed and soon-to-be-divorced Kim Kardashian probably hasnt even had time to open the hundreds of wedding presents that she and Kris Humphries were ...
  • How Long Should a Widower Wear a Wedding Ring? eHow

    www.ehow.com Marriage Marriage Other
    How Long Should a Widower Wear a Wedding Ring?. ... Widowers, according to etiquette, can wear their wedding bands for as long as they wish, whether this is a few ...
  • Wedding Etiquette: Rules for a Modern Wedding - iVillage

    www.ivillage.com/wedding-etiquette-rules-modern-wedding/5-a-528484
    Those antiquated 50s books on wedding etiquette never saw the 2013 wedding landscape coming. Whose family, for example, pays for a same-sex couples wedding ...
  • Selling Your Engagement Ring After Divorce

    www.diamonds2cash.com/divorce
    Your Engagement Ring After Divorce. There are currently 2.2 million marriages in the USA every year. Of those it is estimated that about 80% of the brides-to-be ...

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