Seasons change, and this one has brought you a whirlwind of new decisions about stone settings, wedding vows, honeymoon plans, cake flavors, and more. Though dreamy and exciting, wedding planning can often be an overwhelming process to journey through.
Planning can be challenging if you don't know where to start. If you've recently gotten engaged, you might be starting to look for the most highly-rated caterers, the most delicious wedding cakes, and the best places to buy wedding jewelry.
These are all things that have the potential to bring great joy or great stress to you and your other half during the wedding planning process, depending on how dedicated you are to thinking things through at a steady pace. One decision in all of this planning, arranging, and coordinating will stick with you for the rest of your life.
Whether you still need to square away details like save-the-dates or are in the beginning stage of considering marriage with your partner, exploring your options when it comes to wedding rings is something to celebrate.
Besides saying, “I do,” the rings you give to one another will be lasting reminders of the commitment that changed your lives forever. You and your partners’ decisions to exchange rings means deciding what your budget is, what you’d like your rings to be made of, and what styles and components you’d like to be incorporated in each of your rings.
Though you’ll definitely need to decide on multiple bands and designs, gemstone cuts, and variances between styles to consider for the engagement ring, many of these factors also pertain to the wedding bands you’ll exchange at the altar. Some choose to break tradition and opt for just the engagement rings for the brides and the men's wedding bands for the groom,s but traditionally speaking, three rings are involved come wedding day.
Let’s explore some of the various wedding ring designs to choose from when picking the symbol of everlasting love you’ll wear for years to come.
Defining Your Style
Do you feel the pressure of selecting a wedding band? Almost all other choices you make concerning your wedding day last for that day only. Your wedding jewelry will last through many years of growth together, so you'll want to pick rings that you both adore.
Defining your style doesn't have to be an overwhelming task. Though you both bring unique inclinations to the table, you can find options that complement you both. Your wedding rings are pieces that will stay with you for many years, so you'll want to choose something that represents you and your partner's tastes. There are many men's wedding bands and women's wedding rings pairings to fit any lifestyle.
Although there are well-loved traditions, there are no rules to weddings. You are free to make up your own customs and traditions in your wedding planning. That being said, you're free to choose wedding bands that match or bands that are starkly different from one another.
The first order of business is to make the decision together to have coordinating or individual rings. You'll learn more about your partner in the process and better understand one another. While you're each entitled to your preferences, browsing rings together and discussing your favorite styles can be a delightful bonding experience. Use this opportunity to learn what your partner prioritizes in fine jewelry. You might be able to use this information about their individual style to surprise them with a meaningful gift later in your marriage.
Choosing a beautiful wedding band is more than simply picking out an engagement ring and wedding bands to match. Getting in touch with your personal style can help you narrow your choices to rings that suit your essence. Consider your dress, pantsuit, or tuxedo that you're wearing on your big day. Does your dress have a particular motif? If so, consider bands that complement your look.
Let’s Talk About Budget
It’s no surprise that tradition is a big factor in many people’s weddings. Typically, tradition would say to spend around two to three months’ salary on an engagement ring as a display of how much you love your bride-to-be. However, this is your journey and your story, and you get to decide the budget you’re looking to spend on wedding rings with your partner. Some opt for more affordable rings and choose to splurge on other lasting elements (like a high-quality videographer.) Others prefer to maintain tradition with a ring that requires saving up first. Ring size, metal type, and gemstones will all factor into the overall price of your rings.
Everyone has a different budget, and that's okay. Did you know that you can still buy fine handcrafted jewelry even on a budget? Whether you're seeking a 2-carat diamond band or an eternity diamond band with a slim profile, you can buy the fine jewelry styles you like at surprisingly affordable prices.
Kinds of Bands
A wedding ring is made of several parts, and all of these individual components are customizable. How special is it that you and your sweetheart can personalize nearly every detail of your rings to match your tastes and to symbolize your one-of-a-kind relationship?
A few things to consider at the beginning of this process are the style of band you’d like your ring to have, the metal that the band is created from, what setting you prefer for the stone (if there’s a stone at all), and what grade diamond or other gemstone suits you.
If you enjoy silver as a color, you may wish to choose platinum, sterling silver, or titanium rings for their incredible strength. If you prefer gold, you may wish to have 18K gold rings for their purity and durability. Tungsten, damascus steel, and cobalt are also available to hold up against everyday wear and tear.
With whatever precious metal is used, you and your partner can each decide what shape you’d like the band to be for your comfort preferences, whether to include diamonds or other gems in the band, and whether you’d like to include any unconventional elements like a twisted rope band to bring unity to your pieces.
