Wedding Ring Alternatives: Tattoos, Nontraditional Jewelry, and More

Though a public exchange of vows and accompanying jewelry is meaningful, there are plenty of wedding ring alternatives for both gay and straight couples who want something different. Perhaps one partner dislikes jewelry, suffers a metal allergy, or wants something even more permanent or special than the wedding rings worn by everyone else? Or maybe the couple just want to be unique. Whatever the case, think about wedding ring alternatives like tattoos, nontraditional jewelry, and more.

Wedding Ring Alternatives: Tattoos.
Though not completely indelible, tattoos are pretty close to permanent. If you're certain you've met your match, maybe matching tattoos are in order? Both of you could tattoo a ring-like pattern on your fingers, one-upping the folks who settle for mere removable bands of gold and silver. You could also tattoo each other's names somewhere on your bodies (though that has more of a branding quality that says "Keep off my property"). Another idea centers of selecting an image together and getting it tattooed in halves so that the picture is complete when you put those two body parts together (upper arms, maybe?). If you opt for this, be prepared for jokes about "your better half." One additional drawback: it's difficult to include the marriage tattooing itself as part of the ceremony unless you're *really* unorthodox.

Wedding Ring Alternatives: Pendants.
Because they come in a variety of designs, pendants are a nice option for couples who wish to dangle their affections around their necks with pride. If there is a meaningful symbol or jewel that you both want to wear, then you can get the same pendant and suspend it from a chain of your choice (while watching out for the ball-and-chain jokes). It's not hard to image this quasi-nontraditional jewelry being incorporated into a wedding ceremony, especially since clasping chain with a pendant is its own kind of embrace. And as with tattoos, you can also go for the two-become-one wedding ring alternative: buy a heart, a sun, a yin-yang, or any other symbol that can be separated into two pendants.

Wedding Ring Alternatives: Earrings.
Although earrings are not a dramatic departure from "finger rings" (sounds weird to call them that), what I like about this jewelry idea is that it places the reminder of the other person in your ear, reminding you of your obligation to listen to your spouse - to hear what they are saying at all times. An earring might represent a new form for your conscience. Also, most of us can't see our earrings the way we can see our hands - a symbol of trust, perhaps? However, you want to construe this wedding ring alternative symbolically, it's a nice idea for people who want to exchange wedding jewelry but who don't want traditional bands.

Wedding Ring Alternatives: Scarves.
Unlike shirts or other pieces of clothing, scarves have a timeless quality. I like this idea for a number of reasons. First, it's inexpensive, so the couple does not have to worry about spending hundreds of dollars on gold, diamonds, or other customary jewelry. Second, scarves can be hand-made, knitted for each other and unveiled at a wedding ceremony. Third, they're soft! If you ask people whether something warm/soft or something cold/hard was better for a wedding….well….what do you think most people'd say? I understand that the appeal of rings is that they're permanent, but the idea of wrapping yourself in a hand-made scarf, knitted with one long strand of love? It's something to think about.

Wedding Ring Alternatives: More Ideas.
Tattoos, pendants, earrings, and scarves are just a few of the many alternatives to wedding rings. In fact, the four ideas above aren't even that radical in the grand scheme of things, as they all involve an exchange or a symbolic sharing of something that can be worn on the body. Other ideas include:

- Selecting a brand-new surname that is unlike either of your last names. This act allows the two of you to bond in a public way without engaging in a debate about who, if anyone, is going to change names. Consider this a form of joint rebirth.
- Trading prized possessions - perhaps each of you bestows a family heirloom (if you have that sort of thing) on the other. It can be a sign that the two families have been joined.
- Performing a symbolic but temporary trade at the wedding ceremony. Rather than sticking with this concept of trading possessions, you can do something symbolic with candles, flowers, or words and eschew the whole idea of a wedding ring or its rough facsimile.

If you have an idea for a wedding ring alternative, please add a comment to this article.