You’ll be wearing your wedding gown for one day, but you’re going to be wearing your wedding band for the rest of your life. With that said, picking the perfect wedding band can put a lot of pressure on you, as you’ve got to put a lot of thought into it. Not only does it have to suit your style, but it also has to be flexible to adapt to your ever-changing tastes.
There are several factors to consider when choosing a wedding ring. We’ve put together a couple of tips on how you to choose a wedding band you’ll absolutely love for the rest of your life:
1. Go Wedding Ring Shopping Early
As you plan your wedding, you’ll probably be overwhelmed by the number of things to do. But whatever you do, don’t shop for a wedding ring on the week of your wedding. It’s vital to set aside some time to shop for a wedding ring months in advance. This will allow you to “window shop” for the best wedding band and pick out the one that truly speaks to you. If you postpone ring shopping, you will end up with a ring that doesn’t mean anything to you and your partner.
This is also true if you plan to get your wedding ring custom-made. It can take two weeks for a bespoke wedding ring to be made, but that doesn’t include the time it takes to design it.
2. Factor In Your Lifestyle
When shopping for a wedding ring, it’s a good idea to consider what you’ll be doing day in and day out. You’ll be wearing it every day, so it’s got to be something that fits your lifestyle. For instance, if you live an active lifestyle, it would be best to go for a durable ring that can withstand wear and tear. If you want a low-maintenance ring, go for rings without stones as dirt tends to “cling” to them.
3. Shop With Your Style in Mind
This is the single most important thing to consider when shopping for a wedding ring. Although gold wedding rings are the go-to choice, there’s nothing wrong with not wanting a classic ring. There are tons of other ring designs out there, and you’re free to explore them until you find exactly what you want. As a rule of thumb, if it doesn’t suit your style, you shouldn’t buy it.
If you prefer sparkly things, go for sparkly rings! Similarly, if your style is simple, your best bet is a classic wedding band. Remember that what you want matters the most — after all, you’re going to be the one wearing it for who knows how long.
4. Go Shopping With Your Engagement Ring
Don’t get us wrong — your wedding ring doesn’t need to go with your engagement ring. However, if you want to wear your engagement ring together with your wedding ring forever, they should look good together.
Go shopping with your engagement ring and wear it as you try on wedding rings. Don’t forget to wear the wedding ring on its own to see how it looks when it’s worn by itself. Sometimes, wedding rings look good when they’re worn with engagement rings but bad on their own, and the other way around.
5. Get the Size Right
What sets wedding rings apart? The answer: they can’t be worn on any other finger but your ring finger. If a regular ring no longer fits on one finger, you can always wear it on another finger — you can’t do that with a wedding ring! Your wedding ring will be on your ring finger 24/7, so be sure it fits right. It should still fit comfortably even if your ring finger “changes” through the seasons, pregnancy, etc.
Once you’ve found the right ring, ask the jeweler to measure you and your fiance’s ring fingers. The best time to do this is when you aren’t retaining water or when your finger’s measurements are most “stable”.
If you want to play it safe, you can wear a resizable wedding ring. This is a wedding ring with a gap in the band, allowing it to expand as needed. The downside is that it’s more prone to wear and tear and that it will likely break over time — a bit ironic as wedding rings are a symbol of everlasting love!
6. There’s No Need to Be Matchy-Matchy
If someone tells you that you and your spouse’s wedding rings should match, don’t listen to them. No rule states your wedding rings should be in the same design. Although wearing coordinating wedding rings is cute and considered “#couplegoals”, it’s perfectly fine for you to separately pick rings that suit your style. Your spouse’s style may not be the same as yours, and there’s no problem with that!
You’ll be wearing your wedding band for the rest of your life, so be sure to choose something that you’ll want to wear decades from now!
Final Thoughts
Remember that there’s always something just as important as cakes and caterers: your wedding ring. Among all of the things on your wedding planning to-do list, wedding ring shopping should be at the very top. Apart from the memories, the only thing that you’ll take home is your wedding ring, so make sure it meets your expectations to a T.
