Choosing Your Wedding Rings

Choosing your wedding rings can seem a little daunting, as they are rings that will be with you for a very long time. However, by doing a little research and choosing a ring that fits in with your style, your lifestyle, your personality and your budget you shouldn't go too far wrong. And if you do, remember, metals can be reworked at a later date!

Here are a few things to consider:

• Your budget – how much to spend and how long to keep paying for it!
• Your colouring – what wedding ring metal will suit you
• Your lifestyle – what does your wedding rings need to withstand
• Your design and style – what looks good and what's comfortable

Your Budget Of the three most common metals chosen for wedding rings, gold, silver and platinum, platinum is the most expensive. It is also the most hard-wearing, hypo-allergenic and doesn't require a coat of rhodium.

Your Colouring When you're choosing the metal for your wedding bands, you may want to choose a metal that complements the colours you already wear. For example, if you like to wear silver earrings and have a silver engagement ring, you may prefer a silver or platinum wedding band. Some people's natural skin tone may mean that they are better suited to yellow gold rather than white gold, silver, platinum or titanium colouring.

Your Lifestyle If you want to wear your wedding ring every day and your job is literally hands-on, you may have to choose a band that can be easily cut off your ring finger in case of emergency, or that will sit nice and flat to your finger to avoid getting caught on equipment. If your work or favourite sport is tough on your hands, it will also be tough on your ring, so you may want to choose a harder metal like platinum to help preserve the ring's life.

Your Style If you're happy being experimental, then you will probably feel happy going with an unusual ring design. However, if you prefer more traditional styles, the classic gold wedding band may appeal.

More About Wedding Rings

View NZ Wedding Guide's wedding rings information, or return to NZ Wedding Guide's main page.