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Does It Really Matter How You Wear Your wedding Band


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Is There a Right or Way To Wear Your Rings?

Rings are a symbol of love and commitment in a romantic relationship. From promise rings to engagement rings and wedding bands, you can give your partner a ring at any stage in your relationship for unique reasons.

What if there is a right or wrong fashion to wear your wedding rings and you don't know it yet? 

The history behind wearing wedding rings

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“…It was not until about 860 that the Christians used the ring in marriage ceremonies; even then, it was not the simple plain band as we know it. It usually was highly decorated with engraved doves, lyres, or two linked hands. 
The Church discouraged such rings as ‘heathenish’ and, around the 13th century, wedding and betrothal rings were considerably simplified, and given a more spiritual look which was very aptly expressed by a Bishop when he dubbed it a “symbol of the union of hearts.”(cited)

Wearing of rings dates back to ancient Egypt as a form of worshipping the sun and moon gods. It later became a romantic gesture as the Romans promoted the use of metal rings instead of those made from bones and leather by the Egyptians and the Greeks.

The customary western way to wear wedding rings has many of us wearing them on the left hand's ring finger (the finger before your pinkie finger). The western tradition also espouses stacking the rings with the wedding band below and the engagement ring on top. 

This tradition stemmed from the ancient myth that this designated finger has a vein running to the heart, which was believed to keep the lovers' hearts entwined forever by the rings. Thus, the Romans nicknamed it vena amoris, aka vein of love. 

Er...not to burst your love bubble, but biology has proven that every finger, including the ring finger, has a venous connection to the heart, although not directly (so technically, whatever finger you wear your ring, your hearts will always be connected). 
Related: Link to the Heart - Where is the Vena Amioris

This tradition has become the norm for most people in modern climes. In addition, the ring finger of the left hand is widely accepted as the proper finger to stack your wedding rings on. No doubt this works well for many people, however just as wedding ceremonies differ in various countries, some other religions and traditions share a different view. 

For instance, traditional Indian culture considers the left hand unclean, thus permitting wedding bands to be worn only on the right hand. Similarly, it is considered normal to wear rings on the ring finger of the right hand in some other countries like Spain, Portugal, Greece, Norway, Denmark, Russia, India, and Bulgaria. Also, traditional Jewish customs allow the groom to slip the ring on his bride's index finger as it is considered the most prominent finger.

Some cultures also opt to sport the engagement rings and wedding bands on different hands. At the same time, left-handed people would rather wear the rings on their non-dominant hand, the right hand. So again, it's all about varying perspectives.

Which goes first??
While culture and tradition may have set the pace, the proper order to wear your wedding rings is totally up to you. Relieved? 

Do you wear your wedding band top or bottom?


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This is how I’m wearing mine

There is actually no universal wedding manual somewhere that makes wearing your wedding rings on your left or right hand proper or not. As already discussed, different cultures have different wedding traditions, including ring placement. Therefore, wedding ring placement is not fundamental to a successful marriage. However, suppose you are planning a traditional wedding peculiar to your culture and roots. In that case, you may want to work closely with your wedding concierge to ensure you get it right culturally.

But as always, your personal preference should be your guiding light. See what to do with the dress, post wedding, 
HERE.


3 comments:

  1. I've always thought of that! No one ever showed me the right or wrong way to do it. And I've also never heard it discussed anywhere else before! Ins't that interesting. I'm going to bring it up with my mates and hear what they think.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is a very interesting topic. We decided to write about something different than our usual topics. Thanks for sharing and visiting.

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  2. I wear two wedding rings on the same 'traditional' finger. My husband lost his original ring and we bought new ones, thanks for linking with #pocolo

    ReplyDelete

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