Congratulations, you are engaged! But on which hand do you wear your engagement ring? And how do you do that when you also wear a wedding ring? Strangely enough, there are multiple answers to this frequently asked question. Tradition, culture and religion; there are different reasons why you choose your left or right hand. We are happy to show you the different ways you can choose from. And remember; there is no right or wrong way to wear your engagement and wedding ring, choose what you feel happy with.
An engagement ring on the left?
In ancient times, engagement rings were already worn on the left ring finger. The Greeks, Romans and Egyptians chose this left hand because they believed that the vein from this ring finger ran straight to the heart. They also called this love vein 'Vena Amoris'. To this day, many women worldwide choose to wear an engagement ring on their left hand based on this tradition.
And what about the wedding ring on the right?
In the Netherlands, a wedding ring – unlike an engagement ring – is often worn on the right hand, but this is certainly not the case everywhere. The hand that is chosen varies by country, culture and religion. However, today's newlyweds are less concerned and mainly choose on which hand they themselves find it beautiful and pleasant to wear this symbolic ring.
Differences in wedding ring left or right by religion
Most Catholics follow the example of the ancient Romans and wear the wedding ring on the left hand because of the love vein . Protestant Christians traditionally choose to wear the engagement ring on the left hand, but the wedding ring on the right hand. Because an engagement is originally a Christian custom, an engagement ring is not always worn within Islam. Traditionally, Muslims only choose a wedding ring, which for a man may not be made of gold. Nowadays, however, more and more couples with a Muslim background are also choosing an engagement, including an engagement party and engagement rings.
Each country a different hand
The choice of wearing a wedding ring on the left or right hand also differs between countries. And sometimes there is no clear line to be drawn even within a country. For example, in Belgium it even differs per province and in Antwerp and Brabant they choose the right hand, while bridal couples in East and West Flanders go for the left hand. Worldwide, the wedding ring is most often worn on the left hand, this is the custom in the United States, Sweden, England, France, Australia, Italy, Ireland, Mexico and Brazil. But in Germany, Russia, Spain and the Netherlands, for example, the right hand is traditionally chosen.
Which hand do men and women wear a wedding ring on?
Yes, you will soon be a married couple, but even as a married man and woman you can make your own choices and you do not necessarily have to wear your ring on the same finger. When you have decided to let go of traditions, you can each choose which ring finger you wear the wedding ring on. For practical reasons, you can choose not to wear the wedding ring on your dominant hand. A right-handed person will use their left hand less intensively, which means the ring is less likely to be damaged. Others consciously choose to wear the wedding ring on their dominant hand, because it is more noticeable there.
How do you wear an engagement ring and wedding ring together?
You have received a beautiful engagement ring and of course you would rather never take it off, even if you choose to wear a wedding ring as well. There are actually two options for wearing these two rings at the same time. You can wear an engagement ring and wedding ring separately, each on their own hand. For some engagement rings, this is also the only option due to the design of the ring. However, we prefer to let the wedding ring and engagement ring shine together on one finger. By choosing a so-called bridal set, you can be sure that both rings can be worn perfectly together, both visually and in terms of wearing comfort. All Aurore engagement rings are therefore made in such a way that they can later be combined well with a wedding ring. You slide them on in the order in which you received them: first the engagement ring and above that the wedding ring. And on which hand do you wear this golden combination? The aforementioned 'rules' apply here, but we advise: put them on the hand where you wear them most comfortably.
