Gay Weddings are Good for Business

Research, data, advice and tips on the business of same-sex weddings from Bernadette Coveney Smith, the nation's leading gay wedding expert. In 2004, Bernadette opened 14 Stories, the first company in the U.S. to specialize in planning same-sex weddings.

Engagement Rings/Wedding Bands for Gay Couples

Bernadette Coveney Smith - Monday, March 08, 2010
I had a great question the other day I wanted to answer here:  Do gay couples wear wedding bands along with the engagement ring? For example, When two men marry will one of them wear an additional band to compliment the engagement ring?

In my observation, many men will only wear one ring, not two. In this case, often the engagement ring will double as a wedding band. 

Younger lesbian brides (those under 40) are likelier to wear two rings. For example, my wife Jen, like many lesbians, wears her engagement ring and wedding band next to each other on the same finger. This is very common, and of course, traditional. My engagement ring doesn't have a stone (my choice) so my engagement ring is now on the ring finger of my right hand, and my wedding band is on the ring finger of my left hand. 

I've noticed that gay and lesbian couples who are older and/or who've been together for a long time, already wear rings and in this case, usually substitute those rings with new wedding bands, forgoing an engagement ring altogether. These couples are also less likely to have had a traditional "pop the question" proposal experience, hence the lack of engagement rings.

Finally, I've never had a client wear a rainbow-themed or other overtly "gay" wedding ring.  These are available but I've never noticed them to be popular, though I know there's a market for them.

What have you observed when working with gay and lesbian couples?





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Comments
Jake commented on 22-May-2010 02:09 PM
Thank you for this, I am thinking of proposing to my boyfriend in the near future and I have been looking for rings and what not but I thought I should read up on diamonds and stuff like that.

I found this very helpful, thank you


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