When my ex-girlfriend and I started dating, she had a tiny black and red tattoo that haunted my days, though I'd try to convince myself otherwise. It was a tattoo of the letter "N", and it was the first initial of her previous girlfriend. Likewise, her ex had a black and red letter "D" tattooed in the same place. Although gays and lesbians cannot legally marry, during the five years that they were together they decided to celebrate their commitment by getting the tattoos in lieu of engagement/wedding rings.
Speaking of lesbians, out actress Portia De Rossi tattooed the initials "FG" on her ring finger while engaged to girlfriend Francesca Gregorini. When the pair split after three years, Portia announced plans to remove the tattoo saying, "I'm not saying it's anything I regret doing, because I don't, but it just doesn't make any sense now." Colin Farrell & Amelia Warner also exchanged ring tattoos on their ring fingers before divorcing just four months later along with adult entertainment superstar, Jenna Jameson, who had second husband Jay Sterling's first name inked on her wedding ring finger. They filed for divorce after 3.5 years of wedded bliss. One of the most famous examples of wedding ring tattoos involve buxom blonde "Baywatch" star, Pamela Anderson, and her ex-husband Tommy Lee. Instead of exchanging rings, Pamela tattoed "Tommy" onto her ring finger. Tommy, on the other hand, tattooed "Pamela" on his genitals.
Some people get wedding ring tattoos as a place holder until they can afford a real ring. Others rebel against actual rings altogether, using tattoos as an alternative in lieu of diamonds, and still others opt for tattoos because they work at a job (construction, for example) where a real ring would easily get destroyed. Choosing a tattoo is a careful process. The tattoo you decide on should be a reflection of your commitment to one another as well as your own individual personalities. Some people like the literal option of getting a ring design tattooed on their fingers while others choose to get the first name, nickname or initials of their loved one. Some people go for a deeper interpretation, like an image that has sentimental value, the numbers that represent the day they met, or a quote or series of words that have a meaning only the couple can understand. Either way, a tattooed wedding ring is a representative of solidity and commitment, a testament to love that you can never take off and leave behind or accidentally drop down the sink in the kitchen.
Of course, with the divorce rate in America being so high these days, we cannot talk about wedding ring tattoos without mentioning the possibility of splitting up. Unless you have scores of money like the celebrities mentioned above, laser tattoo removal is out of the question. The image you select is going to be with you for the rest of your natural born life. Getting the name of your favorite band or the traditional butterfly on your ankle is one thing--even if you end up disliking the group ten years later, you can chalk it up to the experience and view it instead as a permanent reminder of youth or freedom, a memorial of who you used to be, who you would not be now without the past that led you here.
Wedding ring tattoos, on the other hand, are a much more serious commitment. Think long and hard before taking the leap (into both marriage and tattoos.) As I discussed in my Don't Regret Your Next Tattoo hub, a common argument against tattoos of this nature is "What if you break up?" What I usually say in response to that is just because something doesn't last does not mean it didn't happen. Maybe you'll stay together forever and and live happily ever after and maybe you won't. If you don't, the tattoo can serve as a reminder of a time when you were happy and in love, a memorial to a bygone era. You learned everything you could from each other and had to move on. Keep in mind that every step you take leads you to where you are now; even if you are now with someone new and no longer have any contact with the person whose name is tattooed on your wedding ring finger, never forget that you needed to go through that experience in order to reach the happiness you've now achieved with your new partner. And besides: a ring finger tattoo can always be covered up by a real ring :)
