30 years on and my wedding band is never coming off—how about yours?

[Pauline2026]

I often wonder who still wears their wedding ring permanently after many years of marriage.
My mum is 72, and she has never taken off her cigar wedding band since the day my dad slipped it onto her finger 48 years ago. It always fascinated me, and I knew I wanted the exact same style to wear continuously from my wedding day onwards. So, we ordered a matching set: a wide, chunky, plain 9mm band for me, and a thin, simple one for my husband. I have worn mine ever since—for nearly 30 years now.
Because I have rather prominent knuckles and slender fingers, I remember my husband had quite a struggle getting it on during the ceremony. Later, after my first pregnancy, I put on a bit of weight and couldn't have removed it even if I’d wanted to. Now, it simply feels like a part of me. It won't come off at all anymore, as my knuckles have grown larger over time, yet I still adore it.
I’d love to hear your ring stories. Do you still wear yours, and what about your husbands?

Married over 30 years, I've never taken it off. I could if I needed to, but i like knowing that its been there since our wedding.
My engagement ring is rather frail, so I only wear it occasionally.

Same. I’d hate it.

I’ve almost lost enough weight to get mine back on my finger for the first time since before covid. Looking forward to wearing it again - not quite there yet as still looks like it’s squeezing my finger and i worry it will get stuck, but it will at least go on!

Married 45yrs and wear my wedding ring day and night, apart from having it resized about 15yrs ago. I only wear my engagement and eternity rings when I go out though, they just get in the way. My wedding finger where the ring sits has changed shape/is slimmer after 45yrs of wearing the ring.

Married 53 years. The only time my wedding ring has been off was for a few weeks when I broke my wrist and the hospital advised me to take it off as my fingers were likely to swell and disrupt the blood flow. Had to have it stretched before I could get it back on.

My husband lost his swimming in the sea when we had been married for about three years. I wanted to buy him another one but he refused saying that it wouldn't be the one he got on his wedding day so wouldn't have the same meaning. He did contact metal detectorists to scan the beach but never got it back.

I have recently had to have my engagement ring cut off and made bigger because my finger was going blue!

Hiya, just wanted to say that this is a really lovely post.

Same here, @Lookingforwardtospringnextyear I'm widowed (20 yrs) but would never take my ring off.
I'm really surprised that so many people do! Not in a bad way, none of my business, just surprised!

I sent mine back to him when he ended our marriage.

I can get mine off, I have a bad habit of sliding them up and down absentmindedly, which I shouldn’t do in case I drop them and can’t find them!

DH’s ring is very difficult to get off. We had to remove all jewellery for an activity recently and it was a struggle! I would feel panicky wearing a ring I knew I couldn’t take off.

Mine was on for 30 odd years without having ever been taken off. I’d read a story about a very elderly lady who refused surgery because they said she’d have to remove her wedding ring. Her argument being her husband put it on her finger 70+ years prior, it had never been removed and wasn’t coming off until they laid her out. Though it was all very romantic.

Sadly with menopause came weight gain, arthritis in my hands and claustrophobia. Which meant it was wedged on. The thought of not being able to get it off my finger was giving me panic attacks so I reluctantly had it cut off (the ring that is. Finger is still in situ)

When I get round to it I’m going to see if I can have it made into an adjustable version.

I wear mine everyday but not to sleep or shower or when I do stuff that would get mess trapped under. I just put it in pocket of my trousers last thing before bed and put it back on after dressed in the morning. Can’t imagine sleeping with it though.

Married 10 years and only take my wedding ring off to clean it - DH is the same. My engagement ring comes on and off though because the stone gets caught on things sometimes. I wear quite a lot of jewellery anyway, so can’t imagine taking my wedding ring off and just not wearing it!

40+ years and I will have to get my wedding and engagement rings cut off if I want to remove them. They turn around my finger but no way would they pass over my knuckle. I lost a diamond from my engagement ring 20 years ago and took it off then to have the stone replaced. Even when I could, they only came off to be cleaned or when making pastry.

The idea of never taking it off kind of grosses me out. I feel claustrophobic with any jewellery on these days and the idea of not physically being able to take it off to wash is kind of grim. I've never liked rings anyway.

Married for 15 years. I take mine off to swim or garden.

Why, though? I mean, I think it’s bizarre (and rather grubby) that so many people on the thread seem to pride themselves on not taking off a piece of jewellery that sits on their hand and obviously gets dirty on a regular basis.

9mm is nearly a centimetre, that’s quite wide, am struggling to imagine what it looks like can you show us? My rings are 2mm wide! Do you have very big hands?

I've been married 30 years and never take the ring off. No need to and it stays clean. But recently it was getting really tight so I wrenched it off and got it resized and polished. I want to know I can take it off!

I had an allergic reaction and my fingers swelled up so badly my wedding ring had to be cut off in A&E! Wasn’t wearing my engagement ring at the time as only allowed a plain ring at work. Both rings are in a drawer.

I take mine off whenever dh annoys me, and put it back on when I'm over it. He never wears his so maybe it doesn't bother me as much to wear mine for that reason (he wears no jewellery)

We have been married for 35 years. The rings were blessed before God.

Abput 20 years ago, my eternity ring kept slipping round and the jeweller advised ot was because the wedding and engagement rings had become a little tight and they were both resized - it took about a week.

About five years ago my rings were a lottle tight and I broke my wrist badly. The hospital got off my engagement and eternity rings but had to cut off my wedding ring.

The jeweller repaired it using laser and resized it. The repair is almost invisible, some of the beading is worn away. The repair cost more than the ring and because it's 18ct the jeweller's replacement vapuation blew me away.

Rather like us, it bears some scars and is a bit battered and weathered but it has endured and is still loved.

Married 42 years. It’s so tiny would fit a toddler. I don’t like the idea of it anymore like an ownership label.

I've been married for 23 years and I never take mine off, but my parents have been married for 58 years and my mum often takes hers off.

this is timely, i've been a bit worried about mine as fingers swelling and i've put on some weight, how would i get it off if i needed to?

I wear mine all the time just because I can't be bothered to take it off and I don't need to. Married 15 years
Just been travelling for a month to South America and was recommended to remove all my jewellery before I went. I thought it would feel really odd (I wear 7 rings usually across both hands) but in fact, I didn't even really notice and in fact, it was a few days after I came home before i remembered to put them back on
My OH has never worn one