Engagement traditions: girl gets ring, guy gets what?

[codex57]

Just curious. In that thread about opening a fund for a child''s e-ring, someone mentioned that while the girl gets a ring, the guy gets an engagement watch. I''d never heard of the guy getting anything before.

What are some traditional engagement gifts? Can be for the girl or guy.

 

[Momoftwo]

The guy gets the girl of course

. Should be plenty. I didn''t get my DH an engagement gift, but I did buy him a really nice 35mm camera as a wedding gift from me.

 

[movie zombie]

the girl gets a ring as a token of a promise to marry...the guy gets a promise [or used to anyway] that she will foresake all others knowing that he has pledged his love to her.

the ring is symbolic of the an agreement they have entered into: future marriage. think of it as a glorified ''promise'' ring or a symbol of serious intent to commit marriage.

have not heard of any tradition of getting the propective groom an engagement gift....but tradition in the western world has included gift exchange between bride and groom.

it is nice to think of e-rings as romantic but they really do have a practical function.

peace, movie zombie

 

[Kaleigh]

I agree that the guy gets the girl and that should be enough, but times have changed since I got married 19 years ago. As a wedding gift to my husband I bought him a stainless steel Rolex. As my son is about to graduate he is getting that watch. I bought my husband a two tone Rolex for his 40th birthday.

 

[AGBF]

Where is that thread about opening an account for a child''s engagement ring? I missed it!

Deb

 

[ame]

My guy gets the pleasure, or displeasure, of me loving him and pestering him for money and sexxors and kisses for the rest of his natural life.

 

[AmberGretchen]

I got my FI a watch with an engraving of our initials on the back and a small sapphire stud (his birth stone) for his one pierced ear. I don''t think its necessary, but I think its a nice gesture, and FI likes it because he can look at it and think of me the same way I can look at my e-ring and think of him.

 

[ame]

My guy doesn''t wear jewelry at all. The ring is going to be a nightmare for him anyway But I did buy him new underwear around that time so he has engagement boxers.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

I bought my DH an ID bracelet and presented it to him on our wedding night. To the world, his name is engraved in block letters. On the other side (face down to his wrist) is something engraved just for me and him....He wears it every day (which he originally didn''t know he could do, but it''s 14K YG, so nothing could hurt it!), just as I do with my wedding rings...

 

[windy1365]

I didn''t get him anything. I didn''t know that I was supposed to. At this point, if I get him something, it will be with his money anyway, so I don''t know if I will get him anything or not.

Should I get him a wedding gift... our wedding is in 26 days.

 

[Kaleigh]

I would, most people do, but it's up to you. Also if money is a factor you could write him a poem or love letter about how happy you are to have found such a wonderful man to spend the rest of your life with. Just a thought??

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 4/4/2005 9:51:27 PM
Author: windy1365
I didn''t get him anything. I didn''t know that I was supposed to. At this point, if I get him something, it will be with his money anyway, so I don''t know if I will get him anything or not.

Should I get him a wedding gift... our wedding is in 26 days.

the girl suppose to give the guy 1/2 of the size diamond that she received.example...if she received a 2 ct she suppose to get him a 1ct in return.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Date: 4/4/2005 9:51:27 PM
Author: windy1365
Should I get him a wedding gift... our wedding is in 26 days.

Do what feels right to you...I wanted to get him something to mark the occasion of our wedding day...Ironically, on our wedding night, I pulled out the box with the ID bracelet and he pulled out an identically-shaped box for me!! To make it funnier, we had both gone to the same jeweler and bought bracelets from him to give each other...the jeweler must have had fun with that one!!

 

[aljdewey]

Actually, the wedding ring was a promise to marry. At time of marriage, a man historically was given a dowry by the bride''s parents.

 

[ame]

Date: 4/4/2005 9:51:27 PM
Author: windy1365
I didn''t get him anything. I didn''t know that I was supposed to. At this point, if I get him something, it will be with his money anyway, so I don''t know if I will get him anything or not.


Should I get him a wedding gift... our wedding is in 26 days.

I am contributing to his new computer for his gift. I know, Romantic. But it sure beats what my friend got her husband--a lawnmower.

