To wear or not to wear, the ring that is...

Dear Amateur Bride:

I was recently proposed to with a gorgeous (and expensive) engagement ring. When should I be wearing this ring now, and when it is ok to remove it?

Sincerely,

Worried klutzy bride

Dear Worried klutzy bride:

Well, first of all, is your ring insured? You should try to do that as soon as possible, especially since there is a chance your ring might be worth more than your car. Imagine the devastation of losing it down the drain in a public restroom because you rested it on the counter while washing your hands. For starters, I’d try to keep it on your finger in all public restrooms for that reason. Hopefully the ring is a perfect fit and won’t slide off with the soap.

Now, besides being careful of leaving it or dropping it in a public venue, such as a park, beach, crowded bar, or parking lot, there are a couple of other hazards to taking off your ring. You leave yourself vulnerable to the sketchy old man at the grocery store hitting on you in the melon section again without that ring on (it may not stop that man, but it should hopefully deter some of his type). Another hazard is getting interrogated by your fiancé as to why you took it off. To combat, wear the ring as often as possible when in public where men are abundant. The health club, any bar in Scottsdale, and Best Buy are some examples.

On the other hand, there are definitely times when you’ll benefit by taking off the ring. By benefit, I mean save yourself some bizarre scratches and bruises. For one, although wearing it while sleeping seems romantic, if you sleep anything like I do you will find some scratches in the morning. Another dangerous situation would be WHILE doing some types of workouts. Zumba, for one, involves rapid arm and hand movements. Until you are used to having that ring on your hand, watch out for surprising catches. Another time I’ve had an issue with wearing the ring is while doing my hair, because my hair gets caught in it when I run my fingers through. This includes showering. The final situation where taking off your ring is beneficial is when eating extremely messy finger foods. Tacos, chicken salad sandwiches, ribs, S’mores, all foods that will get caught in your ring. 

What it really comes down to is where you’re comfortable NOT wearing the ring or uncomfortable WEARING the ring. In the heat of AZ, it could get stuck on your finger at times. While camping, if you tie it to the drawstring in your shorts, make sure you remember it is there (you know, while eating S’mores). Just a smattering of examples of situations to consider. To safe adornments!

Sincerely,

Amateur Bride