Throughout history, the circular shape of the wedding ring has symbolized eternal love. Just like your feelings for each other, your wedding ring should be one you'll love forever.
Choosing an engagement ring is a momentous occasion, whether chosen by the groom-to-be as a surprise for his intended bride, or purchased together by both of you.
Selecting your wedding rings deserves as much time and consideration: wedding rings are exchanged during the most important ceremony of your life and you want everything to be just right for that perfect moment.
Matching engagement and wedding rings
On the practical side, if you plan to combine your wedding and engagement rings to form a set on your hand, they need to match or at least complement each other. The wedding ring is usually made from the same precious metal as the engagement ring - yellow or white gold or platinum are all popular choices.
Wedding rings were traditionally plain bands but the latest range of rings available in jewellery stores are often studded with diamonds or other precious stones (an example is the channel-set diamond wedding band). A popular choice is to have two wedding bands - either plain or channel-set - on either side of your engagement ring.
Bear in mind that your choice of wedding ring must take the design of the engagement ring into account. If the engagement ring is very ornate, choose a simpler wedding ring, and vice versa. Of course, some brides decide not to wear an engagement ring at all; this allows you the freedom of choosing a dramatic design for a wedding ring.
A precious metal for a precious ring
The only style limitation in choosing your dream wedding dress is your shape. It is very important to choose a style that flatters your figure. A big, full skirt may be quite dramatic but might make your waistline disappear. Be careful of strapless dresses if you are flat-chested. The best way to choose a style that suits YOU is to try on as many wedding dresses as you can well in advance.
Even if you plan to have your dress made by a designer or a dressmaker, go to bridal shops and try on some of your favourite styles. You may change your mind once you see yourself in a particular dress, or you might just be reassured that you're making the right decision. You could also find a ready-made wedding dress that's just perfect and save the time you would have spent on selecting fabric and dress fittings.
Make sure you have enough time and money
Choosing between yellow or white gold, platinum or silver wedding rings, depends largely on personal taste, and of course your budget. Yellow and white gold cost virtually the same, but platinum is more expensive. There are differences in strength and durability and other factors also affecting price. For more details on the properties and benefits of the different metals go to http://honeymoons.about.com
You may also elect to have an inherited family ring altered or re-sized; some of these feature beautiful antique designs and are often made of platinum too.
Choosing a wedding ring for him
Once again, personal taste is of paramount importance when choosing a wedding ring for the groom. If the man you're marrying is not the jewellery type (he may not own any jewellery at all), then his first introduction to rings should be as plain and subtle as possible. If he doesn't want anything too shiny and ostentatious, then white gold is a good choice for a wedding ring. This can be patterned, ridged or even sandblasted for a textured effect.
At the other extreme, if you're exchanging vows with a diamond lover, wedding rings set with diamonds (or other stones) are available for men, or one can be designed. Just make sure it's comfortable to wear, or his wedding ring will spend more time lying in a drawer than on his finger. Click here for more help with choosing a ring for him. http://weddings.about.com
A personal message on your wedding rings
A nice touch is to personalize your wedding rings by engraving a special private message on the inside - from the date of your marriage to a personal nickname or message, the choice is yours. When planning your wedding, allow an extra couple of days at the jeweller or engraver for this procedure.
Making sure your wedding rings are a perfect fit
Another important consideration is leaving enough time in your schedule for trying on the wedding rings to make sure that they fit. Some wives prefer as tight a fit as possible for their spouses (thereby ensuring that their wedding rings can never be removed when they're away from home), but the wedding rings need to slide onto the finger easily during the ceremony. Struggling to squeeze a ring onto a finger while hundreds of people are watching only adds unnecessary tension to an otherwise romantic event.
Tattoo wedding rings
This suggestion is not for the faint-hearted, but if you want a wedding ring with a difference that you'll never lose, won't become uncomfortable if you gain some weight, can't be stolen (or removed on occasion by an errant spouse), consider a tattoo wedding ring (also great for those who can't wear rings while they're working). To find out all about this emerging craze, click here.
For more ideas for choosing timeless wedding rings, click here,
and have fun choosing a wedding ring you'll be proud to wear on your wedding day and forever after.
Throughout history, the circular shape of the wedding ring has symbolized eternal love. Just like your feelings for each other, your wedding ring should be one you'll love forever.
On the practical side, if you plan to combine your wedding and engagement rings to form a set on your hand, they need to match or at least complement each other. The wedding ring is usually made from the same precious metal as the engagement ring - yellow or white gold or platinum are all popular choices.
The only style limitation in choosing your dream wedding dress is your shape. It is very important to choose a style that flatters your figure. A big, full skirt may be quite dramatic but might make your waistline disappear. Be careful of strapless dresses if you are flat-chested. The best way to choose a style that suits YOU is to try on as many wedding dresses as you can well in advance.
Once again, personal taste is of paramount importance when choosing a wedding ring for the groom. If the man you're marrying is not the jewellery type (he may not own any jewellery at all), then his first introduction to rings should be as plain and subtle as possible. If he doesn't want anything too shiny and ostentatious, then white gold is a good choice for a wedding ring. This can be patterned, ridged or even sandblasted for a textured effect.
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