Guide to Picking a Wedding Band

By Tiffany Moore

So you’ve popped the question, the answer was yes, and now your life is all about choosing flowers, halls, cakes, dresses, and…oh wait. That’s her life. All you have to do is show up with the rings. Assuming you’ve already purchased an engagement ring, this guide will take you from “Will you marry me?” to “I do” in five simple steps.

Custom Engagement Ring

Take a look at the engagement ring on your fiancée’s finger. Is it white gold, yellow gold, or platinum? What shape is the shank? (The shank is the round part that encircles her finger—it can be round, sharply angular, or something in between.) How intricate and complicated is the design, or is it a simple solitaire?
Choose the metal for your wedding bands—keep it the same as the engagement ring, whether that is white gold, yellow gold, or platinum. (For men’s rings, some lower-cost alternatives to platinum may be available.)
Choose the shape for your wedding band—again, keep it the same as the engagement ring so it will match and lie comfortably next to the engagement ring.
Choose the style. Wedding bands can be a perfectly simple metal band, or they can have etched designs, embedded diamonds, or unusual shapes. Some engagement rings come with a coordinating wedding band that will perfectly accent the design or theme of the larger ring—a matched set is always a safe bet. An engagement ring with an unusual twisted shape will often have a matching wedding band that will follow its curves. Otherwise, follow this rule of thumb: match the size and setting style of any diamonds on the wedding band to the style of the stones on the band of the engagement ring.
Choose your own wedding band. Assuming you don’t have something else in mind for your own band, repeat steps 1-3 for a man’s ring. So for example, if you chose a plain platinum wedding band with a half-round shank for her, you can’t go wrong getting yourself the same thing (in your size, of course!)
If you are the kind of guy who can spend hours poring over the nuances of ring design and loving every minute of it, you may want to get more creative with your wedding band. After all, it is the visible symbol of one of the most important moments in your life. But if you are already suffering from a ring-induced headache, then follow these simple steps to a stress-free wedding band shopping experience. Oh, and don’t forget to pick up your tux!

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