Shopping for wedding rings can be a bit overwhelming for some couples. There are many well-qualified bricks and mortar stores like Zales, Jared, Kay and others and literally a few thousand online stores to choose from including Amazon and so many others. As if where to shop wasn’t confusing enough, then there are thousands of designs to choose from. How does the couple, that has probably put off shopping for their wedding rings to the last moment, decide where to shop and what kind of ring to shop for? I am going to simplify your shopping experience.

Bricks and Mortar Stores vs Online

The traditional bricks and mortar jewelry store still play a valuable role in shopping. Even though they do not have the wide selection that many websites have, they have one thing which is absolutely invaluable. They have salespeople who can properly determine your ring size and allow you to try on some different styles of rings. I would highly recommend you go to your local jeweler, get your ring finger properly sized, and try on some different styles of rings. Make sure that the salesperson writes your ring sizes and preferences down on their card. Then, begin your online journey. You will find that the wedding rings found in most bricks and mortar stores are readily available online at significantly discounted prices. And if you’re so inclined to give that nice salesperson your business, go back to them after shopping online, tell them what you have found, and ask them if they will “price match”.

How Much to Spend on Wedding Rings

Set a budget before shopping for your wedding rings. The budget will determine the type of metal, design, and whether the ring(s) have gemstones or not. A very reasonable budget for a young couple is $600 for two wedding rings. This will allow you to shop for some gold rings as well as all of the modern alternative metal rings. If you can go to $750 or slightly more, you can really choose from some very beautiful gold wedding rings. And if you’re on a tight budget and can’t afford to spend more than $200 to $300 for both rings, fear not. There are great looking rings available in Tungsten, Titanium, and Cobalt that are just as beautiful as their gold counterparts and even offer some distinct advantages over gold rings.

Lifestyle

One of the forgotten considerations is what the couple’s lifestyle is. For example, if a man or woman works with their hands in a career such as construction or is a personal trainer, they need a ring that can take the daily abuse. Gold ring scratch very easily. Therefore, they would not be the best choice for couple’s who lead active lifestyles. However, today’s Tungsten and Cobalt rings are perfect for these couples. They are scratch resistant and can take just about any abuse thrown at them.

Design

There tend to be two schools of thought on the design of the ring. One school is the “traditional” school. These are the people who like simplicity, elegance, and classic design. These are the rings that our parents and grandparents probably wore. These are simply gold bands without any intricate design or gemstones. The other school embraces design and may be attracted to modern design or traditional design. These rings are either hand carved or created by machines to look like they are made by hand. These may contain gemstones. And yes, men do wear rings with gemstones and some like the look of black diamonds.

Dan Globus has worked for many of the top designers and manufacturers in the bridal-end of the Jewelry Industry for the last 17+ years and is considered an expert on the subject of wedding rings and wedding bands.