How to Choose the Right Wedding Band
We’ll walk you through your options to ensure you choose a wedding band you’ll love wearing for decades to come!
The History of Wedding Bands
A wedding ceremony is an outward expression of a couple’s desire to love each other for eternity, often symbolized by the exchanging of wedding bands. The tradition of wedding bands dates back to ancient Egypt when rings of reed or hemp were placed on a woman’s finger by her betrothed. Hemp and reed rings gave way to bone, ivory, leather, and eventually gold.
Although wedding bands were commonly sighted on wives’ fingers throughout the millennia, men’s wedding bands didn’t gain popularity in the Western world until WWII. Soldiers wore wedding bands that reminded him of his wife at home, and the tradition continued after the war.
Different Styles of Wedding Bands
Like your love, every wedding band is unique. Before you choose the ring, here are a few factors to consider to make sure you’re happy with the ring you choose!
Matching - Perhaps the first consideration is deciding whether you and your spouse want matching rings or if you will select rings to complement your individual style.
Material - Have you considered which metal you’ll choose for your ring? The most popular materials are silver, stainless steel, platinum, titanium, tungsten, and yellow, white, or rose gold.
Yellow gold is the most popular choice for wedding bands. It looks great on almost every skin tone and is easy to maintain as long as it’s polished regularly. However, since gold is a soft metal, it’s possible to scratch gold rings on hard surfaces.
Tungsten is a great option if you lead an active lifestyle since it’s scratch-proof.
Platinum is hypoallergenic and less likely than other rings to cause skin reactions.
Titanium is durable, strong, and easy to maintain. Due to titanium’s hardness, this type of ring is impossible to resize.
A Wedding Band for Every Budget
When you choose a wedding band, it’s important to select one you’ll love, without stretching your budget. Thankfully, there are options for every price point!
Affordable - If you’re a couple on a tight budget, consider choosing a titanium or stainless steel ring. On sites like Overstock.com, you can find wedding bands starting at less than $10.
Medium - If you’re looking for a beautiful ring without breaking the bank, check out Blue Nile. As the world’s largest online retailer of ethically sourced diamonds, you can find sparkling wedding bands for less than $300.
High end - The sky’s the limit when it comes to wedding band prices. Tiffany & Co sells a five-row pavé platinum wedding band for $19,300 while DeBeers sells a platinum eternity band with ~7.21 carats of diamonds for $60,000.
Classic Wedding Band Alternatives
Most people choose a shiny metal ring to symbolize their love. If you’re not “most people,” here are a couple wedding band alternatives for an alternative couple!
Silicone - If you work with your hands or in a medical setting where you’ll need to take a ring off regularly, silicone rings are an easy-to-sanitize way to symbolize your love.
Tattoo - Not for the faint of heart. If sparkles and shine aren’t your thing, consider matching finger tattoos instead of rings. This indelible mark is a statement on the permanence of your love.
When choosing a ring, the sheer volume of options can be overwhelming, but choosing the right band for you is an important decision. Just remember, you’ve found The One-- choosing a wedding band to reflect your love should be fun!
