So you popped the big question, and your partner said “yes!” to a lifetime spent together. Now, it’s time to pick out the jewelry your fiancé will wear every day: the wedding ring. The engagement ring may appear to be the star of the show, but you shouldn’t overlook the importance of the wedding band that symbolizes your lifelong commitment to your romantic partner.
Purchasing and wearing a wedding ring is a marriage ritual that exists in a variety of cultures. Exchanging wedding bands on the big day is a promise of faithfulness, love, and loyalty. If this wedding ring is thoughtfully selected according to your soon-to-be spouses’ personal taste, a wedding ring can be quite a stunning and eye-catching accessory.
As you shop for a wedding ring for your new fiance, you should consider the following factors before swiping your credit card. If these tips-and-tricks don’t suffice, top jewelry companies like Diamonds Forever San Diego are staffed with diamond-experts that can direct you towards the perfect wedding ring.
Should you involve or surprise your fiancé?
Unlike shopping for the engagement ring, purchasing a wedding band is a relatively stress-free experience. The anticipation of planning and executing the perfect Instagram-worthy engagement is long behind you and the chaos of wedding planning is just beginning. For now, you have time to bask in the congratulations of your loved ones and leisurely shop for the wedding ring of your fiance’s dreams.
Most couples decided to do the wedding ring shopping together. Regardless of the norms, you can also opt to surprise your partner by purchasing a wedding ring on your own time. This can help lighten the load of to-dos on your fiance’s wedding checklist. Not to mention, you’ll have the privilege of witnessing that initial sparkle in her eye when you surprise her with a never-before-seen wedding ring on your big day.
However, before you surprise your fiance with a wedding ring, you should familiarize yourself with your fiancé’s preferences, style, and wedding ring must-haves. To guarantee your fiance is thrilled with your choice, you might want to seek the advice of a jewelry company. This step is essential to ensuring that your wedding captures your love and matches her personality.
How to pick the right wedding ring
Start early
Waiting until the last minute to purchase your wedding rings can prove to be a grave mistake. Starting shopping early gives you enough time to conduct thorough research and visit various stores to compare pricing and financing options. When you give yourself a head start, your diamond retailer will have time for sizing, production, and shipping (if your ring isn’t available in-store).
Most experts would advise that recently-engaged couples start looking for wedding rings six months before your wedding date. As a general rule-of-thumb, give your diamond retailer three to four weeks to prepare the rings. If you order a customized ring, this process may take up to six weeks, so be patient.
Set a budget
The amount of money you’re willing to spend on your wedding rings will directly inform the carat, color, and clarity of your fiance’s diamond. Creating a budget streamline the selection process, so you aren’t distracted by rings that are out of your price range. According to the wedding experts, a couple should allocate between 3 and 5 percent of your wedding budget for the rings.
You can stretch your budget by playing around with the styles and metal types. For example, choosing a half-eternity band instead of a full one can save you money without directly impacting the ring’s appearance.
In the interest of savings, it’s recommended that a newly-engaged couple shop around rather than settling for the first retailer they come across. Don’t let widely-circulated misinformation convince you that shopping exclusively at big-name retailers is the way-to-go. You can find high-quality rings at affordable prices by shopping at local jewelry stores. When you shop locally, not only will be able to rack up savings, but you’ll support local entrepreneurs in your community.
Consider your lifestyle
Many people often overlook this vital factor. Remember, you’re going to wear your wedding ring every day, so you’ll want to avoid jewelry that interferes with your lifestyle. Besides style and wow-factor, you’ll also need to consider its practicality. Wedding rings come in various styles, sizes, and material types, so it shouldn’t’ be difficult to find what suits you and your partner best.
If you spend a lot of time outdoors working with your hands, your wedding ring should be able to endure the wear-and-tear of your daily routine, withstand exposure to various elements, and maintain a simple structure without the gemstones or engravings known to trap dirt or come loose. To prevent weathering, your wedding band should be made of solid metal. People who lead active lifestyles are better off with highly-durable, platinum wedding rings, while comfort-fit rings best suit individuals who play instruments.
Style considerations
With so many styles of rings on-the-market, you may find it overwhelming to choose the perfect ring for your fiance. Because wedding rings are divided into modern and traditional categories, you can pick one and narrow down your selection. The channel-set and pipe wedding bands are some of the most popular styles.
Wedding ring owners can often be classified into two groups: people prefer plain wedding rings and those who prefer their rings to be decorated with one or more gemstones. Understanding which category your soon-to-be-bride falls under will narrow down your selection even further.
Many people choose white diamonds for both their engagement and wedding rings. If you’re a think-outside-the-box and bend-the-rules kind of couple, you can swap out the diamond for a sapphire, onyx, aquamarine, emerald, garnet, opal, tsavorite, or topaz gemstone.
If you decide to surprise your fiance with a wedding ring, your rings have the potential to clash. For those couples hoping to match or coordinate their wedding rings according to style, preference, and lifestyle, shopping together as a couple will be in your best interest.
Additionally, your fiance may want the engagement ring to complement the wedding ring. Although you can include different metals in your wedding ring and engagement ring, matching the two is the only way to achieve a sense of cohesion. The most commonly used metals are yellow gold, silver, platinum, white gold, and rose gold.
Think long-term
When choosing a wedding ring, make sure you purchase a piece of jewelry with timeless beauty. Succumbing to trends will lead to regret later on in your marriage. Don’t worry about outgrowing your wedding ring style too much, as you can make the necessary changes down-the-road.
To commemorate an anniversary, you can add a few diamonds to your fiance’s wedding ring. However, you’ll want to avoid making too many changes in fear of distorting the ring’s original appearance beyond recognition.
Try to make the wedding ring shopping experience a memorable and enjoyable experience rather than a stressful one. Remember, there’s no sure-fire formula for picking the perfect ring. You’ll need to base your decision on what the ring symbolizes and your individual style.