Couples Are Getting 'Till Death Do Us Part' Engagement Tattoos
Getting inked is certainly cheaper than a diamond ring.
— -- If you and your mate are looking for an extra permanent way to say, "I do," consider engagement tattoos.
The trend to get ink for the one you love isn't necessarily new. Beyonce and Jay Z got matching Roman numeral tattoos in 2008 to mark their wedding date, April 4. There are hashtags on Instagram (#weddingtattoos) and Tumblr completely dedicated to the idea.
John Puls of Best Time Tattoos in Catonsville, Maryland, said he's inked "dozens" of couples with engagement-style tattoos in recent weeks.
"Tattoos are starting to become accepted in places," Puls, 29, said. "A while ago, people still frowned upon tattoos and I believe it's a generational gap. It's starting to become more and more common."
And with 44 percent of men spending less than $2,500 for an engagement ring, according to a new study by diamond-provider Brilliant Earth, engagement tattoos could be a more cost-effective option.
Still, Maaden Eshete Jones said finances weren't the reason why she and her husband, Louis Jones, got tattoos months after they wed in October 2014.
"It was a sentimental thing," Jones, 32, said. "We liked the idea of it -- how marriage is permanent."
Jones' husband got a wedding band tattooed on his left finger, while she opted for the number three in Roman numerals on her wrist after the tattoo parlor they went to advised against getting finger tattoos because "they bleed" and fade easily.
Jones added that although the two did buy wedding rings, her husband prefers to flash his wedding band tattoo instead.
"Louis doesn't really wear his band," she said. "He finds it restrictive and he doesn't like jewelry especially at the gym with weights."
Jones said her 31-year-old husband will still wear his ring on occasion. "He just wears it when we go out and upon request," she said, before jokingly adding, "I'm like, 'Put your ring on!'"
If you're thinking about making your love permanent, check out other cool wedding tattoos ideas found around the web: