I’m pretty sure my hopes for wearing my engagement ring on my right hand are dashed. I have two reasons for this: I have a pretty ring I wanted to wear on my right hand, and it only fits on my right hand ring finger; and the engagement ring doesn’t fit on my right hand.
In a fit of “let’s see what happens”, I transferred the e-ring over to my right hand. And couldn’t get it off. Now, I’ve heard about one hand being bigger/smaller than the other one, but this is insane. After cooling my hand in the office porta-fridge, I was able to suck it off with my mouth, but it worried me. I have a small red mark around my finger where the ring was lodged, and it hurts. My finger actually swelled!
So, instead of the ring being on my right hand, and transfered over after the “I Do”, I’m just going to have him slide the band down over my e-ring, and then switch them in the ride to the reception. What would you do? Would you leave the engagement ring at home, or just wear it? Would you keep it on your poor swollen right hand, until the moment of ring sliding?
Hey Miss Kiwi-
I think it would be fine to slip the band over the e-ring and then switch them during the receiving line or whatever.
It’s not worth it to injure your poor hand any more than it is! : (
I think your plan sounds excellent.!
Actually, I’ve been considering wearing my e-ring first and band second permanently. Some women do it like that.
I get the whole “the wedding band is closer to your heart” thing. But I can’t help but think: I got engaged first and married second.
I have the same problem. My e-ring does NOT fit on my right hand. (And, same as you, I tried it out and made my finger turn purple.) I think I will just have the wedding back go on top of the ering at the ceremony and switch it after.
I’m all for your plan — wear it and then switch it up. NO ONE but a bride knows that you’re “supposed” to transfer your ring. I had every intention of switching to my right hand and totally forgot. So when the minister started talking about the rings and I looked down I did a quick switcharoo right there during the ceremony and no one knew but me!
I’m so sorry you got your ring stuck — Most certainly do not wear the e-ring on your right hand again if it hurt so much.
I had to wear my e-ring on my left hand for the ceremony–the minister actually suggested I do so since I was struggling with my right ring finger. After countless jammed and broken fingers from sports injuries my right fingers are a good full size bigger. I switched my wedding band and e-ring right after the ceremony. I didn’t want to have to go to the hospital to get my e-ring cut off of my right hand!
Go with your plan. I was going to do the e-ring on the right hand but like you, it would get stuck. I intended to switch it after the ceremony so the wedding ring is ‘closer to my heart’ but I forgot.
I am actually going to buy a really pretty, REALLY STURDY blue pin, and pin my e-ring to the underside of my dress somewhere, so it’s still on me (I wear rings on both my middle finger and ring finger on my right hand), and I’ll put it on after the ceremony. It might be a little odd, but I think it’ll be fun!
I was actually wondering about this; my e-ring does not fit on my right hand ring finger either, too small and almost got stuck one time too! I like the idea of keeping it on during the ceremony (on left hand) and just do the switch later. Good post Miss Kiwi!!
A jeweler told me that windex is the best way to get off rings that get stuck. But let’s hope none of us get stuck again!
You could just put both rings in the ring box? And your fiance could slip them on your finger in the right order maybe. Just an option.
P.S. when my fiance proposed, the ring was about 3/4 of a size too small but I was so excited to be engaged, I was hell-bent on wearing that ring. So I wore it for a couple hours, and then I couldn’t get it off either! My finger swelled up and I couldn’t get it off with water, spit, soap, nothing. Finally after half an hour of trying and a LOT of pain, my FMIL suggested olive oil and I had to swivel it round in circles, thickly coated in oil. It finally came off covered in this oily film. It was awful, but pretty funny now looking back on it 
The ring was since resized, and then I went and lost 15 pounds, half of which seemed to come off my fingers so now it’s too big again. Go figure.
I was worried I would lose mine and didn’t want to wear it for the ceremony, so I was going to put it in the safe. I guess I got so used to wearing it that I forgot to take it off, so I had my mom put it on her necklace with her wedding ring.
I forgot to switch my ring before the ceremony, so I just handed it to my MOH when I gave her the bouquet. Could your MOH hang onto your e-ring for safe-keeping?
We did the both rings in the ring box option. He just took both to place on my finger during that part of the ceremony.
I can’t wear it on my right hand either… thanks for the post… I didn’t think of all of these options.
Just like feet, many ppl’s hands aren’t the same size either. I’m right-handed and both my right hand and right foot are a 1/2 size bigger than the left! Strange when you first hear it but it makes sense.
Windex is a winner for removing stuck rings - our jeweler whipped it out when DH was trying on wedding bands.
