Diamond rings, dresses, bridesmaid jewellery, the flowers, family ties – in the tumult of wedding preparations one strikingly obvious decision is often one if the fastest made (perhaps because it involves the groom!) with the least consideration – the wedding bands.
Metal
This should be fairly obvious – it should match the bride’s engagement ring. However a growing number of couples simply cannot agree on a metal, with fashion-conscious grooms suddenly leaning in favour of pewter and stainless steel. The key here is to compromise and accept that perhaps the two wedding bands will be a little different.
Edge Finish
When it comes to engagements, diamonds rings come in all sorts of cuts and shapes. If an engagement ring has a straight edge then choosing a fitting wedding band should present no problem. If the setting creates a curve or bespoke silhouette then a tailored wedding band may be in order.
Jewellers have seen it all before. When shopping for engagement rings, most men (or couples as is commonly the case nowadays) will be offered a number of complimentary wedding band examples as a helpful aid.
Width
One of the most simple jewellery considerations, but an important one nonetheless. Tradition seems to dictate that a wedding band be slightly wider than an engagement ring, however the bride’s comfort is the main consideration. Will she wear her engagement ring every day? Do her wedding band and engagement ring pinch? A reputable jeweller will always suggest a bride tries on a wedding band alongside her engagement ring.
Style
The style options of wedding bands are best explained by describing what a cross section of the ring would look like.
Flat – a rectangular cross section.
Domed – the side that sits against the finger is flat, whilst the outside makes a dome. The cross section is a semi-circle.
Soft Rounded – a rectangular cross section, but with very subtly curved corners.
Ideally the style of a wedding band should complement the engagement ring.