.
by NATALIA HAWK
A few years back, I visited a tattoo parlour with an ink-addicted friend, to help him pick out a new design. We were being assisted by a lovely, burly, studded gentleman (who I believe went by the name of ‘Rex’) when another man (who I will refer to as ‘Lovestruck’) walked in with his girlfriend.
Lovestruck: “Excuse me. How much would it cost to get a tattoo with seven letters?”
Rex: “That depends. What’s the word?”
Lovestruck: (Turns to girlfriend) “Can you wait outside for a sec, babe?” (Turns back to Rex, whispers and gestures at girlfriend) “It’s going to be HER NAME!”
Rex: (Unfazed) “You’re going to want to think carefully about that one, mate.”
Lovestruck: “So… how much?”
It might have been a very amusing conversation to witness but that is how love tattoos actually happen. You fall in crazy lust with an amazing person. So you label it as love and suddenly the only way that you can possibly communicate the scale of your passion to the world is to get a GIANT PORTRAIT OF THEIR FACE tattooed across your chest.
Take a flick through our gallery of love tattoos. A couple of them might actually be kind of cute. Others? Not so much.
No distance will conquer the love between these zip codes.
The lesson here? Don’t lust and ink. Ever. Wait until you have been with the person at least twenty-five years. Maybe even more..
If we’ve wet your appetite for all things ink, then you really ought to peruse these celebrity tattoos as well.
Scarlett Johansson's tattoo
Do you have a love tattoo story? Do you have a tattoo yourself? If you were to get a tattoo, what would it be and where would you get it?
Comments
36 Comments so far
My ex-husband and I, at the young and implusive ages of 22 (about a year into our relationship), went and tattooed the Japanese symbols for “forever” on our right shoulder blades. 6 years later (and ironically a year after we actually married), I realised that it should have been annotated with “….or until we break up”. It took me years of shamefully covering up my right shoulder before I went to visit a tattoo artist who designed this amazing cherry blossom branch that covered it perfectly. I finally have a tattoo that doesn’t have a dodgy story attached to it.
loading...
Is number 18 an actual typo? What if his girlfriends name is May?
loading...
I plan to retrain as a tattoo removalist. Boom industry one day I think? I have one I really want removed. I don’t regret it, I loved it at the time. I have just out grown it.
loading...
My husband has his ex girlfriend’s name on his bottom. I love it. It shows he is romantic and impulsive. It also means whenever I do something completely crazy or foolish, I can quietly take comfort in the fact that I have never done anything so silly. It’s also hilarious when our three year old asks why he his numbers on him.
loading...
I have five tattoos, about to get my sixth on Tuesday. I have one on my wrist for my husband that says ‘my love’, and I joke that should anything go horribly wrong it would refer to the love of my cats.
My only tip would be never (ever ever ever ever) get your partners name. Ever. There are plenty of other things you can get to represent them.
And for the love of god, research your tattoo artist first.
loading...
Tattoos have gone through three phases – rebellious, the quirky & offbeat and now mainstream.
I contemplated a tattoo when they were quirky, but now they are mainstream I don’t want to get one at all. But I do still like to admire the artwork of good tattoos.
loading...
I love that not ready for marriage a life long commitment but is ok with getting a tatt of her name. Brilliant
loading...
I love that not ready for marriage a life long commitment but is ok with getting a tatt. Brilliant
loading...
I have “Karma” written on my lower back. The healing it bought me was amazing. After going through a difficult divorce I decided to give it up to karma and move on and let “something” else deal with the what ifs and forgiveness. Really it’s not up to me and I had to concentrate in my new life.
loading...
Understanding and accepting Karma has changed my life, I rarely get upset, or dwell on the actions of others any longer.
loading...
Really? That sounds great. How did you get there?
loading...
Some of the pics in gallery 1 are a great reminder to always go with a professional tattoo artist…
loading...
As much as some of these tattoos might be laughable (and pretty badly drawn on to be honest) obviously all of these people felt something so strong they wanted it on their body forever.
tattoo bashing irritates me to the max.
loading...