 

[Momoftwo]

Date: 4/4/2005 10:24

5 PM
Author: aljdewey
Actually, the wedding ring was a promise to marry. At time of marriage, a man historically was given a dowry by the bride''s parents.

We still joke about the dowry after almost 24 years. Actually we''re worth more now than my parents or my in laws are. My DH is thrilled to have me and my love, but something to do with golf wouldn''t hurt. Of course I bought him the camera, but he bought me .33 ct diamond earrings for my wedding gift. We joke about who owes who, but the reality is, our relationship is what really counts. Who owes who is an ongoing theme. He''s always willing to pay up!

 

[Logan Sapphire]

I gave my husband a sweatshirt! He''d just bought the ring and we were leaving for a vacation in England shortly after when he spotted this sweatshirt/jacket-type thingie that really reminded him of his childhood. He wanted it but decided not to get it with the upcoming trip''s expenses, and all. So I surprised him with it, and he was thrilled. Sounds silly, huh?

For our wedding, we did exchange smallish gifts. The first piece of jewelry he ever got me was an Eternal Circle necklace (by Elsa Peretti) so I got him the Eternal Circle cufflinks.

 

[Mara]

I wanted to get Greg a pair of Tiffany silver cufflinks, but in the end I wanted matching shirt studs as well, and both items were a bit over the budget at the time...so I gave him a card. Well I think I meant to give him a card but I left it at home so I gave it to him later.

Wedding stress!!

This year for our 1st anni..I may do the cuff links and shirt studs, but since we have some financial priorities that do not include a visit to Tiffanys...

I am thinking of giving him a gift cert to a store that sells old fashioned shaving kits, he has been into that for the last 6 months and he has some makeshift rigged thing.

I know he'd love a new spiffy actual set and he would want to choose it himself.

I am hoping that if I have a stellar quarter...I can surprise him on his birthday in August with a 5 day trip back to WPC/Hawaii...since we have both been dreaming about going back since the wedding...I'd love to go back once a year!

 

[njc]

I got FI a 51" DLP flat screen TV.

To make a long story short, he wanted the TV, said it was the next thing he was going to buy (he had just moved into his first apartment on his own). I told him i would have serious issues if he bought that before my ering (we'd already been looking for 4 months and he was supposed to be saving). So it was more motivation than a present i guess... 7 months later, I got the ring, he got the TV.

As far as wedding presents go, im not sure what we are going to do, but neither of us needs to spend a lot, we just bought a townhouse.

ETA: I just re-read my post and it makes it sound like i tricked him into the ring, but i promise i didnt!

 

[bopitaddict]

Date: 4/5/2005 2:28:28 PM
Author: njc
I got FI a 51'' DLP flat screen TV.

isn''t that the standard gift for the guy?

hehe... we all wish.

nice job njc.

 

[Bagpuss]

The guy didn't get anything (but the girl) back in my day, but I did get my husband a pocket watch as a wedding present. He was into fixing cars etc and using heavy machinery in those days and as a medic had seen a good few men who worked with machinery, sustain very nasty injuries due to wearing jewellery, so he point blank refused to wear a normal watch or a wedding ring.

He does wear a normal watch now (I replaced the pocket watch with an 18ct Tissot on his 50th birthday) but still won't wear a wedding ring. Should I be suspicious, do you think?

 

[clammer]

I knew the proposal was coming so I bought him noise canceling Bose headphones he had been eyeing but thought were overpriced. I gave it to him after he gave me the ring. Not romantic I know, but it was something he really wanted and wouldn''t buy for himself. I''m kind of having second thoughts about them now. Whenever we travel he throws those puppies on and sleeps the whole way there while I get stuck listening to the crying baby I''m somehow always next to.

 

[Bagpuss]

Re The fund for a child''s e-ring - are you kidding me?

Parents have a hard enough time paying for everything else a kid needs, education up to and beyond college, first car, help with a mortgage etc etc without taking over buying the e-ring. I think that most young people need to stand on their own feet (financially) at some point and for me, buying the e-ring would be that point!

