Looking for the correct way to wear your wedding ring? You are in a right place.
Traditionally, couples would wear their wedding rings closest to their hearts, which implies that the wedding ring would be stacked right below the engagement ring on the left ring finger.
Over the years, many people have continued this tradition, even as it is believed that the ring goes on the ring or the fourth finger because of the belief in the existence of an artery/ blood vein that connects this finger to the heart directly.
But beliefs aside, is this the correct way to wear the wedding ring? Or rather, is there a correct and a wrong way of wearing your wedding ring?
Keep reading to find out.
Correct way to wear your wedding rings
After going through all the high-pressure situations around the engagement and the wedding, you’ll feel like you are set up for whatever may come up next. However, there’s one important thing that you may end up forgetting about, stacking your engagement and the wedding ring.
While most people choose to move the engagement ring to the right, keeping the wedding band on the left hand, others opt to solder the two rings together or switch up the positioning of the rings, putting the wedding ring before the engagement ring and vice versa. But which is the ideal way for you to wear your wedding bands?
Is there a correct way to wearing the wedding ring? Well, we don’t think it matters as it depends on what you feel. But if you insist on following some set of rules about wedding rings, then this article is for you.
So, let’s get started!
Tips for wearing engagement and wedding rings
1.Ring on your left hand
The most common way of wearing your wedding and engagement rings is by wearing them on your left hand. It is one of the oldest traditions when it comes to wedding rings, and it dates back to the times of the Ancient Egyptians.
At the time, it was believed that we have a vein that goes from your left ring finger directly to the heart. So, by wearing the wedding ring then the engagement ring on this finger, it guaranteed you that the ring was as close to the heart as possible.
Thanks to this very compelling tradition, wearing the ring on the left-hand ring finger is one of the most popular customs in many regions of the world, from the United States and France to the United Kingdom, South Africa, Mexico, as well as most of the Asian Countries.
2.Wearing the ring on the right
In the same way that most people find it more realistic to wear the wedding ring on the left finger, some cultures deem it right and even more appropriate to wear the wedding ring on the right hand.
This tradition isn’t common in the Western Countries, and in countries in Eastern and Northern Europe like Poland, Russia, or Denmark, couples wear their wedding rings on the right hand. This practice is also common in Greece, India, Portugal, and Spain.
And in countries like Brazil, couples opt to wear their engagement rings, on the one hand, only switching hands after they exchange their wedding vows.
3.Wearing the wedding band first, then the engagement ring next.
A number of couples will also wear their wedding and engagement rings on one hand. For these individuals, this is a preferable option because it keeps the ring safe, and perhaps, closer to the heart.
If this is your preferred option, you’d want to remove the engagement ring first and before the ceremony (to avoid fumbling at the altar and also to avoid losing the ring).
So, if this is the option that works or feels right for you, go for it, but make sure to keep the other ring safe for after the wedding day.
4.Wearing the Wedding Ring on Top of the Engagement Ring
This is another popular option for most new couples. These individuals often opt to wear the wedding band after the engagement ring, primarily because it is an option that makes more sense.
But besides being the most logical approach, choosing to keep the engagement ring as the ring that goes on your finger first is important and symbolic as it represents the promise you made to each other; and the wedding ring goes on top of the engagement ring only crystallizes the promises made.
This option also works a lot like a figurative bookend in that you were first engaged, and it’s now official that the deal is done.
5.Wearing the engagement ring on one finger and the wedding ring on the other finger
If your engagement ring and the wedding ring don’t match, the best way for you to keep both rings on would be to wear each of the rings on individual fingers.
Often, the finger chosen is the ring finger, and most married individuals opt to wear the engagement ring on the left ring finger and the right ring finger for the wedding band.
While this isn’t the most traditional approach, it is an option that works best for people whose wedding and engagement rings don’t match. You could also opt for this alternative if you don’t like stacking more than one ring on the same finger.
But personal preferences aside, you will find couples wearing their rings this way as a customary thing in countries like the Netherlands and Germany.
This option is also often preferred by individuals with shorter fingers because it’s a lot more comfortable. It also feels more comfortable for persons who don’t like having more than that one ring on each finger.
But that is not all, and feelings aside, it might be the preferable option if both your rings are just too stunning to be forced on one finger. So, for a better display, you’d want each ring on each hand, giving each ring the perfect center stage to shine.
6.Wearing Alternate Rings
In the world of wedding rings and how you choose to wear your rings, ultimately, there really aren’t any hard rules to follow, and you wear the rings depending on your preferences and style.
What this means is that it isn’t specified somewhere that you’d have to wear both of your wedding rings at the same time or on the same finger.
This means that you could choose to be one of the unique individuals who choose to wear their rings on special days or occasions. For example, you could opt to wear your wedding rings every day while reserving your engagement ring for special occasions or when you decide to dress up; and the converse is also true – you could wear the engagement ring daily and forego wearing the wedding ring on most days.
That said, it’s important to note that most individuals opt for the simpler wedding band on most days, and they leave the sparkly engagement ring for special occasions.
This decision is often fuelled by lifestyle or job. It’s a preferable option for most people when they are traveling or any other situation where you’d be afraid of losing or damaging the ring.
7.Wear the wedding ring on any finger you’d like
For the longest time, men and women have worn their wedding rings on the 4th finger, next to the pinky finger, primarily because of the belief that this is the way that wedding rings should be worn.
But do you know that you really don’t have to stick to this arbitrary rule, especially now that we know better and know that there is no vein forming a straight line between the ‘ring’ finger and the heart?
What this means is that you get to wear your wedding ring on whichever finger you feel like. You could keep the engagement ring on the ring finger and the wedding ring on any other finger you’d love to.
Remember that at the end of the day, the ring will feel just right, regardless of the finger you choose to wear the ring on.
Other ways of wearing wedding rings
- You could wear the wedding ring as and on your necklace. Just find a coordinating chain to wear the ring as a pendant from.
- Wear the wedding band on the bracelet
- Wear your wedding ring as a body piercing jewelry
- Your watch could be your wedding band too.
- Opt for a wedding band made of 100% silicone, especially if you are a hands-on person or if you work out often
- Finally, you could invent a unique, personalized way of wearing a wedding band. You don’t have to follow the grain. So, find that one unique way of wearing the ring, something that makes sense to you and your partner, and go for it.
Conclusion
There is no one way of wearing your wedding ring correctly, which means that you could opt for any of the alternatives above, as long as they make sense to you and make you happy.
So, unless cultures and traditions matter to you, how you choose to wear the wedding ring shouldn’t matter.
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Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.