Complete Guide to Gay Men’s Engagement Rings

Woo hoo, you’re getting engaged! Congrats to you! Will you surprise your husband-to-be with an engagement ring, or will you pick your rings out together? This is just the first of many questions that come when you start thinking about getting engaged. Get ready for everyone asking you when the big day is, who’s in the bridal party and more wedding related questions. In this complete guide to gay men’s engagement rings, we’re going to go over why some men do, and some don’t wear engagement rings as well as other tidbits you may want to know.

Do Men Wear Engagement Rings?

It depends on what the couple decides, and it’s totally up to them. Most men only wear a wedding band. However, some may wear an engagement ring for the same reason a woman wears one — to symbolize their commitment to one another and the upcoming nuptials. Men can wear an engagement ring no matter the gender of the partner with whom they are choosing to spend the rest of their life. There are men engaged to women who choose to wear an engagement ring, and there are men engaged to men who wear engagement rings. Ultimately, it’s up to the couple and what they want to do.

Why Don’t Guys Wear Engagement Rings?

There are many reasons a man may not wear an engagement ring.

• Men wear less jewelry than women, in general, and this carries over into the decision to wear an engagement ring.
• In a heterosexual relationship, the man most often proposes to the woman, and a ring is presented during this gesture to the woman. Typically, the woman does not return the gesture by seeking out an engagement ring for the man.
• Throughout history, the engagement ring was a symbol displaying that the man could provide for the woman. A ring on a woman’s left hand, third finger meant she was “taken.”
• Society has made it “normal” for a woman to wear an engagement ring but not so much for a man. Jewelry stores and companies hype up the idea of women wearing engagement rings, but nothing is really discussed for men — yet.
• Gay marriage was illegal until recent years, so it was uncommon for a man to propose to a man with a ring as a symbol. However, this is becoming more common today.

Gay Men’s Engagement Ring Sets

There are countless ring options for you and your hubby-to-be to choose from. The awesome thing about selecting a ring is that there are no rules. If one of you loves diamonds, you can deck the ring out with as much bling as possible. If the other loves vibrant colored gemstones, you can style the ring to be as bright as the rainbow. For a budget friendly option, consider a titanium ring. The key here is to make the rings what you want them to be, so they fit your style.

It doesn’t matter what your sexual orientation is; rings are rings. There aren’t engagement rings for gay men only or straight men only. A ring is a ring just like love is love. However, there are some things you’ll want to consider when choosing an engagement ring for your sweetie.

• Do you both want to wear engagement rings for men?
• Do you want to wear the same exact ring but with different colored gemstones for a pop of color?
• Do you want to wear the same band style but with different widths?
• Do you want to select rings unique to each of your styles?
• Do you want to wear identical rings?

In the end, remember that you get to decide what you want. When my husband and I went ring shopping for him, we noticed that bricks-and-mortar stores had double or triple the price (and sometimes even more expensive) than what online retailers had available. We decided to go to a bricks-and-mortar store, so he could try on different bands and styles to get a feel for what he liked and what was comfortable to wear. Then, we went online and purchased a similar ring through James Allen because it was less expensive (read our James Allen review to learn more).

Wedding Proposal Ideas

Personally, I love watching wedding proposals. I love the emotion and excitement that goes into a proposal, and witnessing a proposal is on my bucket list. This video is a compilation of 21 epic proposals to help get you excited to pop the question! (Good luck getting through the entire video without shedding a tear! Not gonna lie, I was a blubbering mess by the end of it.)

Best Men’s Engagement Rings

If you have a more “traditional” style for rings, online men’s engagement rings are a great option for you. However, if you want something a bit more unique, like men’s diamond engagement rings, you may need to go to a ring designer for assistance. Either way, we’d recommend starting out at a bricks-and-mortar ring store and getting a sense of what you like. Remember, there’s no rush to purchase at the first store you visit. Take your time and compare prices. Look online at some of the best online engagement rings to see if what you like is available for less money. If not, then you may need to speak with someone in person about what you desire in an engagement ring. (A friendly head’s up, if you’re searching online, you may need to look under men’s wedding bands because most engagement ring sections are tailored towards women.)

What questions do you have about rings?