What is a Ring Warming Ceremony?

When it comes to wedding ceremony rituals, the first thing that comes to mind for most people will be the couple exchanging wedding rings.

But did you know that there’s another symbolic ritual that involves the rings that can take place before they end up on the couples’ fingers?

I’ll admit, I did have a bit of a giggle the first time I heard the phrase ‘ring warming’. But once you’ve gotten your mind out of the gutter, you’ll discover a ceremony that involves all of the guests at your wedding and can be a wonderfully sentimental way to enhance the moment where you and your spouse give each other wedding rings.

In this article, I’m going to explain what a ring warming ceremony is, what it can look like at a wedding, and some of the history behind the ritual.

What is Ring Warming?

Ring warming is the process of passing a pair of wedding rings amongst the people attending a wedding, so that the metal is ‘warmed’ by the hands of everyone there.

Along with this literal heating of the metal, guests are also invited to take a moment to ‘warm’ the rings with good wishes and positivity towards the couple, or even prayers and blessings.

By the time the rings have been passed around all of the guests, the idea is that the couple will end up wearing an item of jewellery that has been imbued with love and blessings from all of the people who are important to them. It’s a great way to feel like you’re involving all of your loved ones in your wedding ceremony and feel more supported as you make your vows.

The History of the Ring Warming Ceremony

Ring warming ceremony origins can be traced back to Ireland, where the ritual was first used as part of marriage ceremonies. Very little has changed from back then in terms of how the ceremony happens, although there’s less of an emphasis on prayers and blessings over the rings, with guests today encouraged just to think positively about the couple’s lives ahead.

How to Do a Ring Warming Ceremony

A wedding ring warming ritual needs to happen before the wedding rings are exchanged by the couple, so the order of events in the ceremony will dictate when you start the ring warming. Beginning the ring warming will also depend on how many people actually need to hold the ring, which I’ll talk about a bit later.

Since ring warming ceremonies involve the wedding rings being passed around quite a few people, most couples choose to have this happening during another part of the ceremony. This means that you don’t leave your guests sitting in awkward silence as the rings are passed around, and also means that nobody is under too much time pressure.

You might choose to play a special piece of music over the ring warming, or have someone do a reading. If you’ve got a lot of guests to pass the rings around, it might take the entire length of the ceremony, so there might be multiple readings, pieces of music, and even vows happening as the rings are ‘warmed’.

In terms of how to actually do a ring warming ceremony, they traditionally begin with your wedding celebrant explaining the meaning behind the ritual and what the guests can do when it is their turn to hold the rings. Some couples choose to have the rings passed around together, but you also might have each ring just passed around half of your guests.

Practically, giving all of your guests the chance to hold the rings does create the possibility that someone might drop them and lost them. There are various ways to get around this, with one of the most popular options being passing a ribbon amongst all of yours guests first, and then threading the rings along this ribbon so that they can’t be dropped! You might also pass the rings around in a box or tied to an item like a pillow or a flower so that they are harder to lose.

The celebrant might guide your guests specifically in what they think about when they warm your rings, or it might be a more open opportunity. You and your partner can decide this when you’re planning your ceremony beforehand.

Once the rings have been warmed by every guest, they should be collected by someone in your wedding party, or a specially allocated guest, and brought to the wedding celebrant. They might then say some more about the significance of the rings being warmed, and this typically then leads into the part of the ceremony where vows and rings are exchanged.

How to Introduce a Ring Warming Ceremony

The introduction of the ring warming ceremony is an important part of this wedding ritual, as it explains to your guests what is going to happen and guides them in how they can take part. It also sets the tone of the ritual, which might be quite serious and spiritual, or just a nice opportunity for everyone to feel involved in the ceremony.

You can decide how you want your ring warming ceremony introduced and advise your celebrant on what to say. You could also choose to have the person in charge of your rings introduce the ceremony instead, which gives them more of an active role in the ritual.

How Long Does a Ring Warming Ceremony Take?

How long a wedding ring warming ceremony takes place depends on how many guests you want to ‘warm’ your rings before they reach you and your partner.

A common choice is to pass the rings around all of your guests, and therefore the length of the ceremony will depend on the size of your wedding!

But you might want to make this ritual more intimate by only having your rings passed around a select group of people, such as close family members, your bridal party, or just a few guests who are particularly important to you both. This can also be a good option if you’d rather keep the ring warming ritual short and not have it happening in the background during another part of the ceremony.