The big day has been set, and now you have tons of wedding preparations to attend to - preparing the guest list, looking for a caterer, shopping for the perfect wedding dress, and a lot more. All of these are essential in putting together a memorable wedding, so remember to have all these on your wedding checklist. Also do remember to include on the top of your checklist, choosing a perfect wedding ring.

Choosing a wedding&engagement ring is not as easy as it looks. It requires much thought, too. After all, it is the wedding band that binds the couple together and will be worn by the bride and groom for their entire married life, and therefore must be something that they would not get tired or bored of wearing.

Most important when selecting a wedding ring set is to decide on a budget. The couple should consider how much they could afford to spend for the wedding rings. Based on this budget that the couple have in mind, decide on the material they want their wedding bands to be made of. The materials from which wedding rings can be made of have evolved through the years. However, the most popular are still those made from classic 14K or 18K yellow gold. Gold rings remain to be very popular both for wedding and engagement.

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Do not forget the wedding ring a saying famously drummed into the best man before the wedding, well that goes for the future bride/groom as well. With all wedding preparations it is quite easy to slip your mind to buy the most important item that makes the wedding ceremony a memorable one.

The wedding ring is so important because it bonds two people together and it is the exchange of wedding rings that finalize the vow (I do). Do a check list of all your wedding plans and be sure that choosing a perfect wedding ring is one of your top priorities besides turning up on the day?

Choosing a wedding ring is not as simple as you think, much thought is needed behind your chosen design. What you have to remember the wedding band binds the happy couple together forever. This ornate piece of Jewelry with so much meaning will be worn every day so we need to choose something pretty special. Back to your budget which will play an important role when making your choice, because of the penny shortage does not mean that you can not have that piece of warm gold or cool silver, if precious stones were to be embedded or mounted in your actual design then don’t expect to many diamonds with just a fist full of dollars. Jewelry materials like what is used in wedding rings have evolved over the years. Popular is the 14K/18 yellow gold which you will find more of a favourable option worldwide. Close on its heels is the white gold gaining more popularity by the day.

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Traditionally men preferred simple gold wedding & engagement bands
to symbolize their love and devotion. Though over the last 15 years men have increasingly been moving away from the traditional gold wedding ring towards something
a little different. There are many ring designs to choose from. You will need to take into
account the factors above. Then it’s a matter of personal preference.

Types of ring styles include simple bands made in all yellow gold, all white gold, all platinum, or all titanium; rings with inlay stripes or ribbed edges; rings with diamonds or gemstones; rings with unique patterns; two-tone rings with a combination of metal types, and woven or wave ring styles.

When considering lifestyle factors and ring designs you should note that a woven, puzzle or heavily patterned ring could be damaged whilst playing sport or working with your hands. A ring with diamonds or gemstones may be at greater risk of having the gem settings damaged and potentially loosing a gemstone.

It can be acceptable for a men’s wedding ring to include diamonds and gemstones.  The decision to include diamonds or gemstones in your ring will depend on your personal choice.

You should keep in mind the type of work that you do and the sports you play when considering gemstones. Gemstone settings can be affected and the risk of a gemstone being lost will be increased if the ring is knocked around through manual labour and some sporting activities.

 You should also consider the type of gemstones that are proper to be worn in wedding&engagement rings. Some gemstones are more fragile than others and are not suited to be worn everyday. The gemstones that are suitable to be worn in wedding rings are diamonds, sapphires (all colors of sapphires including blue, black, pink, orange, green and yellow) and rubies. We do not recommend that opal rings be worn as wedding rings, as opals are a more fragile gemstone.

Are you hoping to wear a matching wedding ring with your future spouse?

Couples sometimes want to choose to wear matching wedding rings. This can be a romantic touch, though it will limit the options that you can choose from. You would then need to take into account all of the factors we mentioned up to now and your fiancé and importantly you will need to consider the types of rings that your fiancé can wear with her engagement ring. Some ladies engagement rings need to have curved fitted rings specially made to match their wedding ring, so if that is the case for your fiancé’s ring, it would generally be best to not have matching rings.

In summary, therefore couples sometimes prefer to choose a ring with some similar features, such as the same metal type, a similar pattern or another feature in common.

Below is info for choosing the metal to use for your wedding ring.
• Gold
• Titanium
• Platinum
• Silver

Gold

Gold is definitely the most popular choice for men’s wedding rings. There are two things to consider when choosing a gold men’s wedding ring. Which gold carat to choose and gold color or what combination of gold colors you would like. The gold carats normally used in men’s wedding rings are 9kt, 14kt and 18kt. The higher the proportion of gold used in the final metal, the more valuable and expensive the metal will be. So all other things being the same, an 18kt ring will be more expensive than a 14kt ring and a 14kt ring will be more expensive than a 9kt ring.

Many people see the hardness and durability of gold when choosing a men’s wedding ring.

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Many men are concerned that a wedding ring will not be comfortable to wear. This concern normally stems from the fact that many men have not worn a ring before. Men’s wedding rings can be comfortable to wear if you know what to look for. Consider these two factors, the shape of the ring and the ring width.

Now first, look for a ring design that has softly rounded edges, rather than sharp angular edges. That doesn’t mean that a flat band style cannot be comfortable. A flat band can still have a very good construction which the edge of the band is made with a very gentle rounded inside edge. Next, consider the inside curve the of ring. The inside of a ring should have a gentle curve on the inside edges of the ring. This soft internal curve will make the ring feel more comfortable on your finger. Another option might be a soft fit ring, which has softly curved edges on the ring, though not a completely curved inside surface in the ring.

