How to Buy Wedding Rings

Image by rivieramaya26 via FlickrWeddings are one of the most enchanting moments for one's life. But as joyous as it is, buying a wedding ring is tricky and sometimes, time consuming. It is important to consider the style, fit and your budget. The following tips will help ease your worries.

Decide on Your Budget
Generally, wedding rings should account for 3% of your wedding budget. So, a 30k budget means that the two of you might spend about $900 on both rings. But if one of you wants diamonds or platinum, or feels that wedding rings should be far less expensive, you'll need to negotiate where that money will come from.

Decide If He Should Have a Wedding Ring Too
Not all men wear wedding rings, and the decision is one that many couples disagree on. He may not be used to wearing jewelry, or feel uncomfortable with a ring, but to not wear a ring might be sending the wrong signal. Either way, this is a conversation you want to have before you go to the jewelry store.

Think About Your Style
Do you want a really classic wedding ring like a simple gold band, or a diamond eternity band? Or do you want to have something modern and unusual? The simpler the band, the more shopping options you'll have, as it is easy to buy simple wedding rings at almost any jeweler or internet jewelry store. Since this is a ring you're planning to wear for the rest of your life, you'll want to make sure its style can grow with you.

Decide if You Want Matching Wedding Rings
Although many women want to coordinate their wedding ring to their engagement rings, I know many men who would rather that their wedding ring matched their spouses. The symbolism of matching simple bands helps to convey the eternity of your bond together. But if your taste runs to simple and streamlined, while he likes more ornate and detailed jewelry, it may be better to not worry about matching.

Do Your Homework on Diamond Buying
If you're going to have diamond wedding rings, you'll want to make sure that you're smart shoppers. There are lots of "deals" available, but not all of them are really bargains. A friend of mine was excited about the price she got on a diamond eternity wedding band on the internet, but when it arrived, it was cloudy and slightly yellow. If she had known what the 4cs meant, she wouldn't have made that costly mistake.