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?

I wear my wedding ring every day but it's been taken off quite a few times for example for surgery, Go Ape and most commonly for making pastry by hand. I have a little dish in the kitchen for keeping my rings safe when I make pastry. Often I forget to put them back on for a couple of days. Other than that I always wear it.

Engagement and eternity rings are usually worn but go for cleaning/repairs now and again. Wedding ring is a plain band and doesn't need any special treatment. (It was also my grandmother's wedding ring. )

I’m surprised you go to all that bother in a non-emergency situation, rather than just telling people it’s their responsibility to get off their jewellery before presenting for surgery…?

I had an MRI this summer for a knee injury and among the paperwork I had to fill out in advance were very clear instructions about taking off/out jewellery and piercings, and that if I presented with something I couldn’t take off, I would lose the appointment. They weren’t set up to remove anything stuck.

Edited to add: I've been told that paramedics and other medical professionals who cut rings in emergencies do not do as good a job (understandably it isn't their priority) so the pre-emptive strike of having it removed by a jeweller seems a better option

My friend had a ring cut off in hospital and they made a proper mess of it.
Not that she was complaining, obviously. Had to be done.

Like all other jewellery except for one necklace, mine usually comes off when I get home and stays in its little ring tray with my engagement ring while I’m at home or just popping out running errands. My engagement ring is heavy (first world problems) and my wedding ring a wishbone to fit it so it doesn’t look right alone, and they both spin round when my hands are cold. I’m not any less married for taking them off.

I can’t imagine not ever taking it off at all. Surely that’s not very healthy for the skin beneath?

Married 38 years.
I take mine off every night because I hate wearing jewellery in bed.

I’ve never worn a ring overnight, even the idea of it makes me feel uncomfortable!

I took mine off a couple of days after we were married when getting in the bath, it was automatic to take my engagement ring off and I just took them both off

Anyway I currently don't wear it unless we are going out as it's a bit tight. If I shed the grand piano I'm currently lugging around then I may start wearing it again

Yes they cut my Mum’s off when she broke her wrist and her hand swelled up. I’d be a bit uneasy about having a ring stuck on my finger, particularly if it’s more substantial than usual.

I only got married last year after 30 years together. I had my grandmother's wedding ring (not the original one but a replacement) melted down and made into my wedding ring. My grandparents had a horrendously unhappy marriage and I feel I'm kind of redeeming it in some way.

Married 32 years.

I always wore it most of the time for over 25 years, then wore it some of the time for 5 years. And I've not worn it at all for the last 2 years just because I was forever spinning it and playing with it, and occasionally dropping it. :)

DH doesn't care whether I wear it or not and has never had one as he couldn't wear it in his workplace.

I wear mine all the time. There were years when I couldn’t get it off if I wanted to, now it does come off but I don’t take it off. It’s actually changed shape over the years and is now an oval rather than a circle; must be my fingers!
DH always used to wear his but had to have surgery so had to remove it, then the subsequent treatment left him bloated and his skin very sensitive so he didn’t wear it. I wore it round my neck for a while. Now he wears it again but doesn’t have periods where he takes it off if it gets uncomfortable.

25 years but mine comes off when I wash up now as my fingers must be thinner ( my weights not much different ) so I’m bothered about it sliding off. Husband wore one til he got something wrong with one of the tendons in his hand and he couldnt get it off one day and we had to use fairy liquid . It’s about somewhere.

31 years and both were resized when I was chubbier. They just heated the wedding band and made it larger with a cone. The engagement ring needed additional gold underneath because of the upper part.
I have a silver plated bottle coaster in the kitchen and leave my watch and rings there if I’m doing dirty jobs. Otherwise I wear them permanently and think of them like a tattoo or a badge of honour!

I also have a Cartier-style, 4-band ring on the opposite finger to signify the family which I’d probably miss more. DH got his parents’ rings melted into a single Bulgari style ring, also for the opposite finger.
My engagement ring has been rubbed quite sharp by the wedding ring. It’ll go to DD when I pop off. DS will get my grandmother’s to use or sell, if and when he finds the right person. They both know this.

Wear mine every day but take it off for any kind of physical activity involving my hands. It’s quite a wide one and not comfortable (or safe) for lifting anything heavy, using tools etc. I also take all rings off at night, while showering etc.

Oh I loved the mri questionnaire - shrapnel injury? Any metal shards stuck in you, ever welded?

Oh, and never wear one while climbing. Degloving a finger is never fun. Can even happen on a ladder.

Dh had an mri and has a piercing that's stuck in and he couldn't remove it. They were able to tape it up, fortunately.

58 years(1968) Never been off my finger. 22 carat gold cost £10.

I wear my engagement ring as my wedding ring no longer fits.

37 years married and I don't wear mine! Took it off long ago when pregnant I think and just never put it back on. I don't wear jewellery anyway as I find it annoying!

I take mine off at night and also when I'm exercising as my hands swell in the heat. I also remove it when I'm cooking/baking anything that requires me to put my hands in the mixture. Other than that it's been on my finger for 38 years.
I can't begin the imagine the grime on the inside of your ring OP if you've never removed it for cleaning.

I don't have an engagement ring or an eternity ring. I don't like wearing rings really, I just have an unbothersome slim, plain gold wedding band. It's 18ct gold and we bought it at H Samuels with our Tesco club card points. I don't notice it and I don't take it off. Just checked and I can still take it off...but only just...and there's quite an indentation...

Glad, you like it:)

It doesn't sound very hygenic to never take it off. Mine has a lot of diamonds in it, and I don't want soap going in there, so I only wear it when we go out. Same for engagement ring.

We'd been married about 4 years when I fell off my horse and broke my wrist. My wedding ring had to be cut off in the hospital as my hand was swelling up.

DH bought a replacement that I still wear all the time, but I take it off to make pastry, and do pottery. It just gets gungy if I don't.

I have kept the bits of my original one, I have vague plans to have it melted down and made into something else, but I haven't been inspired enough to actually do anything about it.