Selecting your wedding band is a special decision, one that will stay with you for all the years you share with your spouse-to-be. You can wait on this shopping trip until after you’ve secured your wedding venue, chosen your colors, and made other decisions about the wedding. Consider it a fun, restful break from all the other choices you have to make, and turn the experience into a romantic date. After all, who doesn’t love picking out a new piece of jewelry? Follow these tips to ensure that your choice is practical as well as beautiful.
Tip 1: Match the Metals
If you’re engagement ring is white gold or silver, you’ll need to select a wedding band that’s white gold or silver as well. The same goes for titanium, platinum, steel, yellow gold, and other metals. If you really want a change, consider selecting a wedding band that incorporates a two-toned look with two different metals— one matching, and the other contrasting.
Tip 2: Think About the Future
As determined as you may be to remain your current size for the rest of your life, allow the possibility that you may gain weight— or lose weight. Pregnancy, illness, hormonal changes, and more can affect the size of your fingers. When you’re shopping for a wedding band, ask the jeweler about how easy or difficult it might be to resize certain designs. For example, a ring with gems all around its circumference may be gorgeous, but it will be expensive and tricky to resize it.
Tip 3: Consider Durability
Your wedding band will be on your hand every day. You may take it off occasionally for certain grimy or abrasive tasks, but for the most part, your ring will have to endure a lot of wear and tear. While 22ct gold may sound glamorous and rich, it’s really too soft for everyday wear. Instead, choose a ring with 14ct or 18ct gold, which includes tougher metals to enhance durability.
Other metals known for their durability and beauty include platinum, palladium, titanium, tungsten carbide, and zirconium. Titanium is one of the best choices for men’s wedding bands, since the metal is extremely hard and stratch-resistant.
Tip 4: Stay Within the Wedding Budget
As a responsible couple, you have a wedding budget that accounts for all wedding needs, including the use of an elegant wedding venue, the flowers, the food, the decor, photography, DJ, and more. Make sure that your wedding bands are also a part of the budget. If you find rings that you absolutely love that are priced higher than the allotted amount, you’ll need to trim some money from another category of the wedding budget to make up the difference.
Tip 5: Think Practically for Your Wedding Band
You want to have a ring that reflects your taste and indulges your sense of luxury a little bit; but you also need one that’s practical for your lifestyle and your everyday look. The combination of your wedding band and engagement ring shouldn’t be too huge or heavy for your fingers, especially if you type frequently or work with your hands in other ways. Watch out for rings with chunky or pointed edges that might catch on things, and be aware that engravings or carvings, lovely as they look, can trap dirt and grime.
Are you ready to choose the ring that you’ll wear for the rest of your married life? Enjoy the shopping experience, and keep these tips in mind so you can select the perfect wedding bands for you and your partner.
