Once your engagement ring has been chosen and accepted with excitement from your future Mr or Mrs, what’s next? There’s plenty of planning to be done and of course, this includes the search for the perfect wedding band for the pair of you. While it may not be as tricky when there’s two of you choosing, it still isn’t as simple as picking the first ring you come across. Considering you’ll be wearing it everyday, you’ll want to take your time and really think about what it is you both want from your rings. While you might receive a ring or another piece of special jewellery as an anniversary gift, perhaps for a diamond or silver wedding anniversary, your engagement ring and wedding band will for sure be the most precious jewellery you’re likely to own. Start your search the right way by having a chat about these five things to consider when choosing your wedding bands.
METAL
One of the most important things to consider when choosing your wedding band is the metal itself. Not only does the choice completely change the appearance of the ring, it affects the weight and how it fares over time.
You’ll typically have to choose between white gold, yellow gold, rose gold and platinum, all of which you can view online with someone such as Diamonds Factory to give you a feel for what they look like. Have a look at the examples shown to get an idea of their differences; you’ll notice that rose gold has a feminine pink hue whereas yellow is more of a traditional gold.
Platinum and white gold, however, are harder to differentiate for some as they look very similar. It’s worth noting that platinum is a pure metal whereas white gold will need to be re-dipped every now and again to prevent it turning yellow.
Still can’t decide? Here are a few key points you should consider before choosing:
ROSE GOLD: Feminine, modern, usually a gold and copper alloy mix, durable.
PLATINUM: Heavy, purer than white gold, strong, will patina over time.
WHITE GOLD: Mixture of metals, will have to be re-dipped as it can fade, cheaper than platinum.
YELLOW GOLD: Traditional, can be scratched easily, timeless in some sense but can feel dated now as its not the most popular metal nowadays, can be resized easily
BAND STYLE
Once you’ve decided on the metal, turn your attention to the style of the band itself. While a traditional wedding ring tends to be plain, diamond encrusted wedding bands have become remarkably popular over the last few years. In fact, Wedding Ideas discovered that 75% of their readers chose an ornamental band.
This normally comes down to personal choice, but consider if you prefer a bit of extra bling or something more subtle beside the engagement ring. Try on a few different bands to find the style that complements your engagement ring rather than stealing the show completely.
For men, the choice is completely yours. You may want to follow tradition with a wedding ring that matches your partners, but this isn’t necessary in the slightest.
INDIVIDUAL RINGS OR SET
Bridal sets consist of an engagement ring and wedding band that have been paired together perfectly. The band sits beautifully beside the engagement ring, resulting in optimum comfort and uniformity. There are plenty of options available, from plain wedding rings with a subtle solitaire engagement ring to two rings with fully embezzled detail and a show stopping diamond.
However, many people prefer buying their two rings separately as it allows them to mix and match any style they want. Plus many receive their ring as a surprise and usually they’d be given the engagement ring on its own. Again, there’s no right or wrong answer here, it’s simply a choice that you need to make however if you’re buying an engagement ring on its own, I’d recommend checking to see how a wedding band would sit next to it as if the ring is a complicated shape or the centre stone doesn’t sit high enough then it can be difficult getting a wedding ring to fit flush alongside it. Sometimes you can be making a rod for your own back and can end up having to have the wedding band custom made.
BUDGET
As much as you might like to go crazy, you’ll have to stick to a budget to ensure you don’t have to sacrifice anything in the ceremony itself but when you’re allocating your wedding budget, I would suggest allocating more of your budget to the elements of your wedding that will last far beyond the day itself and that includes the rings. You can read more about this in my wedding budgeting tips blog post. Setting a maximum price will allow you to rule out materials or styles that are too expensive, ensuring neither of you fall in love with pricey rings and get sucked in to stretching your finances too far. There’s no rules around how much you should spend on your rings – despite all sorts of myths on this – and you’re sure to find an option that matches your budget and style as there’s always cheaper options available if you come down on the carat, etc.
LIFESTYLE
You’ll most likely be wearing this piece of jewellery every day, so keep practicality in mind before making your decision. If you’re a serious gym fanatic, for example, perhaps choose a ring that’s thinner to avoid it getting in the way or damaged. Those who work with their hands or manual labour should possible choose a plain wedding band rather than one with gems or diamonds as these can become loose and fall out. You don’t want to damage the ring, nor do you want one that’s likely to disrupt your normal routine – and taking it on and off too regularly might risk losing your ring!
