Purchasing the Ring

• According to etiquette, it is the man's responsibility to buy an engagement ring for his bride-to-be. The bride is in charge of purchasing the man's wedding band. Tradition also suggests that the wedding band is purchased by the groom for the bride as well, but some couples choose to share the cost of the ring these days.
  
  

Engagement Rings for Men

• It is not extremely common for men to wear engagement rings, especially in the U.S. However, some brides may choose to purchase an engagement ring for their fiances, so that the man can also wear a ring during the engagement period. Even though it is not traditional, some women actually propose to their future husbands, and present the man with a ring at the time of the proposal. If a man receives an engagement ring, he is expected to follow the same etiquette that a woman would follow. The ring should be worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, and should be worn in public to indicate the man's engagement status.
  
  

Engagement Ring Styles for Men

• Engagement rings for men are larger than the varieties for women. They can be made from materials like titanium, platinum, yellow gold or white gold. While the women's engagement ring often features a diamond that is mounted on the top of the ring, this is not the case for a men's ring. The ring can be a simple band made of precious metal, or can have small diamonds featured in the setting of the ring.
  
  

Wedding Bands

• While a woman often wears both her wedding and engagement ring after getting married, men usually don't wear both rings if they have received an engagement ring and a wedding ring. The wedding band is presented to the man by his bride during the ring exchange portion of the ceremony, according to etiquette. The ring should be placed on the ring finger of the left hand, and should always be worn in public places to display the man's marital status. Some men choose to wear their wedding bands during the engagement period; in this instance, the man can remove the ring right before the ceremony, and allow his bride to put the ring on his finger again during the wedding.
  
  

Family Heirlooms

• The groom may want to present his bride with a ring that has been in his family for decades. It is proper etiquette that the groom talk about this decision with his family before and receive their approval before giving the ring to his fiance. It is not appropriate for the man to put pressure on his future bride to accept this particular ring if she prefers another design, or wants to wear a ring that is a family heirloom of hers.