Theo and I compliment each other in every way, adding so much to each other’s lives. But also living our own lives – both in our personal lives and careers. We spent 4 months apart when I went backpacking again to Australia, and despite the distance, we learned so much about each other and how we felt about each other.
When he proposed in December 2018, without a hint of hesitation, I said yes a thousand times – or I think I did in the haze of emotion. My heart skipped a few beats and after a few tears and a lot of shaking, we hugged it out before admiring the ring. You can read about the proposal here.
Getting engaged was the most surreal and dreamy experience I have ever lived through, so I can’t imagine over overwhelming getting married will be.
We are now on this adventure together, and I truly can’t wait to see what the next 6 months have in store for us as we make final plans and finally head off on our journey to becoming Mr and Mrs.
READ MORE: Ultimate Wedding Checklist and Timelines
Adding Personality to our Wedding Bands
Over a year since we got engaged, and with less than six months to go until the wedding, Theo and I have been shopping around for our wedding bands.
Before getting engaged, I was never the girl with the pre-laid out plans in her head, an idea of her dream wedding dress, or the colour scheme of the napkins. And I always knew my wedding would be untraditional, alternative and a lot more like a holiday than a wedding.
But since we have been planning this wedding, I have found myself investing more and more of my emotions and heart into our big day.
It’s so important to Theo and me that we invest in wedding bands that reflect our individual personalities and that’s why we can’t wait to design our own wedding bands.
My engagement finger is currently adorned by a beautiful engagement ring and most of your wedding plans are already in full swing, so the next thing to do was shop around for wedding bands when we stumbled across the amazing team at Taylor & Hart.
We have absolutely indulged ourselves in the process of choosing our wedding rings together – we think of it as a joint project that will leave us with precious memories of the day we say “I do”.
Photo by Irina Iriser from Pexels
Tips for Designing Your Wedding Bands
- Customise your ring
- Set a budget that you and your partner will be comfortable with
- Wedding bands should cost about 4% of your total wedding budget
- Consider is your lifestyle as you will wear this piece of jewellery for the rest of your life
- Additionally, some metals are more suitable for active people than others
- Remember to pay special attention to getting the right size
- Allow yourself a few moments to rest and adjust to the temperature of the room before your fitting
- You should be able to easily put it on and a bit more difficult to take it off
- Decide what you want to match your wedding ring with
- Don’t be afraid to wear different colours.
One of the main tips to have in mind when shopping for wedding rings is to set a budget that you and your partner will be comfortable with. It’s possible that the engagement ring has exhausted a considerable amount of your budget, so setting a spending limit might be a good idea.
There is an unwritten rule that the wedding bands should cost about 4% of your total wedding budget, so you could start from there, but as always, what you choose to spend is totally up to you. In any case, if you’re not ready for a spending extravaganza, set the limit first and then play with the nearly endless possibilities. Start researching early to avoid impulsive choices as you’ll be wearing these rings every day.
The next thing to consider is your lifestyle. You will wear this piece of jewellery for the rest of your life so you need to make a practical choice that you won’t actually feel on your finger. People who play sports or instruments for a living, craftspeople and anyone who does manual labour might prefer a clean, unembellished design, or a band in the comfort-fit spectre.
Additionally, some metals are more suitable for active people than others, like platinum which requires minimum maintenance. In fact, considering maintenance is fairly important as some metal choices, like white gold, require polishing every 12-18 months.
Before delving into the aesthetic qualities of a ring, remember to pay special attention to getting the right size. Even though up to 40% of all rings end up being resized, it’s worth visiting your jeweller to identify your exact size.
Allow yourself a few moments to rest and adjust to the temperature of the room before your fitting, as your hands can swell or contract based on a variety of elements. It’s best to have your finger sized while your hands are at their normal, resting condition.
You should be able to easily put it on and a bit more difficult to take it off. Another trick is to check if you can see some space between the ring and the finger when you push the ring up from the underneath. If you do, it’s fine.
Another helpful tip is to decide what you want to match your wedding ring with. It’s a matter of style and there is no one correct answer. First of all, no one says that you and your partner will both love yellow gold for instance.
Don’t be afraid to wear different colours. Even mixing metals for your engagement and wedding ring is a beautifully audacious choice. The key here is for each to find what best reflects their individuality.
Speaking of individuality, a perfect way to express yourself is to design your own wedding band or use your imagination to personalise the rings so that it captures your story. The variety of wedding ring designs is huge – from plain to elaborately engraved bands, pavé, bezel or channel set – they all have their own charm.
When it comes to customisation, the first step outside collection rings is to play with metal finishes – pebbled, matte, satin, brushed, sandblasted – all helping you achieve a unique look. Inscription engravings are a very popular bespoke element with wedding rings.
Many couples have the date they met or their wedding date engraved on the inside of their bands. You can even have heartbeats (electrocardiograph engraving) engraved, so your partner can literally have a piece of your heart with them at all times.
The same applies to voice waves. If an inscription alone isn’t enough, set a small gemstone or diamond on the inside of your band—perhaps your soulmate’s favourite colour or birthstone.
The possibilities are endless, so be brave and rely on your jeweller to guide you through the bespoke process of creating one of the most treasured jewellery pieces you will ever wear.
We will be heading to Taylor & Hart as soon as lockdown is over to find our forever rings, and I cannot wait.
And stay tuned for our wedding photos in September to see what we chose!
Photo by freestocks.org from Pexels
*This post is sponsored.
My Travel Tips and Recommendations
Flights
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Accommodation
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