They are so common place now- I’d never get one.
loading...
I think that most tattoos are a bit tacky. Not a fan personally.
loading...
Some of these tattoo artists should be locked up for mutilation! Horrendous work…
loading...
I have a tattoo of the sun on my lower back. To remind people that the sun really does shine out of my butt
loading...
I have a facebook friend who has the corinthians over her whole back. Can’t imagine how much it cost! I dont think it looks particularly good, and given how big it is, no one will have an unobstructed view of it except when she’s naked, and being on her back it’s not like she’ll ever look at it or read it….. But hey, her life, her money,her back. I’m sure she thinks I’m terribly boring for not having any tattoos!
loading...
The spelling mistakes really get me. I mean, tattoos are difficult to remove…and you’re not going to check the spelling is correc beforehandt? Seriously?
Personally, I find the majority of tattoos in the gallery to be tacky and cheap looking…
loading...
Perhaps if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t check the spelling (or does but doesn’t notice mistakes) you’re the kind of person who doesn’t care when the mistake is (inevitably) pointed out?
loading...
My partner and I have been together for six years and last year he got a tattoo ‘in my honour’. It says ‘Por Siempre’ meaning ‘for always’ or ‘forever’. It doesn’t have my name on it though, which I actually prefer. He jokes he’ll be able to tell all his future girlfriends it’s for them. Lol
loading...
The only tattoo I have is “Poppy” with his birth and death dates beneath it on my right hip. I had it done the morning of his funeral last April. He died from prostate cancer.
He was a very close family member and I still miss him.
loading...
About six years ago, my husband was gifted a tattoo by his employees as a farewell and thank you present. He wasn’t sure about it as an idea, but when they came up with the design, he was totally flattered that they would think that of him.
The design was two Maori fishhooks, one representing the god of the forest, the other representing the god of the ocean – together meaning “Leader of Leaders”.
The idea that he could instill that much respect as a boss was totally awesome, so of course he said yes!
Now that we are home in Australia, he does get the occasional odd look at the beach – a tall red-headed Aussie with a Maori tattoo on his leg!
loading...
Wow. I love that!
loading...
Unless it’s a pun, it should be ‘whet’ your appetite, not ‘wet’.
loading...
My wife and I got each other’s name tattooed on us after about 5 1/2 years together, 1 1/2 of those married.
I have her name over my heart, she has mine on the inside of her wrist.
Nothing says commitment like ink, that said, laser tattoo removal is a lot better than it used to be…
And of course I don’t subscribe to the notion that tattooing your partners name is akin to relationship suicide.
loading...
What ones were kind of cute???
loading...
I’m a bit anti-tattoo (it would really have to symbolise something) but.. hubby and I used to joke that we would get matching tattoos of a little button. So that we could push each others buttons. Geddit?
probably a good idea we never got around to doing it 
loading...
A few of my friends are getting tattoos for turning 30. I’m not joining the club, I think I’ll get a big ol’ piece of jewellery instead!
loading...
My friend added FREE after her ex husband’s name tattooed on her wrist. His name? Scott.
Brilliant.
loading...
I most probably won’t get a tattoo. But if I do, I would get ‘Love is a fate resigned’, a line from the Amy Winehouse song ‘Love Is A Losing Game.’ I love that song and Amy is my favourite singer.
loading...
Apologies for the double post. My dad has 2 Honu (Hawaiian) turtles on his back cause he loves the Honu turtle. One is following the other and they represent my mum and dad. Then there are three smaller turtles *following* them and they represent my two siblings and myself. I really like it.
loading...
Hilarious! Thanks for the giggle.
loading...
Oh boy, there are some baaaaaaad tattoos in that first gallery! Number 10 especially.
loading...
My partner tattooed my name on his chest with a bumble bee next to it at the start of this year. I absolutely hate it. I always secretly cringe when he proudly shows people.
The weirdest part is that he gets very angsty when I try to put forth the idea of getting engaged as he’s “not ready”. Sigh.
loading...
Haha the VOID one was brilliant
loading...