<P> A wedding ring or wedding band is a finger ring that indicates that its wearer is married . It is usually forged from metal, and traditionally is forged of gold or another precious metal . </P> <P> The earliest examples of wedding rings are from Ancient Egypt . Western customs for wedding rings can be traced to ancient Rome and Greece, and were transmitted to the present through Christendom in Europe, which adapted the ancient customs . </P> <P> Depending on culture, a wedding ring is typically worn on the base of the left or right ring finger, if the wearer is left handed often it will go onto the right hand . Many spouses wear their wedding rings day and night, causing an indentation in the skin that is visible even when the ring is removed . Since the 19th century in the West, it has been considered unlucky to remove a wedding ring once it has been placed on the finger in church . </P>

When do the bride and groom exchange rings