You'll want to decide how bold of a silhouette you like. Do you want thick, wide bands in your set? Some like this bold look, but others prefer dainty, minimal band shapes. Talk with your partner about whether you both prefer one band silhouette or if you differ in your tastes.
You have many options when it comes to choosing your wedding bands as a couple. You could choose to coordinate your bands loosely or have them match completely. Here are a variety of styles for you to consider.
Classic Band
A simple wedding band is always an option. A plain, circular ring to be slipped on your finger is still a powerful symbol and falls in line with a minimalist aesthetic.
Alternatively, if you choose to add a personal touch, engraving a word or small message into the ring compliments this style well. Even with a classic band, you can still decide on what thickness suits your comfort most.
Pavé Band
Common in a women's wedding band, couples looking to add some flare to one or both of their wedding bands could consider this style. A pavé band showcases a band paved with stones either partially or completely encircling the band.
Though this is already a unique variation on your classic wedding band, there are many variations of the pavé band, from more modern, minimalist options to vintage, art deco options. A pavé band elevates your ring’s overall luxury, adding brilliance and sparkle without distracting from its elegance.
Twisted Band
If you’re looking for a style with a little bit of whimsy, a twisted wedding band could be just the thing for you. It essentially features two bands twisted around one another around the ring, often with two different colors of metal.
The twisted band is often combined with a pave style, making it a beautiful option for those who want to incorporate aspects of more than one style. This twisted shape can represent the intertwining of two lives and is a strong contender for those who enjoy uniquely shaped bands.
Baguette Band
If you’re interested in the styles of the past that have stood the test of time, a baguette band may be just what you’re looking for. With baguette-cut diamonds encircling the band, Noémie’s Baguette Eternity Band provides a luster from every angle in a geometric fashion.
These baguette diamonds are placed back to back and set into the band itself to create a dazzling band that would compliment an engagement ring with classic elegance.
Vintage Band
Are you the sentimental kind, looking to incorporate styles that mirror the diamond rings that your more seasoned family members sported? Not everyone's a modernist, and that's okay. You have every right to draw inspiration from the beautiful jewelry styles of past decades.
Whether you and your soon-to-be spouse are paying homage to the past or simply enjoy the geometric styles that marked historical eras, a vintage-style wedding band made with traditional metals may be for you.
Our Noémie Vintage Band features whimsical shapes in an art-deco style, and the band is accented by 14 white diamonds in an 18-karat gold bezel setting.
Chevron Band
Minimalists can still enjoy a bit of flare. A chevron band adds a geometric shape to complement an engagement ring uniquely. Its subtle curved shape makes this 18-karat gold band an exquisite base that highlights our conflict-free diamonds.
Chain-Link Band
Perhaps you’d enjoy a wedding band that is truly set apart from the rest. In that case, a chain-link band might be just what you’ve been looking for. With individual links creating a circle around your finger, this band is a reminder that you and your partner are stronger when you’re together.
Our Noémie Chain Link Diamond Band is a brilliant, non-conventional option that can stand alone or be paired with other slim rings.
Eternity and Anniversary Bands
Your relationship is one-of-a-kind. You deserve to reflect your unique partnership with wedding jewelry that's as unique as your journey.
Another well-loved, timeless style among the many options for wedding bands is the eternity band. Like the pavé band, this style features stones encircling the band for an elevated look. Whereas the pavé band contains stones set into the band, the eternity band features fine stones installed into settings that rise off of the band.
The choice of stone is all up to you, of course, but opting for a diamond eternity band is an excellent choice for those looking to incorporate diamonds into a band without a central stone.
A variation of the eternity band is the anniversary band. It is often given after a wedding, at milestones of five, ten, and fifteen years, with different stones traditionally commemorating those milestones.
This is an option to keep in mind for future anniversaries, or for those who want something less traditional in place of typical wedding bands. After all, this is your journey, and you have the freedom to choose what styles of band you and your partner love the most.
Metal
The next detail to consider when planning out your wedding bands is the metal used to create the band. The metal you choose will influence the overall value of your band, as well as its look and durability.
Even if durability is not your biggest concern, the metal used to create your wedding band provides the foundational tone for the look of your ring, and at Noémie, we provide options for you to decide which metal suits your budget and preferences most.
Platinum
Platinum has been one of the most popular metal choices for wedding bands since the mid-1900s. This metal is quite dense and very high in value. It has a hardness rating of 4.5-5.
