Proper Wear of Wedding Rings

Learning the proper wear of wedding rings can make a difference in how you wear your special ring. Since wedding rings are symbols of a lifelong commitment and bond between you and your loved one, you want to wear it correctly. Understanding the history and cultural implications of the wedding ring might influence the ring you select.

The modern wedding ring traces its origins back to the Roman betrothal ring. During a betrothal ceremony, a man placed a ring on the ring finger of the left hand of the woman he intended to marry. The ring finger on the left hand was chosen because the Romans and Greeks believed this finger had a vein, the vena amoris or vein of love, connected directly to the heart.

In British tradition, wedding rings were given as a part of a transfer of money or goods. In King Edward VI's prayer book, the words, "With this ring, I thee wed" is followed by the words, "This gold and silver I give thee." During this time period, the groom gave his bride a wedding ring and then handed her a purse filled with money.

Other European cultures use only one ring for both the engagement and wedding. During the engagement, the engaged woman wears the ring on her right hand and then has it engraved and transferred to her left hand after marriage. Some similar customs require the engraving of the name of the fiancé and the date of the upcoming marriage engraved on the ring during the engagement period.

For a period of time, especially during the Medieval Era, people wore wedding rings on any finger of any hand they desired. A number of Catholic and Orthodox countries traditionally wore wedding rings on the ring finger of the right hand. Eventually, most Western countries abandoned the practice, especially after the Protestant Reformation and the establishment of the Church of England, and firmly established the older practice of wearing wedding rings on the ring finger of the right hand tradition.

Today most people in Western countries wear the wedding ring on the ring finger of the left hand. For many years, only the bride wore a wedding ring and in some circles this is still true. However, now the bride and groom often exchange wedding rings during the wedding ceremony.

Today, two rings are worn as a symbol of a marriage commitment. These are an engagement ring and a wedding ring. Women wear both an engagement ring and a wedding ring after marriage. Men usually wear only one ring, the wedding ring, if any ring is worn. Male wedding rings, however, are becoming more common.

After a man proposes marriage, he presents his fiancée with an engagement ring. Then, the groom provides the bride with a wedding ring as he says his wedding vows. The bride may also present the groom with a wedding ring during the wedding ceremony.

In many countries such as the USA, UK, Canada, Mexico, France, India, Iran, Italy, Korea, Japan and Brazil, wedding bands are traditionally worn on the ring finger of the left hand following the Roman tradition. The wearing of wedding rings on the left hand symbolizes the couple declaring eternal love for each other because of the left ring finger's connection to vein of love. Some modern interpretations of this practice explain that the majority of people are right handed and it is more convenient to wear a wedding ring on the ring finger of the left hand.

People in a number of countries that predominantly follow Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism wear wedding bands on the right hand. These countries include the Ukraine, Russia, Norway, Peru, Venezuela, Germany, Greece and Serbia. In Orthodox wedding ceremonies, the groom places the wedding ring on the ring finger of the right hand of the bride. Men do not usually wear wedding rings in Orthodox tradition.

Many people wonder exactly how to wear the wedding and engagement rings together on the ring finger. During most Western marriage ceremonies, the wedding band is placed on top of the engagement ring because the bride is already wearing the engagement ring. Some women take off their engagement ring before the marriage ceremony so that the wedding band is the first ring on their finger and then later place their engagement ring on top of the wedding band. If the engagement ring remained on during the marriage ceremony, most women switch the order of the rings on their finger so that the engagement ring is on top of the wedding ring. This tradition of placing the wedding ring first on the finger stems from the idea that the wedding ring should lie closest to the heart.

Now that you have learned about the proper wear of wedding rings, you can decide how to wear your ring. In today's world, people can wear their wedding rings any way they choose. Whichever way that you decide to wear your ring, it will have special meaning to you and your loved one.

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