Gay wedding rings: Bringing fresh style to the tired old band

My wife is convinced that the trouble with weddings lies in the fact that most women plan them when they are eight years old. At the age of eight, my wife's logic states, the average little girl is engaged in Disney princess mode, a world where flounces and meringue reign supreme and the prince's identity is of secondary importance.

Over the years, most people grow out of that stage, but the ideal wedding remains stuck in early childhood, like a satin-covered mosquito encased in amber. When the little girl grows up and plans her big day, she foists her childhood vision onto a moderately resentful fiancee, who salves his wounds with the tired truism that real men don't like to get involved in wedding planning. Meanwhile, the guests snicker and place bets on how long the marriage will last.

In 2004, when Massachusetts legalized gay marriage, my first prediction was that weddings would, most likely, become a lot more tasteful. After all, while flounces and meringue might have worked for sleeping beauty, they lack a certain sophistication. I assumed that, as weddings went through their next evolution, a fresh perspective would have to develop. Now, four years later, I can't really comment on the full breadth of wedding paraphernalia, but there certainly is ample evidence that gay marriage has led to a serious reconsideration of men's wedding rings. The standard gold or platinum ring, while a powerful reflection of the bonds of matrimony, is also a somewhat trite symbol for a rich emotional relationship. Clearly, the man of today requires something a little more...resplendent.