The ring finger never stands alone. It stands with another and that's why it doesn't matter which hand is chosen for the ring. When a wedding band is placed on the ring finger it is a self-imposed desire to share oneself with another. Basically it was a pagan symbol of the circle adopted into Christianity long ago. The Pope for example uses the ring to seal official papal documents but wedding rings are older than Christianity. The Catholic Church introduced the wedding ring into the marriage ceremony. Protestants started using the ring a little while after the Catholics. In 1549, the wedding ring finger changed from right hand to the left hand for Protestants but Catholics continued to place the ring on the right hand. Today, almost all Christians accept the wedding ring, helped by the Christianity’s old vena amoris tale. Both ancient Egyptians and Romans thought that a vein of love called the "vena amoris" in Latin ran directly from that finger to the heart It varies all over the world but a person can wear a wedding band on either hand. In China for example the bride wears the wedding band on the right hand and the groom on his left. This custom for "nan zhuo, nu you" is used in Chinese fortune telling. They believe that the right hand commands more influence and the woman is in charge of house and family. Japanese call the ring-finger kusuri-yubi, in German Arzt-Finger, in Latin digitus medicinalis and in Old Anglo-Saxon it was called lech-man, all meaning medical finger because it was the finger doctors used to apply herbal medicines, powders and ointments. If applied by the left hand the medicine would be enhanced by the mystical energy of the physician's heart. Scandanavian women wear three rings, one each for engagement, marriage and motherhood. Jewish brides have the ring placed on their index finger, since that is the finger with which they point to the Torah as they read. In a few European countries people wear their wedding bands on the left hand but the majority wear them on their right hands. In the Netherlands Catholics wear their rings on the left while others wear them on the right. In Austria Catholics wear their rings on the right hand. Orthodox Christians, Jews and Eastern Europeans wear their wedding bands on the right hand. Many American Orthodox wear their rings on the right hand; others choose to wear it on the left. Russians also wear wedding bands on the right hand. Hope this helps.

is there a social message being sent by wearing the wedding ring on the right ring finger? ( e.g. unmarried / gay / etc.??)

I once read that the reason it was worn on the left hand was it was believed that there was a vein from that finger going directly to the heart. I'm not sure if there is any significance of it being worn on the right hand...

I thought that windows and widowers wore their wedding band on their right hand.

Wearing it on your right hand is what you do when your husband or wife dies. Its a sign of a widow or widower..my husband who was 33 died 3 yrs ago and I wear them on my right hand. They will forever be worn. I recently started dating someone who seems to have a problem with it. I've told him each person who has come into our lives has an impact on who we are and who we have become.. if you dont like it.. leave. I'm not going to change who I am