Additionally, platinum can be resized in case that is a desired feature for those who would like some flexibility. Its neutral, cool tone makes it a perfect pair with diamonds.
Yellow Gold
Another well-loved option for wedding bands is yellow gold. This warm, rich gold color is a classic option for jewelry. No one looks bad in gold. When deciding if this is right for you, think about the clothes you wear each day. Do you lean toward earth tones and neutrals? A yellow gold wedding band could be a beautiful, warm addition to your typical loungewear or street style.
Yellow gold is slightly less valuable than platinum and has a hardness rating of 2.5-4.0. It is resizable, with a melting point lower than platinum.
A yellow gold wedding band could be the perfect foundational layer for a bride or groom looking for a warm-colored option that fits the bill.
White Gold
Maybe you especially appreciate lighter-colored jewelry. Your skin tone may contrast beautifully with light, cool metals. If that's the case, white gold is a valuable choice for your wedding band. Pair it with your white gold engagement ring for a set that looks timeless and stunning.
A white gold wedding band is similar to yellow gold in its hardness, value, and resizability. While yellow gold is an alloy of gold with some copper and silver included in small amounts, white gold is an alloy of gold and palladium, which is plated with rhodium. White gold provides a neutral tone with all the flexibility of platinum but a more affordable value.
Compared to stainless steel, it's more valuable, and when it's compared with yellow gold, it's tougher. When compared to platinum, it's more affordable. It's a high-quality, high-purity precious metal.
Rose Gold
If you're looking for the right wedding band, the odds are that you've seen a myriad of choices for diamond cuts, carats, and bands. After all of your searching, perhaps you've figured out that rose gold is the metal for you.
While it might seem like a trend that appeared over the past few years, it's clear that rose gold is here to stay. Its copper inclusion makes it a terrific choice for those who prefer something other than yellow gold, white gold, or platinum.
Rose gold is a metal option in jewelry that has become increasingly popular today. If you’re looking for a fresher, less traditional style, it is an option at Noémie. Rose gold is an alloy of gold and copper, with silver included in small amounts. Its rosy hue makes this metal a prime choice for a wedding band or engagement ring, especially if you enjoy softer, feminine tones.
Rose gold also can look amazing with professional dress codes, boho outfits, and around-the-house loungewear. If you choose this metal for your wedding band, you can be sure it will match your clothing for your entire married life.
Like white gold and yellow gold, it has a hardness rating of 2.5-4.0 and is resizable. Its warm tone with a rosy hue can add a feminine, soft touch to whichever stones you choose to accent your band.
Gems
The biggest choice to make may be whether you want to include stones in your band. If so, will they be the focal point, like a traditional engagement band, or will you choose multiple accenting gems to draw one’s focus to the full ring?
If you do choose gems, the next thing to make decisions about with your future spouse is the setting that will secure your gem in place with the band. One typical design for settings is the prong setting, which upholds the diamond with individual prongs. You can also choose the number of prongs based on the shape of your gem.
Another setting design for your engagement or wedding band is the cathedral setting, which mimics the arches of a cathedral in its structure. Finally, a bezel setting is another loved option, which encircles the gemstone completely.
Our wedding band collection can be a compass for you in reviewing your options for stones to be used in your wedding band, from diamonds to sapphires.
Should a diamond not be your preference, prominent diamond alternatives that have emerged in the modern era are morganite, white sapphire, and moissanite. Additional, more pigmented options in varying colors are amethyst, turquoise, emerald, garnet, pearl, tourmaline, opal, peridot, and many others, depending on your taste and budget.
Your Story, Your Choice
This is your moment, and you’ll share this journey with your soon-to-be spouse. You may want a ring that reflects your unique relationship, and we have taken that into account with our fully customizable wedding band option.
You can decide on details ranging from metal used, to what style of pavé band you’d like, to the shape of your diamond and carat size. With this option and each of the other wedding band options available to you, all that’s left for you to do is decide which style fits your journey most. Every piece you buy from us comes with a GIA certificate where a gemologist explains the grades of the diamonds in your jewelry. This acts as a guarantee from us that your piece is authentic and valuable.
Since we handle everything from production to shipping, you can trust you’re receiving high quality. This also means our fine jewelry is conflict-free, so you can rest in the integrity of your ring. Quality is our priority, and we source and handcraft your pieces in-house, sparing you from unethical choices and the traditional retail markups.
Sources:
What are wedding rings made of, and how do their properties vary? | Compound Interest
A Guide to the Most Popular Wedding Band Styles | Brides.com