Getting engaged is one of the most exciting parts of your life! But planning a wedding and figuring out all the details can be stressful. There are plenty of traditions to follow when it comes to wearing your engagement and wedding rings. Here are some of the basic traditions and different options you can choose from when deciding on the correct way to wear your wedding rings.
What Finger Does the Wedding Ring Go On?
Traditionally, in Western cultures, people wear their wedding rings on their left-hand ring finger. This is true for both engagement and wedding rings. Both are worn on the fourth finger on the left hand by women and men.
The Vena Amoris
This custom dates back to the ancient Roman belief of the “vena amoris.” They believed there was a vein that ran directly from the left-hand ring finger to the heart. Nowadays, we know that there is no such singular vein, but people still follow this tradition.
Engagement Rings Versus Wedding Rings
Both wedding and engagement rings are very important parts of getting married.
Traditionally the engagement ring is the ring used to propose to someone, while the wedding bands are separate and exchanged during the wedding ceremony.
In Western culture, the groom-to-be will choose and purchase the engagement ring for the bride-to-be. Then, the couple will purchase wedding bands for each other. Now, couples are moving towards shopping for wedding bands together so they can discuss style, design, and price before making a decision.
There are different ways that people wear their engagement and wedding rings. Some people like to wear both after getting married, while others only wear the wedding ring.
What is a Promise Ring?
While a promise ring is not a wedding ring, it does symbolize love and commitment to the relationship. Giving a promise ring usually means a promise to take the relationship seriously and hope for future development.
A promise ring is different from an engagement ring. While an engagement ring promises marriage, a promise ring simply shows dedication to the relationship. You may receive a promise ring earlier in the relationship before you’re ready to get married.
How To Wear Promise Rings
You can wear promise rings on either hand. Usually, it is worn on the ring finger. If the promise ring symbolizes a future commitment, then people tend to wear it on their left-hand ring finger like a wedding ring.
Can You Wear Both the Engagement Ring and Wedding Ring?
Many people propose a diamond ring as the engagement ring and opt for a simpler band for the wedding ring. There are many different wedding and engagement ring traditions and modern ways to wear your wedding jewelry.
A lot of people who want to wear both rings will stack them. A common way to do this during the wedding ceremony is to switch the engagement ring from the ring finger on the left hand to the right-hand ring finger. That leaves the left hand’s ring finger free for the wedding ring.
Then, after the ceremony, you can move the engagement ring back over to the left hand.
How to Stack Your Wedding Rings
When wearing a bridal set or both your engagement and wedding ring, most people will wear both on the same finger and stack them.
Since the left-hand ring finger is the finger most people wear wedding rings on, women generally stack both rings on this finger.
Engagement Ring on Top
If you like to stick to traditions and like how special customs are, then you probably want to wear the wedding band on the inside of the engagement ring, so it’s closer to your heart.
This is also a good way to wear your wedding rings if you ever need to take off your diamond engagement ring to keep it safe.
Wedding Ring on Top
Others may choose to wear a wedding ring on the outside of their engagement ring to keep the rings secure.
Wearing the wedding ring on top may also look nicer with your rings or be a personal preference. You can choose to wear the wedding ring on top of your engagement ring for no reason at all! Maybe you just like how it looks better, and that is perfectly okay.
Wearing Rings on Different Fingers
Some people don’t have a wedding ring set, or their engagement and wedding rings don’t match.
Many times people propose with an engagement ring that is a family heirloom. This is a reason they may choose to wear their engagement ring and wedding ring on different fingers or even different hands.
Engagement Ring on the Left and Wedding Ring on the Right
People may choose to wear the engagement ring on their left ring finger and their wedding ring on their right ring finger. This is practical if there is too much weight on one finger with both rings for everyday wear.
Other people are more active or have jobs that require them to use their hands more, so it is perfectly acceptable to wear both rings on different hands or different fingers.
Wear Only One Ring
Some people prefer to wear only the wedding band every day after the wedding. There are many reasons for this, from an active lifestyle to wanting to protect the engagement ring.
Some people find it more secure to wear one of their rings on a chain around their neck. This way, they only wear one ring on their finger.
Alternate Between Rings
You can also alternate between wearing the engagement ring and the wedding ring. Maybe you save for a diamond engagement ring for special occasions and wear the wedding band every day.
How People in Other Cultures Wear Their Wedding Rings
In America and many Western societies, people wear engagement and wedding rings on the fourth finger on the left hand. However, in other cultures, there are different traditions.
In Eastern Europe and South America, there are many countries that have the tradition of wearing the wedding ring on the right hand.
In Brazil, Romania, Syria, Turkey, and Lebanon, people wear a wedding ring on their right hand until the day of the wedding then they switch it to their left hand.
Do You Have the Perfect Ring Yet?
Now that you know the correct way to wear your wedding rings, we hope you have the perfect ring picked out for the wedding day!
If you like the idea of stacking your rings or you know your partner would like matching rings, then opt for a bridal set. This makes it easy to get rings that perfectly complement each other.
Finding The Best Wedding Ring Styles
You don’t always have to buy the most popular wedding band just to be trendy at the moment.
These are your rings, and they will be worn every day all the time, so the designs and colors should reflect your style and preference.
Clean Origin Rings
Clean Origin sells the most finely crafted jewelry for your wedding day. With Clean Origin, you can be sure that the jewelry you wear every day is ethical and responsibly sourced, always.
Diamond Engagement Rings
If you’re still looking for the perfect engagement ring, start with Clean Origin’s beautifully crafted lab grown diamonds.
Wedding Rings
There are so many men’s wedding bands and women’s wedding bands to choose from. You can find matching styles or unique designs that reflect your personality.
Bridal Sets
Choose from our vast assortment of beautiful rings that include matching engagement and wedding rings with diamonds.
The Bottom Line
Your love and commitment to your relationship do not depend on following wedding ring traditions. It’s okay to break the rules sometimes.
How you wear your wedding rings is completely up to you. Depending on your personal style and lifestyle, you may have many reasons why you wear your rings your way. The reason can be as simple as because you like it!
