Non-traditional wedding rings, original wedding rings, personalized wedding rings especially for a couple and… tattooed rings! Yes, it is one of the most current trends to replace a wedding ring with, if you don't want to wear it everyday or it's impractical.

The symbolic meaning of the wedding ring

The wedding ring is a symbol of marital bonds, trust and love. It is believed that in ancient times, during the marriage ceremony, grass blades were wrapped around the wrists and legs of the bride and groom. Similarly, the first rings were made from reeds, grasses and other natural materials.

The most popular wedding tattoos

Couples who decide to tattoo a sign of mutual trust on their bodies tend to be particularly creative, but there are choices that have become more popular. Instead of wearing wedding rings, couples most often get tattoos:

• The ring on the ring finger;
• A key for one of the pair, and a lock for the other;
• Hearts;
• Coordinated, complementary drawings;
• Wedding dates or initials;
• A special phrase or symbol for the couple.

Love tattoos in the world

The world-famous Beckham couple, David and Victoria, have tattooed more than one declaration of love for each other - David immortalized the name of his beloved on the top of his hand, and 99 on his finger, which represents the year of the couple's marriage, while on his hand - ten roses made in honor of the couple's tenth wedding anniversary. Both have tattooed the date of their remarriage in 2006.

On the other hand, musicians Beyonce and Jay-Z tattooed the Roman numeral IV on their ring fingers, which represents the date of their birthday.  Likewise, Adam Levine, the leader of the group Maroon 5 and his wife, Victoria's Secret model Behati Prinsloo, have chosen tattoos of three identical dots on their ring fingers.

What to consider if you choose to tattoo the ring symbol

Since such minimal tattoos can fade faster with time, you should take good care of the tattooed area, listening to the recommendations of the master. Four expert tips on how to care for a tattooed ring :

• Maintain clean skin . Use mild soap and clean water, avoid greasiness and sweat;
• Moisturize the skin . Use good quality natural products, such as shea butter or beeswax, which will avoid cracking the skin during the healing of the wound caused by the tattoo;
• Avoid UV radiation ;
• Do not rub the tattooed area and avoid excessive contact with surfaces, such as putting your hands in your pockets too often.

What else can replace wedding rings?

It can be any other compatible jewelry – bracelets or necklaces. And here the variety of materials is revealed - gold, silver, copper, leather or artificial alternative materials, which can be decorated with the wedding date, initials of the spouses or other symbolic engravings and inscriptions.

An even more unusual, but very symbolic and nice choice – a tree planted together. Most often, a fruit tree is chosen to bear abundant fruit, both literally and figuratively. Caring for the tree planted together will symbolize love and relationships in which you jointly invest work so that your union grows stronger and stronger.

Author of the article: IEVA KRASTIņA