History of engagement

Jiří Guth Jarkovský writes in his social etiquette: "Young people can be considered engaged from the moment the young man has asked the young girl for her hand and has received approval from her parents. On the engagement day the young man sends his betrothed a bouquet of white flowers, especially those his fiancée truly loves. The florist brings them not too long before the banquet. In addition, the man brings the engagement ring to his fiancée himself and presents it to her in a case and only in the presence of her parents. The girl opens the case herself and hands the ring to her fiancé, who places it on the fourth finger of her left hand, which he then kisses. Often during this occasion the mother allows the first kiss, at least on the forehead of the fiancée. But one can never be sure if this is really their first kiss.

It was also the custom that on this occasion the young lady gave her fiancé a ring with a diamond. The engagement ring is the first expensive gift that the fiancée accepts. It is usually decorated with only white stones or pearls, but sometimes also with diamonds and a blue sapphire. Never rubies or emeralds! Usually there is engraving inside the ring with both their first names and the engagement date. From this moment onward the engaged couple always wear them on the fourth finger of the left hand, next to the little finger. (Supposedly because it is closer to the heart. In Latin it was called DIGITUS ANNULARIS, it is called the 'ring finger' in English.)

The young lady's gown is light coloured and the fiancé, just as all the men attending the banquet, wears a tailcoat and the ladies are wearing evening gowns. From the moment of her engagement the young girl, now affianced, does not appear in society without her fiancé and her parents do not accept any invitations for her that the fiancé did not receive at the same time."