Which Hand Should You Wear Your Wedding or Engagement Ring?
The ring is an ancient symbol of eternity—it has no end and no beginning. It is so simple, yet so perfect. It is a circle, representing a love that is given and comes back round again. An engagement ring means a promise of a life together, and wedding bands are exchanged to symbolize your love and commitment to each other.
Traditional Practice
Although the symbolism of a ring is universal, which hand you should wear your wedding or engagement ring depends entirely on your cultural background, religion and the part of the world you live in. For example, Catholics have a tradition of wearing their engagement rings on their right hand, while Protestants wear it on their left hand.
The ring is then moved to the other hand and placed above the wedding band during the wedding ceremony. In America and most of the European countries, an engagement ring is worn on the left hand, but in some countries like Spain, Peru and India, it is worn on the right hand.
Whichever side you choose, the fourth finger of your hand is considered to be the engagement ring finger. This is linked to an old belief that there is a special vein in this finger—a “vein of love”—leading directly to the heart. By wearing engagement and wedding rings on your “ring fingers,” your hearts are directly connected through these eternal symbols of never-ending love.
More Modern Decisions
If you want to, choose to follow the tradition, but how you will wear your engagement and wedding rings is essentially a personal choice. It depends on multiple factors, like size, shape, age and style of your rings, as well as your lifestyle and daily activities. That said, you have the option to choose to wear your engagement ring on top of your wedding band, beneath it, or even have them soldered together to create an unbreakable combination.
You may also wear it on one hand, leaving the wedding ring on the other—most likely on the non-dominant hand—protecting it from wear and tear caused by your daily activities. Or, choose not to wear one or both of your rings and maybe replace them with something else, like a necklace, bracelet or even a tattoo.
Another tradition that is widely honored is for the spouses to have matching wedding bands. Although this is a common practice, there are no strict rules to be followed in this case either, and you can opt for any style of your wedding bands, respecting each other’s wishes and preferences when it comes to shape, size, type and color of the materials used.
Conclusion
Whether you have decided to buy an engagement ring, or you are the one being presented with it, respect the fact that it is a perfect symbol of the promise, commitment and power of your love. There are no strict rules, so choose to wear your engagement and wedding rings as you please—bearing in mind that they represent you as a couple, reminding you of who you are, where you’ve been and where are you going.
To show your commitment to a loved one and find the perfect symbol of your ever-lasting love, buy an engagement ring today.
