Sunday, February 26, 2017

Right-handed wooden wedding rings

 
Almost a year ago, we had the pleasure of working with Tina and Ben from Denmark. 
They were really fun to work with and we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know them a little. They commissioned their wedding rings of a deep rich Hawaiian Koa with inlays of Eucalyptus and crushed shell.



A couple of weeks ago, we got this email from Ben with some really pretty pics of their rings resting on Tina's bouquet, and on their wedded hands.
Ben's last paragraph had me in stitches.


"Hope all is well you up your end of the literal woods!
I've been meaning to drop you a line for a while - after we got married in August last year time has just flown on relentlessly, but here you are, some photos of your workmanship in action. I take it from your website, that you have an abundant source of pictures of rings, but I thought just in case you didn't have any of rings shipped to Denmark, exchanged in Copenhagen town hall and photographed in provincial Germany in my folk's garden (our family wedding gig)...;-)

We love our rings. The only challenge arises that we've chosen to go the Scandinavian route of wearing them on the right hand (that's the traditional way around here and at least 50% of people I observe do this) In my job I meet my fair share of ham-fisted engineering dudes who at least half the time are also right-hand-weaponised, and boy...do they manage to scrunch my science-lab-boy paws when there is double lording of the rings...But apart from hand-shaking with the Viking descendants all is very well :-)
All the best from us two to you two, hope bush and business is treating you well,

Ben and Tina


 
 Our love and very best wishes to you two too Tina and Ben.  
And thank you!! 😊

So what do we know about the placement of the wedding ring? 
The established North American wedding industry typically has the wedding ring on the fourth finger of our left hand.  In this vein, the engagement ring is worn 'down the aisle' on the right hand and transferred to the the left hand after the wedding ring is on your finger. 
It's a humbling thing when that symbol of love is a Touch Wood Ring.

If you google the 'right hand / left hand' question you'll come up with a great many articles touting theories and 'centuries old beliefs' for why a wedding ring is 'traditionally' worn on the left hand, fourth finger. 
In some European countries as Ben points out, wearing your wedding ring on your right hand is the norm. 
There's a 2010 blog post from 25karats that gives us a "new millennium guide" to western meanings of a right handed wedding ring. 
Interesting article but ~omg~ I'd have to carry a cheat sheet in my wallet and ask a bunch of really personal questions. It's probably best just to do whatever makes you and your beloved happy!