Got laughed at for switching my wedding rings! - YouLookFab Forum

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Got laughed at for switching my wedding rings!

Aziraphale

Veteran

The other day an acquaintance complimented me on my wedding ring, and as we were talking about rings it somehow came up that the ring I wear now is not the one I got married with. She asked why and I replied that I got tired of the one I used to wear, and my husband very sweetly gave me a lovely diamond for Christmas one year, so I had it set into a new ring. This revelation was met with peals of laughter.

Is changing your wedding rings THAT weird? I figure I can't be the only one. Tastes change, right? I got married at 26, so pretty young. At the time, getting a diamond seemed unthinkable. I thought they were so overdone and boring and 'old lady'. But eventually I started to see pretty ones that I really liked. When my husband bought me that diamond, it was TOTALLY unexpected, and I was so thrilled and touched. Best present ever. But the new ring I had made doesn't go with the old one, so I don't wear it (the old one) anymore.

Has anyone else switched up their wedding rings 'just because'? Just curious.

General

36 replies

Latest reply was from Aida

DressLover

Veteran

Angie does, so I am sure she will see this. I don't think it is weird at all, by the way.

catgirl

Veteran

I don't even WEAR my wedding ring. I have to take it off for climbing, so it's actually on a carabiner on my climbing harness, safe and sound. It's not very valuable though, just sentimental. This is why weirdos hit on me at art auctions.

So no, I don't think it's weird, and I would never laugh unless you, too, were laughing!

ironkurtin

Veteran

No, it's not weird at all. My mother did the same thing, and split her older rings between me and my sister. Her new ring is very modern and striking.

I don't know why your friends laughed, maybe they were as touched as I am how sweet your husband is and how this new ring really demonstrates the depths of your feelings for each other.

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

I don't wear my wedding ring either, it feels like a starter baby ring. I am looking forward to swapping it out to a more mature style, probably later this year as we approach our 10th wedding anniversary.

Scarlet

Veteran

I read that Audrey Hepburn had at least 3 that she switched out depending on her outfit.

Aziraphale

Veteran

This acquaintance wasn't laughing in a mean way. She honestly thought it was funny! I don't think she could imagine why a person would not be sentimental about their wedding ring.

qfbrenda

Veteran

I hope it's not weird. My ring is starting to thin out at the bottom of the band and I hope to replace it for my 20th anniversary in 3.5 years.

MsMary

Veteran

I haven't switched out my ring, but I will admit to upsizing the tone in my engagement ring! I say to each her own!

Lisa

Veteran

Well my boss, who is a guy, just got a new wedding band for his 15 year anniversary "just because." I don't think ring switching is odd at all. If I had a second ring, I'd wear both switching as I pleased.

Heather

Veteran

Elisabeth, shake it off.....and shake it to this song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nr8hPnZfMU

rae

(website)

Veteran

better the ring than the hubby!

Ves

Both hubby and I got new rings for our anniversary last year - it was our 6th. Our old ones were gold, we got platinum. I wouldn't rule out another swap in the future. I don't think this makes me any less of a sentimental person - I still have the rings and the memories too. Now I have a new ring to make new memories with!

My mom has had about three different wedding rings too, so I never saw it as anything strange. She and my Dad are still crazy in love, so he wasn't bothered by it.

NK

(website)

I remember my mother switched her ring when I was a child because she had her 'colors done' and found out that white gold was more flattering to her skin than yellow. Back then, that seemed strange to me and I'm not sure what my father thought.

I can see how some people might not understand it from a sentimentality standpoint, but I don't see how it's laughable or funny. Many, many people do it all the time.

My husband's on his third wedding ring, even though I'm still on my first. His first band got too tight and it was looking pretty worn anyhow so we replaced it with a titanium band. That ring broke in half when he hit his hand hard on a table. Now he's wearing a stainless steel band.

Eventually I plan on replacing my ring as well, but I have other things I'd rather spend the dough on right now. In fact, it's my husband that keeps suggesting I pick out something newer and flashier.

Queen Mum

Veteran

Gosh, I can think of a ton of women I know who aren't wearing the same ring they got on their wedding day. TONS! I don't think there is anything odd about it at all.

In fact, I have been contemplating getting my diamond reset into a more modern setting myself.

amyreh

(website)

Veteran

I think it is weird that she laughed!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Oh, glory. Read this E:

http://youlookfab.com/2011/01/.....onfession/

Aziraphale

Veteran

HAHAHA Angie's got a whole post on this topic! Funny. And thank you, ladies. Nice to know that swapping out my wedding rings for no particularly good reason is officially Not Weird. I wasn't losing sleep over it or anything, but still...good to hear.

Angie, you know what's funny? My first wedding ring was a simple, flat gold band with 'Vous et nul autre' ('You and no other' in French) engraved on it. It seemed lonely on its own, so I got two slim, plain gold bands that I wore on either side of it. The look was almost identical to your first wedding ring, with the three gold bands soldered together. I even considered getting mine fused into one ring, but never got around to it.

