Sending Wedding Thank You Cards: A Personal Touch

David Cameron has said that he has bucked the modern trend of men wearing wedding rings, following the example of his father’s generation. According to jewellers, the male wedding band has become almost universal in the past decade, with 90 per cent of couples buying two rings rather than one. They have also become increasingly elaborate, with average prices rising sevenfold and even something of a status symbol in some circles. Mr Cameron, however, told women’s magazine Glamour that he has "never worn a watch or a ring". He added that he simply "never got used to" wearing anything on his hands. In doing so, Mr Cameron is following the example of an older generation. Jo Bryant, an etiquette adviser at Debretts, said: “Historically there is a little bit of a thing among certain generations who said that men don’t wear jewellery. I think younger men generally are more likely to wear a wedding ring but there is no set etiquette and it really is a matter of personal choice. It is something for the couple to decide – although there are obviously some women out there who are quite keen for their husband to wear a ring as a symbol of marriage. But we would never say that men should or shouldn't. Traditionally when it came to jewellery men would have been more in favour of wearing signet rings.” It follows surprise last year when it emerged that Prince William would not be wearing a ring after his wedding to Catherine Middleton. The Prince could be said to have been following family tradition in that his grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh does not wear a wedding band. But when his father, the Prince of Wales, married the Duchess of Cornwall in 2005 he opted for a wedding band cast in the same Welsh gold as his wife’s. While the custom of women wearing a ring at marriage can be traced back to ancient Egypt, it only became common among men in the second half of the 20th Century. It began during the Second World War when men sent off to fight began wearing rings as a comforting reminder of home. Many of our customers see matching wedding rings as one of the basics of their wedding planning and, indeed, some couples even feature a picture of their matching entwined hands when it comes to sending wedding thank you cards with our 'use your own photo' designs.