What Hand Does a Wedding Ring Go On?
Learn about the stories behind how we wear wedding rings and how they differ among various cultures.
What Hand Does a Wedding Ring Go On?
Learn about the stories behind how we wear wedding rings and how they differ among various cultures.
How to Wear Wedding Rings
In Western cultures, engagement rings and wedding bands are typically worn on the left-hand ring finger, while other cultures around the world have different traditions. Read on to understand why engagement and wedding rings are worn on certain fingers.
What finger does a wedding ring go on?
Most cultures today tend to wear the wedding ring on the fourth finger of either hand, called the ring finger. However, throughout history, wedding rings have been worn on each finger.
In some cultures, the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. The tradition of wearing a wedding band on the left hand comes from the now disproven belief that the left ring finger has a vein running directly to the heart, signifying a connection between the hearts of the couple.
In countries including India, Germany, Spain, Norway, Russia, Austria, Hungary, and the Netherlands, wedding rings are worn on the right hand. Many in Switzerland wear their engagement ring on the right ring finger and wedding band on the left.
What finger does the engagement ring go on?
As with wedding rings, traditionally engagement rings are worn on either the fourth finger of the left hand or the fourth finger of the right hand. Customs vary across cultures—in many Western cultures, it goes on the left hand, while in Eastern cultures, the right hand is preferred. Regardless of placement, engagement rings universally symbolize love and the promise of commitment.
How to Wear an Engagement Ring and Wedding Band
Many married couples wear their wedding bands on the bottom of the stack below the engagement ring so the band is closest to their hearts. Other couples even have their engagement rings and wedding bands soldered together, directly symbolizing their bond.
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FAQ's
In most Western cultures, the woman’s wedding ring and engagement ring are worn on the left hand. In Eastern cultures, the engagement ring might be worn on the left hand during the engagement and then transferred to the right hand after marriage.
In most Western cultures, the man’s wedding ring is typically worn on the left hand, whereas in certain Eastern cultures, it is worn on the right hand.
The wedding ring typically goes first. Most people wear the wedding band below the engagement ring to symbolize closeness to the heart.
Typically, the wedding band is worn first, then the engagement ring and finally, the eternity ring.
