Partners saying 'I do' by getting permanent rings

Web posted August 25, 1999

By Valerie Takahama
The Orange County Register

Diamonds are forever, and gold wedding bands symbolize eternity. But some couples are opting for a truly permanent symbol of their unity: wedding band tattoos.

Both men and women are getting tiny strings of entwined flowers or leaves and simple bands tattooed onto their left ring fingers.

Another popular style spells out the beloved's name across the top of the ring finger in small letters. Five or six letters, max. (``You're not going to get `Jacqueline' on a finger,'' one tattoo artist said.)

Tattoo artists say clients have always requested wedding-ring tattoos, but as tattoos have spread into the mainstream in the 1990s the demand for rings has zoomed (with a big boost from rocker Tommy Lee and actress Pamela Anderson).

Reasons for getting them are practical as well as romantic. Steve Schultz of Studio Skinworks in Newport Beach, Calif., said he recently tattooed one on a construction worker who removes his wedding band on the job for safety. Aaron Romo of Romo Ink in Fullerton, Calif., said he applied one recently to a guy who had lost his ring.

Not all artists do them. Some are reluctant because tattoos don't stand up well to the constant wear and tear that the hand endures. And the payoff is relatively small -- $50-$75 compared with $150 or so for a 2-inch butterfly.

Another reason: Love often fades more quickly than the work.

``We stress don't do it -- unless they're Romeo and Juliet,'' Mr. Schultz said. He tattooed ``VOID'' in red letters over the ring tattoo of one man.