How Are the Wedding Ring & the Engagement Ring Placed on a Finger?

Place the wedding ring below or above the engagement ring.

With all of the hassle and planning of a wedding, minor details may slip your mind. Now that you have the engagement ring on her finger, you are probably wondering what to do with the wedding ring itself. Not wanting to look foolish at the altar, it is a sigh of relief to know that there are no set rules about the placement of the ring. Depending on the rings, wedding accessories or preference, there are multitudes of ways to place the wedding ring on your bride.

Proposal

During proposal, the engagement ring goes around the third finger of the left hand. Since the main vein to the heart runs through this finger, many believe that placing the ring here will provide a marriage full of love. If an engagement party is in the works, the groom may ask for the ring before the party and once more place it on the hand of his bride-to-be. In some cultures, the bride does not wear an engagement ring at all or hides the ring until the announcement of the wedding.

Opposite Hand

When you are ready to make those final few steps down the aisle, the bride may move the engagement ring may to the opposite hand to avoid fumbling at the altar. Once the wedding has commenced, the bride can move the wedding ring may over to the left hand if desired. When switching the ring back over, do so by placing it directly above the wedding ring. Push them together for a snug fit.

Above Engagement Ring

Leave the engagement ring on throughout the ceremony. Allow your husband to place the wedding band above the engagement ring. After the wedding, adjust the wedding band to allow the engagement ring to sit on top or leave it beneath the wedding ring. While this may also eliminate confusion or delay during the ceremony, it is not too common to leave the engagement ring on throughout the exchange.

Below Engagement Ring

Wear the engagement ring until it is time to exchange wedding rings with your groom. Remove the engagement ring and allow your partner to place the wedding ring onto your finger. Put the engagement ring on immediately after the wedding ring. This might cause a fumble or confusion at the altar, so a good amount of practice before the big day couldn't hurt.

Gloves

If you want to wear gloves but are worried about where and how to place the wedding ring, there are a few ways to handle this. Remove the gloves before the ceremony and give them directly to your maid of honor. Specific wedding gloves have a slit down the middle of the wedding ring finger. You may choose to move the pieces of the glove apart before placing the ring on the finger. In this case, you may remove your engagement ring until the ceremony has ended to avoid damaging the gloves or the ring itself.

References

• A-to-Z of Manners & Etiquette: Engagement Ring Etiquette
• One Heart Weddings: Wedding Ring Etiquette