Wedding Bells

Now that you’ve got the perfect engagement ring adorning your left hand, it’s time for the hard part: deciding on a pair of wedding bands for you and your mister. With more choices on the market than ever, selecting a wedding ring can seem like a daunting task. After all, you’ll be wearing it for the rest of your life! Fortunately, we spoke with custom jeweller Erin Tracy and came up with these five tips to help you demystify the process.

Go for lasting love

Though it’s perfectly okay to choose trendy rings, make sure the design (and your love for it) will stand the test of time. Luckily, rings with a vintage feel are currently in style. So, if you’re looking for rings that are both current and enduring, Tracy recommends designs with, “a bit of rose gold or vintage filigree patterning, or small pavé set stones.”

Don’t be afraid to mix and match

Some brides and grooms are unclear about the rules for mixing and matching a band with an engagement ring and partner’s band. The good news is that matching isn’t mandatory. “If the design suffers in order to have a matched set, design wins and you can forget about matching,” says Tracy. Rings don’t have to be identical, but couples should still make sure the different components of the rings work together to create a cohesive look. To make this process easier, Birks will be introducing a Wedding Band Bar in the spring that will allow you and your husband-to-be to try on a variety of rings and combinations while learning about everything from the setting to the design of each individual ring.

Choose the right material for you

Traditionally, there are three metals that wedding bands are crafted with: yellow gold, white gold and platinum. Yellow gold is generally the least expensive and also the most customary, but white gold easily co-ordinates with other jewellery. Platinum is the most expensive of the three, but it’s also the strongest. And recently, couples are beginning to choose titanium wedding rings because they’re unique and scratch-resistant. Consider which metal works best for your lifestyle before you speak with a jeweller.

Don’t sacrifice comfort

A flashy ring with a wide band might look great on, but is it practical? If you work with your hands a thinner band might work better because it’s less cumbersome. You should also make sure it fits your hand properly. When choosing a band, a good rule of thumb (no pun intended) is to choose a width based on the length of your fingers. For someone with bigger hands and longer fingers, a wider band is the best choice. If you’ve got small hands or short fingers, go with a slimmer band.

Consider custom made

Choosing custom made bands gives you the freedom to select everything from the materials to the dimensions of each ring. And not only does creating your own bands give you total design freedom, it also means you’ll be choosing something tailored to you. “I always ask my clients many questions to understand what works for them and their lifestyle,” says Tracy. “It’s about making a beautiful ring, but it’s also about making something that’s suitable for them.”