 

[movie zombie]

ame,

LOL re engagement boxers! i think engagement tradition should be rewritten to require the giving of enegagement boxers!

peace, movie zombie

 

[codex57]

Date: 4/5/2005 4:25:32 PM
Author: clammer
I knew the proposal was coming so I bought him noise canceling Bose headphones he had been eyeing but thought were overpriced. I gave it to him after he gave me the ring. Not romantic I know, but it was something he really wanted and wouldn''t buy for himself.

You''d be surprised. What guys think are romantic gifts for them are far different from what girls think are romantic gifts. I''d be thrilled if my girl gave me some car or electronic goody I''d been eyeing for Valentine''s day or whatever. As much as she''d be thrilled to get flowers, jewelery, etc. The point is, she picked something she knew I liked/wanted. That''s romantic to me. What am I gonna do with flowers or some lacy cutesy thing?

 

[michela002]

I think traditionally the groom gets nuffin hehe!

But these days it''s nice for the bride to get the groom something too. People have given all types of things (e.g. TV, boxers! haha, iPod) ... a watch is a pretty common choice though. Personally I like the idea of giving something that he won''t just replace in two or five years ... but that''s just me.

 

[cflutist]

Date: 4/4/2005 9

6:46 PM
Author: kaleigh
I agree that the guy gets the girl and that should be enough, but times have changed since I got married 19 years ago. As a wedding gift to my husband I bought him a stainless steel Rolex. As my son is about to graduate he is getting that watch. I bought my husband a two tone Rolex for his 40th birthday.

Kaleigh, I am just like you too.

I bought my ex an 18K Rolex President model with a Champagne Tapestry Dial (of course he took that with him when he divorced me). Last October, I bought Websailor the Stainless Steel Rolex Date model because 1 - he didn''t want the 18K model because he thought it was too flashy for his tastes (he''s a mountain man remember) 2 - it had a slightly smaller face than the Day-Date, or Datejust models which worked better with his small bone structure (he''s a size 7 ring). Now lets see how long it takes him to gouge that up .... LOL

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 4/6/2005 12:41

8 AM
Author: Indecisive

personally I like the idea of giving something that he won''t just replace in two or five years ... but that''s just me

yeah.....his wife.

 

[Kaili]

Date: 4/5/2005 6:22:26 PM
Author: codex57

Date: 4/5/2005 4:25:32 PM
Author: clammer
I knew the proposal was coming so I bought him noise canceling Bose headphones he had been eyeing but thought were overpriced. I gave it to him after he gave me the ring. Not romantic I know, but it was something he really wanted and wouldn''t buy for himself.

You''d be surprised. What guys think are romantic gifts for them are far different from what girls think are romantic gifts. I''d be thrilled if my girl gave me some car or electronic goody I''d been eyeing for Valentine''s day or whatever. As much as she''d be thrilled to get flowers, jewelery, etc. The point is, she picked something she knew I liked/wanted. That''s romantic to me. What am I gonna do with flowers or some lacy cutesy thing?

Anything having to do with music is pure romance to my guy, so he got a Les Paul guitar for his engagement gift... he doesn''t have a jewelry obsession like me

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 4/6/2005 12:53:37 AM
Author: cflutist

Date: 4/4/2005 9

6:46 PM
Author: kaleigh
I agree that the guy gets the girl and that should be enough, but times have changed since I got married 19 years ago. As a wedding gift to my husband I bought him a stainless steel Rolex. As my son is about to graduate he is getting that watch. I bought my husband a two tone Rolex for his 40th birthday.

Kaleigh, I am just like you too.

I bought my ex an 18K Rolex President model with a Champagne Tapestry Dial (of course he took that with him when he divorced me). Last October, I bought Websailor the Stainless Steel Rolex Date model because 1 - he didn''t want the 18K model because he thought it was too flashy for his tastes (he''s a mountain man remember) 2 - it had a slightly smaller face than the Day-Date, or Datejust models which worked better with his small bone structure (he''s a size 7 ring). Now lets see how long it takes him to gouge that up .... LOL

hey cflutist

that''s no fair hubby #1 gets a 18k Rolex day/date and hubby #2 gets a S/S Date model ?

websailor deserves a platinum day/date fully loaded with diamonds.

p.s. Rolex just raise their price on all models,your ex''s day/date would cost over 20k retail today

i paid $8500 for my in 1992.