When all the little details and stresses of wedding planning begin to hit, purchasing wedding bands might not necessarily rise to the top of your “to-do” list. In the face of selecting a venue, providing music, feeding and sheltering your 200 closest friends and family members, and of course, worrying about the weather on the big day, those little metal rings may begin to seem very inconsequential.
But stop for a moment and remember that wedding bands represent something that lasts far longer than the dancing or the music or the food they represent your bond and love for each other, as long as you both shall live. Shopping for wedding bands creates a meaningful and memorable experience, and the many different choices and intricacies of rings require quite a bit of thought before purchase. What design and appearance best represents you as a couple? What metals strike you visually, and how well do they hold up? Are you working with a budget, or is the sky the limit?
Discuss these questions, then sit down and browse through some rings online, or even head out for some window shopping at your favorite jewelry store for more ideas. Couples quickly discover the sheer amount of choices available to them, and a little research and discussion go a long way toward making a great wedding band selection. And Remember to give wedding band shopping the time and attention it really deserves many couples wear these rings every day for the rest of their lives. Take your time, and enjoy the process by making a careful and meaningful selection. Just like so many other parts of your wedding, you only get to live this experience once!
Aspects to Consider
Budget
First and foremost, couples should discuss a budget before heading out to shop for wedding bands. Depending on factors such as the type of metal, purity of the metal, elaborateness of the design, the store from which you purchase, and so on, prices range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to thousands. Realize that deals always exist, so avoid ruling out a specific metal or design just because you hear about its notorious price as you may yet find a great bargain. Modern rings also frequently incorporate inlays or a combination of metals, creating more opportunities for compromise.
However, know that some metals such as platinum and white gold stay consistently more expensive. Today’s market holds other materials of equal durability and striking appearance, so don’t despair if that particularly lovely band stays just out of your budget something equally beautiful and meaningful likely lies down the road. While gold, white gold, platinum, and silver remain classically traditional materials, research a bit and explore something new! You may end up surprised by what you find yourself loving.
Other elements that drive up the price of wedding bands include adornments of stones such as diamonds, engravings, and intricate patterns or designs. These help to make wedding rings distinctive and meaningful, but may also take them outside of your price range. Sit down with your fiancé and discuss your ideal ring and then your ideal budget, and make sure that the two overlap before you head out to the stores. Remember though, never to sacrifice quality for a lower price.
Finding quality wedding bands at reasonable prices is not an impossible task, and this purchase must last for the duration of your life. A well-crafted, plain wedding band that still looks amazing in 50 years makes a much better purchase in the long run than an elaborate, gem-studded, and extremely cheap ring that falls apart in 2.
Personal Style
The wedding band becomes an accessory for the rest of your life, and as such it should hold some personal meaning. When you pick a design or metal that says something about you and your partner, it makes the bands that much more significant. What words best represent you as a couple? Do you tend to stay more traditional, or do your friends and family consider you out of the box? Does either of you come from strong religious or ethnic backgrounds? Consider the significant influences in your life, and whether or not they deserve a place on your wedding band little personal touches make rings truly unique, and entirely yours!
The plain wedding band speaks of a timeless, classic love that lasts for a lifetime. Traditional, understated, and very elegant, a circle of platinum, gold, white gold, or any other material of your choice represents one of the most common types of wedding bands. The plain band also works best for extremely hard materials, such as tungsten or titanium, that do not easily take stones, engravings, or patterns – in some cases, a plain band may present the most logical choice. Although free of elaborate decoration, a plain band still says plenty about your personality, just from its appearance rock a modern look with black titanium, or sophisticated chic with white gold or platinum.
What’s more classic and romantic than a sparkling diamond? Traditionally seen on engagement rings, diamonds now adorn many women’s wedding bands after all, in the timeless words of Marilyn Monroe, diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Classy, fabulous, and an all-around crowd-pleaser, wedding bands might contain anything from a modest rock or two sets along the side to a ring entirely covered by gems. Depending on the size and frequency of the diamonds, prepare for a more expensive purchase than you might otherwise encounter.
If diamonds rub you the wrong way, why not consider a different type of stone? Perhaps you hold an affinity for rubies, or maybe the first necklace your fiancé bought you contained aquamarine. Choose an unconventional stone with personal meaning, and enjoy an entirely unique type of wedding band that suits you perfectly!
Yet another alternative, cubic zirconia offers a drastically lower-cost selection that looks like an exact replica of diamonds. A colorless and flawless synthetic stone and an ideal choice for any couple on a budget, cubic zirconia also comes with a few drawbacks. The stones contain less brilliance and sparkle than diamonds and also rank lower on the Mohs Hardness Scale they may actually shatter if hit against a hard enough surface. Both create viable options for wedding bands, and those looking with the naked eye find it difficult to notice any difference. Your personal choice may come down to an issue of budget discuss the decision between the two of you, and decide which better suits your preferences.
Today’s couples can choose from just about any pattern or design imaginable, ranging from different textures to combinations of metals for a unique, visually striking appearance. Consider a woven effect, or perhaps something broken up with an unexpected stone or engraving. Some couples choose to represent their relationship with a symbol or image that may hold personal meaning to them perhaps even something non-traditional, such as a repeated pattern of cacti or a skull and crossbones. While these may seem a bit out in the left field, the point is to realize that the bands belong to the two of you and no one else. Nothing is too silly, too wacky, or too weird when it holds personal meaning, so let your imagination run free!
Another unique style involves combining metals and colors to create a dramatic, two-tone effect. A black titanium band with bold silver lines, for example, immediately draws the eye, while a more subtle combination of titanium with a gold middle section offers a subtle beauty.
While certainly unconventional, these types of rings enjoy popularity because they allow couples to freely express themselves with anything from lighthearted symbols to edgy designs it all depends on what you want to say! If either of you comes from a strong religious or ethnic background, why not incorporate those elements into your wedding band by design or engravings? Not only does such an element add personal meaning, but it also represents an important factor in your lives together. This illustrates not only a devotion to each other but also devotion to a belief that you both share!
If your family remains highly traditional and of a certain cultural background, a wedding band also makes a great canvas for integrating symbols and patterns.
