Engagement Ring Etiquette: Do You Wear It On The Wedding Day?

While working endlessly to tick off all the big to-dos that come with your ultimate wedding checklist, you might not want to miss out on the small details that matter just as much. A tiny (yet important!) detail to consider is your engagement ring – where will you have it put on the special day?

The chances are that you have gotten used to having the ring on your finger leading up to the wedding, so it might seem peculiar to have it taken off during the ceremony. But what are you to do with your ring when your significant other places the wedding band on that very same finger? If these questions are what you are pondering about, the good news is that you can put your mind at rest. Below, we go into greater detail on the standard etiquette for wearing your engagement ring on your wedding day and provide some helpful suggestions for where to store it if you decide not to wear it.

The standard etiquette and traditional order of rings

Accepting the proposal your partner presents to you comes with accepting the symbolic diamond ring as well. This means that throughout the engagement period, you would traditionally wear the proposal ring on the left hand’s fourth finger. On the day of your wedding ceremony, your wedding band will then go on that same finger.

Engagement rings go hand-in-hand with wedding rings, so naturally, it would make sense that there is a tradition of keeping them in a specific order. Based on tradition, the wedding ring or band goes first to keep it closer to the heart, followed by the engagement ring. As such, the standard etiquette would be to wear the engagement ring on the right-hand ring finger. During the ceremony, the wedding band will be worn on the left-hand-ring finger, and post-ceremony, the engagement ring will then be placed on top of the band. Seeing as how these two are usually placed on top of one another, you may want to seed the discussion with your groom-to-be to have your wedding band match your engagement ring for that seamless, stunning look.

Ideas to keep your engagement ring on the wedding day

It is customary to place your engagement ring on your right hand during the wedding ceremony, but who’s to say that is your only option? In fact, there are other ways to keep the symbolic ring safe, as your other half slides the band on your finger. 

– Store the ring in a ring box

If having the engagement ring in your wedding photos is not a concern for you, consider placing it in a ring box until the ceremony ends. It is perfectly acceptable to have it stored somewhere safe as you celebrate the occasion if your preference is not to wear it at all.

Alternatively, you can opt not to wear any ring down the aisle and have your significant other put both rings on your finger during the ceremony.

– Keep it at home

Leaving your ring at home in a secure place is a fool-proof way to ensure it does not get lost moving between hands. An excellent and arguably the safest place to store your ring, you can also guarantee that the wedding band will have its time to shine at the ceremony.

– Wear your ring on another finger

If you would like to have photos with your engagement ring during the ceremony, you may follow the tradition of other countries: Brides in Hong Kong wear their engagement ring on the middle finger prior to shifting it to their ring finger. In other words, a ring on the middle finger simply means that they are engaged, while one on the ring finger signifies that they are married. To do this, though, you will need to make sure that the ring fits properly on the other finger of the left hand.

– Simply wear the band on top of the ring

If the significance of the band being closer to your heart isn’t something that bothers you too much not to follow, you can always choose to have the engagement ring remain on your left hand. Once your partner has placed the wedding band on top of the ring, you can have the option of re-stacking it for the reception.

If you do decide to go along with this idea, it would be great to clue your partner in so they don’t switch around the rings.