How to choose your wedding ring

The wedding ring is a symbol of your marriage, but what should you choose?

The choice of wedding rings is one that will be able to reflect the couple’s own taste and style and it involves many important and exciting decisions.

Nowadays there are so many different designs that brides and grooms are spoilt for choice – but the timeless look is the best.

What is fashionable this summer might date in coming years and leave a bride and groom regretting their choice

And as they will be wearing the wedding ring for the rest of their lives together it’s important to choose a design to be comfortable with.

When making the choice there is the option to consider a variety of metals, shapes, thicknesses and styles in order to find the perfect choice.

And it is one that need not be rushed – the ring is an important symbol of love so the decision as to how best to show the world commitment by a couple is one that requires thought.

So it’s a chance to search out unusual jewellery stores and antique shops where something which really strikes a bride and groom may be available – possibly at a cheaper price.

The choice of metal for the bride’s wedding band is usually dictated by her engagement ring and the groom’s ring will often follow suit too.

However, if both groom have different preferences there is nothing to stop the groom opting for gold while the bride goes for platinum – the rings do not necessarily have to match.

A yellow gold wedding ring is the traditional choice with 24k the purest. However it is also the softest variety, so is not generally recommended for wedding bands.

Both 14k and 18k gold are less pure but harder and therefore more likely to make a more durable wedding ring.

A white gold wedding ring will complement any silver or platinum jewellery the bride may have already. However, a white gold wedding ring is often plated with rhodium to enhance its appearance, and this plating is likely to wear off with time.

A platinum wedding ring is another popular adornment as this silvery metal is highly resistant to damage. It’s much rarer than gold and is therefore more expensive, but a platinum wedding ring will last a lifetime.

A titanium wedding ring is a more modern choice since it is only relatively recently that this striking greyish metal has been used for jewellery. It is extremely durable and can be carved without losing its strength. A titanium wedding ring is a real talking point because of its rarity.

When it comes to the shape of the bride-to-be’s wedding band, the main consideration is how it sits with her engagement ring. If that is straight-edged, a classic wedding band will fit comfortably next to it and look just right. However, the gemstone setting in some engagement rings will not accommodate a straight-edged wedding band.

So the bride can either wear your engagement and wedding rings on different hands, or opt for a curved wedding ring, sometimes known as a fitted wedding ring or a shaped wedding ring.

Nowadays couples sometimes favour jewel-set wedding rings so couple should consider the harder stones such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds as softer varieties do not wear as well through the years. Diamond-set wedding rings are the most popular option.

Couples often want to have their wedding date engraved on the inside of their wedding rings and sometimes there is room for other sentiments too but couples should ensure they write down exactly what they want inside the ring and ask your jeweller what font or style will be used.

Some families pass down wedding rings as heirlooms so this may be an option. If so, you probably will want to leave any original engraving inside the ring. It might also be appropriate to note in a will who the current recipients would like their rings to go to.