The new one is similar to your second one, but with a square diamond set in it.

My mother's wedding band is very similar to your mother's -- a broad yellow gold band with engraving, and no diamonds. My mother is still alive though (touch wood, make the sign of the cross in vague direction of evil spirits!), but she's elderly, and she keeps saying stuff like 'when I die, you can have my wedding ring sized to fit your finger'. (I sort of wish she'd quit starting sentences with 'When I die...', mind you).

Looks like I might be following you on the wedding band path. Your current vintage one is beautiful -- I could be convinced to wear one like that!

Golden

Veteran

I am on my fourth or fifth. Styles change and tastes change. What I liked at 19 I don't really like now. (At least I have the same husband!)

Jjsloane

Veteran

I'm a bit sentimental about mine although very plain, it has very personal engraving inside. I have informed DH I expect an addition to it in a diamond anniversary band for our 10th. DH is afraid to lose his so it stays in his bedside table drawer.

Elly

Veteran

I am hoping my father and I will be able to scrape up the money to add a anniversary band to my mother's ring for their 25st anniversary next summer. She has large hands and although she wants to keep her original ring, it is so delicate that she has been asked if it was a promise ring. It will be a challenge trying to find something to beef it up though as it is an irregular shape.

I am tempted to take a diamond ring of my grandfathers and melt it down/have it remade for her.

Kari

Veteran

I don't think it's silly at all. I think it's totally sweet!

For a personal story from my family - when my parents first married, in their mid-twenties, my mom had a simple gold band with a small diamond. Very classic and understated. She wore this ring for the first 25 years of their marriage. As they were nearing their 25th anniversary my parents started thinking about upgrading my mom's ring, and toyed with adding an anniversary band or setting (though they decided that the diamond was too small.) They thought about getting another ring altogether, but the idea made my mom kind of sad at no longer wearing the ring that had been part of her first 25 years of married life.

Fast forward a year or so - while my grandparents were sorting out assets of a relative who passed away, they came across a diamond ring that had a stone nearly identical to my mom's - same size, same color, nearly (and visually) identical clarity. My grandpa gifted it to my mom, and she and my dad used each of the smaller diamonds in a new ring, flanking a larger stone that they both picked out together.

The setting is beautiful. It took a while for my mom to get used to having more "bling" on her finger - and we had to convince her that it was NOT gaudy or age-inappropriate, just because it was larger than what she was used to - but now, she loves it. Having a connection and special memory with each of the diamonds in her ring makes it extra-special, and she said she likes to think of the three gemstones as a reminder of her immediate family - my sister, dad, and myself.

One of my aunts actually did not have an engagement ring at all (though she had a wedding band) and so she and her husband picked out a gorgeous ring to celebrate their 25th anniversary.

Also, many of the women in my family have opted to wear their mothers' wedding rings on their right hands after their moms had passed away as a tangible way to mourn and remember them. My grandmother did this with her mother, and now my aunt does it in memory of her.

Isabel

Veteran

I agree with Elizabeth. She probably thought it was funny or cute. It wasn't necessarily a judgement. I am a total jewelry changer......but for some reason, my wedding band is the one thing that I don't change. Unless I am doing something very active.

Change to your heart's content. I hear so often about people "upgrading" at anniversaries.

Louise

Veteran

I'm trying to convince BF that I *need* a new engagement ring he's having none of it though!!! x

MsMary

Veteran

Not to hijack, but Kari, tell your mom there's nothing age-inappropriate about her bling! In fact, I think the older you are, the larger your diamonds can be! The 1/4 carat stone that looks endearing on a college girl can look a little skimpy on a grande dame, and the 2-carat-plus whopper that looks fab on the Advanced Style crowd can look a little vulgar on a 20-something.

Key word, before you all get all upset with me, is "can." I'm sure everybody here wears her diamonds in perfect taste! LOL

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

I'm ready to size up the 2+ C at this point!! Where do I get the cash for this leg of my style journey?!

NK

(website)

Bwah ha ha!!

NK

(website)

This made me remember a story about a family friend of ours. She was heartbroken when she dropped her ring down her kitchen garbage disposal. They found the remnants of it and melted it down with her husband's wedding band to create new rings for both of them. I thought that was sweet.

biscuitsmom

Veteran

I dont think there is anything 'wrong' with doing it, but I cant imagine even wanting another ring....my engagement ring (round diamond) fits inside my wedding band (5 small diagonal diamonds on each side) and its simply a part of me....

Anonymous

I will be getting a new setting soon for our 20th anniversary. I also had it reset at our 10th. I am keeping the original diamond since that was given to my husband by his grandfather but I intend to get 2 additional diamonds to place around the original. I think changing up your setting coincides with changes we make as people over time.

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