Something that is also a popular choice for men’s rings is a ring made with a comfort curve. A comfort curve refers to the inside of a ring, not the outside. So it is possible to have a comfort curve with a ring that is flat on the outside surface.
A comfort curve is a ring that is curved on the inside of the band, rather than having a more flat surface on the inside of the ring. When considering ring width, factors to consider include the size and length of your fingers and your personal preference. Often men with larger hands or longer fingers choose an average width band or a slightly wider band. Men with smaller hands or more slender fingers often choose a 5mm ring or a slightly narrower ring.

Men’s wedding&engagement rings are usually wider than a ladies wedding ring and most men choose a ring width of between 5mm and 7mm with 6mm and 7mm being the more popular widths. If you are interested in a band wider than 7mm you will need to note that very wide bands can be a little more uncomfortable to wear than a narrower ring. If you choose a wider ring style you will also need to consider the finger size that you will need. Wider rings can be tighter on the finger than a narrower ring would be.

For a ring width of 8mm or wider you may need to choose a slightly larger finger size (perhaps a 1/4 US size or a 1/2 a British or Australian size larger). Most finger size measurements are made on quite narrow sizing rings, so when you have your finger size measured by a jeweler you should let them know the width of the ring that you are interested in, so that they can factor in the width of your ring when determining the best finger size for you.

A wedding ring is not only the symbol of your love, it is also a fashion accessory that will be with you for a very long time. So, you need to choose a ring that reflects your personality, rather than a ring style that may be a passing fashion or especially is picked up at a discount sale.
You will appreciate your wedding & engagement ring more if you put a little thought into it. Are you a simple no-frills type of guy?
Then the classic gold wedding ring may appeal. Though there are many types of these simple rings. The width and shape of the ring can make rings look quite different. There are also many options available for you to make your simple wedding ring more comfortable for you. See the comfort tip below.
Do you like the idea of having something a little different - but not too much different?
 
There are many options available for the man who does not want a simple gold wedding band, but who doesn’t want an overly flashy ring either.
Maybe a twist on the simple wedding ring is for you. What about a ring with ribbed edges, a white gold inlay stripe, a satin finish textured ring rather than a polished texture, a two-tone ring with yellow and white gold or a woven pattern. There are many subtle yet stylish options available.
Is your fiancé encouraging you to choose something a little different but you’re not yet convinced?
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When you decide which men’s wedding ring is right choice for you, first you need to consider your lifestyle.

Everyone is different. A ring design that appeals to one person, may not appeal to another, just as a ring design that works well with one person’s lifestyle may not be appropriate for another person’s understanding of life.

You need to consider what effect your lifestyle will have on your wedding ring. Consider the following questions together with any other facets of your lifestyle that will play a part in your choosing your men’s wedding ring:

* Can you wear your wedding ring whilst you work?
* Are there special requirements for the type of ring that you can wear at work? Are you a mechanic, tradesman, soldier or working with machinery and equipment that could get caught on a ring? Do you need a ring that can be cut-off from your finger in the case of an emergency?
* Do you work with your hands - will manual labour be tuff on your ring?
* Are you a gardener or tradesman or does your work or hobby involve being tough on your hands, and thereby tough on your ring? If you answered positive, you may be best not to wear your ring whilst performing these activities. Though if you are planning to wear your ring at those times, you need to consider whether your ring can stand up to that harsher treatment.
* Will you wear your wedding ring everyday and at every place?

When possible most men choose to wear their wedding ring every day. Yet there are some jobs where it’s not possible to wear your ring to work, or some men prefer not to wear their wedding ring every day. Some men are not able to wear a ring to work due to the harsh treatment that they expect their work may give to their ring or because they are prohibited from wearing a ring at work due to safety standards.

These men who wear their wedding ring on the weekends and special occasions often choose a ring a little more unusual because they like to enjoy the ring whilst they do wear it and they are not limited in ring design based on their lifestyle.
Some men also prefer to wear their wedding&engagement ring on a neck chain when they cannot wear it on their finger. If you plan to wear your wedding ring on a chain, you will need to make sure that the type of ring is suitable to be worn on a chain (for example woven or more intricate rings are not as suitable to be worn on a chain).
* Will you play sport whilst wearing your wedding ring?
* Do you rock climb, play football, soccer, basketball or surf? For sports that could be rough on your ring we recommend that you not wear your wedding ring whilst playing that sport.
If you do plan to wear your ring during sport, you will need to make sure that the ring is suitable. If your work or hobbies may be rough on your ring and you plan to wear your ring when carrying out those activities you should look to have a ring that will better be able to handle that treatment. See the information below under the ring design section to help you will your ring design options.

When choosing the width of your wedding & engagement ring, not surprisingly, you need to consider the width of your engagement ring for the following two reasons:
1.   You need to consider the length of your fingers and how much room is available between the base of your finger and your knuckle for comfortably wearing a ring.
2.   In keeping with the strategy of having your two rings look like they were made to be together, you need to consider the proportions of both rings. If the widths of both rings are proportional to one another, the rings be appear to compliment each other better.

Keep in mind, the width of the engagement ring will strongly influence the width of your wedding ring.
 When considering the width of the engagement ring, you should consider the width of the engagement ring on the side or base of the ring, not the top gemstone setting width.

In summary we can as a general guide say, a wedding ring should be either the same width or very slightly wider than the engagement ring band.