I had intended on giving my ring to my sis/MOH but forgot until I was standing up at the altar. I somewhat slyly put the ering on the first part of my pointer finger. Our plan was for the Pastor to include a neat saying right after we exchanged rings; then I would pop my ering on over my wedding band. It was no biggie that he forgot as my DH & I were the only ones who knew it was missed - the text was “The engagement ring is a symbol of promise and intention. Now the intention is realized and the promise fulfilled. Please place the engagement ring on Christine’s finger over her wedding band to symbolize that the love that brought you together will always protect and sustain your marriage.”
I’m another one w/ right hand fingers bigger than left. Wanted to do the switch-it-to-the-right-then-switch-it-back thing too, but yep…stuck! The only other finger the e-ring will fit on is my left pinky, which I considered, but decided would look silly in the pictures (there are ALWAYS closeups of the hands…holding the bouquet, exchanging rings…). I just couldn’t bear to not wear it, not even to entrust it to my mom. So I kept it on my left ring finger, and he put the wedding band on top. Then I forgot to switch ‘em until someone asked “Hey, so which order DO you wear them?” (They thought it was the order you get them, like someone else here posted.) So there is a pic of our first dance where you can see I have them on “backwards.” No big. But I DO always look in movies and on TV to see if they wear them “backwards”!
I had one of my BMs wear my e-ring during the ceremony, and I put it on with my wedding band right after the ceremony. It worked out just fine!
I wore my e-ring on my thumb and switched while our minister was talking and right before i put the ring on his finger, so if our photographer got a picture of me doing his it already showed the e-ring and wedding band set up perfectly.
WEAR IT!!! You’ll hate not having beautiful picture of your engagement ring for all eternity.
You could have your MOH carry your engagement ring as well pre ceremony? I think lots of people do that.
This has already probably been said but I’ve had 2 martinis tonight and my attention span is low. but whatever you do, bring your ring!
Just leave it on! I wore my ering during the ceremony because it’s so beautiful and I couldn’t bear the thought of it not being in our pictures. He slid the wedding band on in front of the ering, then I switched them right before we took our formal pics…no one even noticed!
We made it part of our ceremony and our ring bearer carried it…
After we exchanged rings we had this:
M, please take T’s engagement ring. This ring is the symbol of a promise and an intention. Now the intention is realized, and the promise is fulfilled. Please place this ring on T’s finger over her wedding band to symbolize that the love that brought you together will always protect and sustain your marriage.
Granted I don’t know if they will let you add that bit in in a Catholic ceremony…
I wore gloves, so there was no way my e-ring was going to fit under or over my gloves. My something borrowed was my mother’s birthstone ring, and as her fingers are larger than mine it fit over my gloves on my right hand. So, we swapped rings and she had my ring on her pinky and I wore her ring for the ceremony. We made sure to swap back before leaving the church so that I would have my rings for the pictures.
I put mine on my right hand… it only fit up to the knuckle… just before my dad walked me down the aisle. It was on that hand for about 10 minutes and as soon as I had the band on, I moved it. Nobody noticed what I was doing and then I knew everything was as it should be before the wedding was even over.
And when it was time for the rings… my DH was confused! He tried to put my band on my right hand because my e-ring was there! I had to sort of wiggle my left hand for him. I think I heard a giggle from the best man. Later he apologized that he’d got the wrong hand and I explained about the e-ring so he said “oh, so THAT was it!!”
It’s so interesting that most people’s right hands seem to be bigger than the left!
I’m in the same category, despite being left-handed.
I totally forgot to move my engagement ring…plus I wore my grandmother’s engagement ring on my right hand so there was really no place for it. I just switched the band and the E ring after the ceremony.
Mrs. Kiwi, Los Angeles
Age and Occupation in 06: 27, Bookkeeper
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, P.E. Teach/Coach @ private schools in LA
Engagement Date: March 31, 2006
Wedding Date: November 3, 2007
Venue: Radisson Hotel
About Me: I'm a bookkeeper who failed high school algebra. I'm currently living in Los Angeles, literally a street over from where I grew up with Mr. Kiwi, my honey of three years. We have a jumbo mini-dachshund (seriously, he's huuuuge), and we're planning an autumn themed wedding on a shoestring, paid for by ourselves. The wedding date is my late grandma's birthday, I needed her there somehow, and that seemed like the best way for us. I can't believe I'm a Bee! I couldn't be more proud!
I had my maid of honor wear my engagement ring during the ceremony. Then, right afterwards, when we all gathered together to take photos, she gave it back to me to pair with my wedding band. Ta da!