Choosing the Perfect Wedding Ring

In the excitement of planning a wedding and all the stress that goes along with it, it's easy to leave the wedding ring selection till last. However, the ring you choose is one that you will wear for the rest of your life if all goes well, so it pays to put some thought into what you want.

The engagement ring is usually the flashy one, with diamonds, while the wedding ring itself reflects marriage, steady and simple. The traditional wedding band is a solid gold ring, but there is no reason why you have to stick with tradition! There are plenty of other options out there for the more daring couple.

If you aren't sure that you really want to go flashy with your ring, why not opt for a slightly different take on the traditional plain band? You can look for one that has a decorative edge or perhaps a delicate engraving. The engraving can be as simple as a wavy line that runs around the ring, but it changes the entire look and makes the whole thing more elegant.

Another option is to have a wedding band with a precious stone set into it. If your engagement ring is flashy, avoid going overboard with the wedding band, aim instead to complement. For example, if you have an engagement ring that is set with a dozen diamonds, try a wedding ring that highlights just one perfect diamond. The idea is to have the two mesh together and not compete for attention, since they are usually worn on the same finger.

For the more adventurous bride and groom, there is the option of getting custom made rings. These should reflect something meaningful to the both of you and don't necessarily have to be matching. A good example of this would be a bride's ring with Celtic knots reflecting the heritage of her husband-to-be, while his might have a symbol based on her cultural past. The possibilities here are endless, but make sure that you plan ahead if you want to get custom-made rings, since they can take a while to design and create.

Once you have the design down, you will need to choose a material. Again, gold is the traditional metal, but you can choose anything you like, even obsidian, should you so desire! The more common alternatives are platinum and silver. If you want to go traditional, but aren't very fond of gold, consider going with white gold, which appears similar to silver.

There are plenty of options in wedding rings and you will want to give yourself time to check them out before committing to one. This is a decision that should be made as a couple, select rings that appeal to both of you and reflect your personal tastes.