Complete Wedding Ring Guide for Couples

Wedding rings symbolize the love between couples— it’s one of the most romantic pieces of jewelry you wear. Years ago, there weren’t many options for wedding rings; it was just a simple band of gold or silver with or without gemstones.

In recent years, many options have been made available in the market— this makes it challenging (in a good way) to choose the best wedding bands that perfectly suit both couples. More metals have been made available, as well as more styles and unique designs.

This blog post is a complete guide about women’s and men’s wedding bands; this guide discusses the history of wedding bands, who buys the wedding rings, and the different types and prices of wedding rings, amongst others. It promises to be a good time investment!

The origin of wedding rings can be traced back to Ancient Egyptians— they exchanged rings made of hemp, and reeds and placed them on the fourth finger on the left hand. They believed that there’s a vein of love that runs from the fourth finger to the heart directly.

The Egyptians also saw the endless circle of the wedding ring as a symbol of forever love. To this day, the wedding ring is still being worn on the fourth finger of the left-hand side, and it’s a sign of love and commitment between couples.

Aside from the Egyptians, the Ancient Greeks and Romans also wore rings which were made of bones or ivory, and leather. It was during this time that metal and iron wedding rings started being worn. The elites among the people began wearing gold and silver wedding bands. As time went by, other metals and different styles of wedding rings came into the market.

There’s no rule about who buys the wedding rings; anyone from both parents or the couple can buy the wedding bands. However, in many traditions, the bride or her family pays for the groom’s wedding bands, and the groom’s family pays for the bride’s wedding bands too. Hence, there’s no right or wrong answer as to who buys the wedding rings— it depends on the couple’s decision.

The bride and groom may decide to stick to the popular tradition and get each other a ring, or follow the modern approach and go shopping together, or either of them can get both rings. It also depends on the financial situation; you can choose to split the amount among yourselves if you and your partner have a joint account.

However, if one partner earns more than the other, the one that earns more may pay for both wedding bands. Finally, if the bride chooses to buy the groom’s wedding band, and the groom chooses to buy the bride’s band, each of you should consider your taste, fashion sense, and so on— this will help in selecting the perfect ring for each other.

Wedding bands come in various metals, such as platinum, rose gold, white gold, yellow gold, titanium, tungsten, palladium, etc.

Platinum is a rare, strong, durable, and hypoallergenic metal for making wedding bands. Platinum wedding bands contain up to 98% platinum and a palladium and copper mixture. These rings are expensive because they are durable, classic, and pose elegance, and the metal is rarer than other metals used for making wedding rings.

Rose gold wedding bands comprise a large amount of pure gold and other metals like silver and copper; this gives it a rosy shade. Rose gold rings can be in 14k or 18k; it’s very durable and less expensive.

White gold wedding bands are mostly made of pure gold with a mix of silver and nickel. It has a classic look and is affordable— it comes in 14k and 18k. When choosing between 14k and 18k gold, you should know that 18k is purer in gold (75% gold) than 14k. However, the 18k is delicate and can get scratched easily; whereas, the 14k white gold is more durable and therefore suitable for couples with an active lifestyle.

Yellow gold is the purest color for wedding bands, fashion rings, and other jewelry pieces. It is pure gold mixed with copper and zinc, and the amount of alloy metals depends on if it is 14k or 18k gold. It is effortless to maintain but less durable compared to white gold.

Titanium wedding bands are durable, more affordable than other metals, and have a light gray shade. Sometimes, this metal can be combined with other metals like tantalum. Titanium rings are also an excellent choice for people with an active lifestyle due to their durability. However, rings made of this metal can’t be resized.

Tungsten carbide wedding rings are mostly a mixture of tungsten and a bit of titanium to make them extremely strong and durable. Due to their strong metals, they are as well suitable for partners with an active lifestyle because they can’t easily scratch or corrode. Tungsten carbide bands come mostly in grayish silver color and sometimes black. Just like titanium, tungsten wedding bands cannot be resized.

Palladium is another rare metal used for making wedding rings; it is silver-white, solid, durable, and lightweight. It’s also expensive, like platinum, for its rarity— there’s usually only a small number of palladium wedding rings available on the market.

Tantalum wedding bands are grayish and darker than platinum. The metal is also rare, durable, and hypoallergenic, like platinum. It’s less expensive than platinum but more expensive than titanium and tungsten carbide rings. It’s an excellent choice for wedding bands.

Prices of wedding bands differ depending on the metal, style, design you want, and vendor. A plain wedding band will be less expensive than one made with diamonds or other gemstones. However, the prices of wedding bands range from $100 to $3,000 and above. On average, you can get a wedding band for $500. Ultimately, the couple’s preference will determine the price of their wedding band.

Before choosing any wedding band, you should put these factors into thought to get the right fit:

Ensure you consider your budget when buying wedding bands. Buy what is within your budget. It is best you ask for prices from various vendors or stores— it will help you know the amount to set aside for your wedding rings.

Wedding bands are a piece of jewelry married people often wear every day; hence, if you choose a band that makes you uncomfortable, it will be torture for you. Ensure that the width and weight of the ring are perfect for you before buying.

Choose a style that reflects your personality. And ensure it complements whatever you wear at any time.

Choose a band metal that is strong, long-lasting, and can withstand scratches and corrosion.

Wedding bands are a tradition that started some years back— since the time of the Egyptians, Greek, and Romans, wedding rings have become very popular, and they are used as a symbol of love and commitment between couples.

If you are about to get married to the love of your life, wedding bands are also an integral part of your wedding needs. We hope that you find answers to some important questions you may have about wedding bands.