You’ve decided to take the plunge into married life, you’re enjoying your engagement together but are ready to move onto the next step in your life. You’ve most likely had discussions about how you envisage your wedding bands to look aesthetically, but chances are you’ve not given a lot of thought to the nitty gritty details of your jewellery – at Wakefields we absolutely love helping loved-up couples decide on their perfect wedding rings together, and have devised a little guide to help you consider a few of the finer details you should remember before purchasing your rings. Remember these will have to last a lifetime together so it’s best to get it right now and avoid disappointment further down the line! To make it even simpler, we’ve also dedicated an area on our storefront especially for wedding rings – if you’re intrigued don’t forget to have a browse and create your shortlist here before popping in-store to try on!

1. Know What You Want

When you’re discussing ideas on how you’d like your rings to look, it can be easy to get carried away with your imagination – with so many gorgeous designs, styles and metals you’ll end up wanting one of each! But if you’re able to narrow down your choices prior to viewing wedding rings, it’ll make your life so much easier. From deciding on whether you’d like the addition of diamonds or coloured gemstones to whether you’d like his & hers rings to match, if you have a rough idea of what you’re looking for you’ll find your rings that much quicker.

2. Plan Ahead

If your other half has already surprised you with your gorgeous engagement ring, then this idea may not work for you, but it’s definitely advisable to think ahead when purchasing an engagement ring in order to know which bands will pair beautifully with it. Opting for a classic solitaire engagement ring can often mean you’ll fancy an intricate, diamond pavé band to sit alongside it, or a marquise cut diamond may need a contoured band to interlock with your ring. Regardless of how you’d like your rings to look together, thinking ahead when purchasing can often avoid difficulties further down the line, if don’t have time to wait for a bespoke ring to be specially designed and cast, because you overlooked how your wedding band would sit with your ring, a little planning will stop any setbacks.

3. Be Prepared

Time is so important when you’re planning your wedding, you’ll often find it runs out quicker than you anticipated and before you know it, it’s the morning of your big day! Although it’s important to have fun and enjoy choosing your wedding bands together, we recommend not leaving it to the last minute – particularly if you’re having a bespoke ring crafted for you, as this process can take time. Set aside two to three months for deciding on a style, getting it fitted and adding optional extras like engraving. There’s nothing more stressful than being pressured into an impulse buy because you’re lacking in the time!

4. Combine Ideas

Just because you’re a fan of platinum and your partner is eyeing up the yellow gold rings, there’s no need to panic! Try combining your ideas and compromising on your overall design, you may be surprised to find that you like the combination of features more than what you envisaged in your mind. Two-tone, braided metal rings can make for a beautiful blend of metals and the fact that you’ll both have aspects you love in your bands will give them a really bespoke, individual meaning to you – your rings don’t have to be identical of course if your visions aren’t on the same page, if that’s the case just add a meaningful inscription inside to make them feel like a pair.

5. Stick To A Budget

Don’t be led by articles which give you a set figure on what to spend on wedding rings, the amount you choose to spend should be determined by you only. If you don’t feel comfortable shelling out thousands of pounds on a ring, there are so many alternatives which are equally as beautiful to choose from – it can be easy to be pressured into buying something out of your price range, but it’s not worth the stress in the long run. However at Wakefields we do offer 0% interest on certain wedding rings when you purchase from us in-store (a feature that’s coming soon to our website too!) so that you’re able to purchase the rings you want, in easy instalments.

6. Remember Your Lifestyle

It can be all well and good opting for an intricately carved or gemstone encrusted band, but if your lifestyle is decidedly more active, outdoors or you’re doing a more labour intensive job with your hands, you may need to think about the type of rings which will suit your surroundings best – particularly important if you’re planning on wearing your rings every day. Whilst gemstones are incredibly stunning, they can work loose from their settings over time and less durable metals are prone to scratching and tarnishing – for example if you’re super active, a platinum band will suit you most as it’s incredibly resilient to marking, scratches and won’t wear away over time. If you’re concerned about how your rings will fit with your lifestyles, pop in store and speak to one of our consultants who’ll be able to give you the best possible advice.

7. Think Outside The Box

You may have spent all of your life dreaming of the particular ring you want, but it’s important to get a feel for other rings in store you may not have ever considered before – you may be pleasantly surprised! You may love the look of a particular style, but later find that it’s not the best fit or most comfortable style on the market. If you take the time to try on different types, you’re guaranteed to avoid disappointment. Make sure you really get a feel for the rings you try on too when you’re in store to really make sure each angle of the ring are comfortable, you’ll be wearing your ring all day every day so it’s best to sort out any problems before you purchase!

8. Predict The Future

If you’ve got your heart set on a particular wedding band that’s recently been popularised by a designer or celebrity, it’s best to have a little think about how quickly the design will date. Although it might look absolutely stunning now, you don’t want to be glancing down at your hand in a couple of years’ time and wondering what you were thinking! There are some really lovely, eternally classic styles which never date and look chic no matter the decade – that said, don’t let that stop you from purchasing the ring you desire. You’re not tied to your wedding band and if you would like to switch it up in a few years’ time to mark an anniversary or renewal of your vows, you can try another style.

9. Know About The Upkeep

When purchasing your rings it’s best to ask a few questions about the maintenance as some metals need a little more TLC than others. If regularly cleaning your rings in warm, soapy water with a toothbrush to keep your stones sparkling brightly sounds like too much hard work, then opting for a Platinum or Gold metal ring with no gemstones or diamonds will be perfect for you. That said, at Wakefields we do offer a jewellery cleaning service, so you can still purchase your favourite style and let us do the hard work for you!

10. Find The Perfect Fit

Unless you’re someone who only wears their jewellery on special events and occasions, you’ll know that most people tend to wear their wedding rings 24/7 – whether during exercise, holidays etc. your ring is going to remain firmly on your finger. But as we all know our bodies never stay the same, our fingers fluctuate up and down in size due to time and events throughout our lives, so you’ll want to bear this in mind when you go to get your wedding rings fitted. At Wakefields we want to ensure you’re happy with the feel and fit of your ring before your big day, we wouldn’t want you to lose such a special piece of jewellery.