Put a Ring on It...

Hello there! 

Today, I'd like to discuss rings. Yes, rings is still in the pre-wedding category but, some girls who are a little less girly, and some guys don't know a  whole lot about rings, engagement and wedding rings to be exact. So, consider this a crash course in Engagement/Wedding Ring Shopping, Q and A style. (P.s. I know some of these are pretty basic, but most have been asked to me by a friend.) 

Photo Credit: Dawn Photography

Should I get my finger sized? If so, where should I go? If you and your significant other are talking about getting engaged seriously, then I would highly suggest going ring shopping together. That way, you can get your finger sized and your significant other will know the types of rings you like. Trust me, rings are not one style fits all! And yes, it is important to get your ring sized before the proposal that way, you don't have to take it off for two weeks to have them resize it (trust me, you're not going to want to do that), or have it fly off your finger and loose it like I did. (We did get my finger sized but, they accidentally ordered the wrong size! Thank goodness my husband took out insurance on the ring!). To get it sized, I suggest doing it at one of the stores where you are looking at rings, such as Kays, Zales, or you local jeweler. 

Does it matter if it says its a "promise" ring? Officially, no. I mean, who is really going to know except for you and your future husband? However, because they are not labeled as engagement rings, they do not come in a  wedding set, which means it may be harder to find a  wedding band that fits it or looks good. 

Wait, I have to have a wedding band too? Yes, the way girls rings work is that you have an engagement ring that you wear all throughout the engagement, and then during the ceremony, he puts on the wedding band on top of your engagement ring. Some of them are just plain bands that you can get welded to your engagement ring, or you can get an interlocking band (which is what I did), where the engagement ring and wedding band kind of hook together to create a bigger middle section of the ring. 

So, do I have to buy a set? No, but seeing as you will need both and band and an engagement ring, I would say it is generally easier to buy them in a set. 

What happens if I don't really like a lot of rings at the jewelry stores? Well, most of the places like Zales and Kays will have Create Your Own options where you can choose the band, the diamond size, and have them set it. Also, most places should be able to special order changes to a ring. Like what we did with mine, which was make the middle diamond a circular diamond instead of a marquee and changed the color from gold to white gold. Don't settle on a ring just because you think you have no other options. 

What's the best way to go about ring shopping? Personally, I think the way we did it was great. But, of course, I'm a little biased. What John did was take me shopping, just browsing to kind of see what I liked and what I didn't like. He didn't want me to try anything on yet though. So, we did that for a while... got my ring finger sized, and then he took me into Kays and he had picked out 3 diamond rings for me to try on, and I picked out of those 3 what I liked the best and then he sent me away to do some shopping of my own so that I wouldn't know whether or not he bought it. (I did end up picking the most expensive out of the three! What can I say? I have expensive taste!) I'm not saying that you have to do it exactly like this, but I think both being involved in the process is important, especially for the initial ring shopping and keeping an air of mystery about the ring and the proposal is also important. 

How about the guys? How do I/we pick out his ring? Well, his is a bit easier, since usually its done after the proposal. And, generally speaking, guys don't care as much about the surprise aspect. So, get his ring finger sized and find one that he really likes. I know for us it was important that it was strong and made out of the strongest metal we could find: Tungsten Carbide. He also had opinions about the style of the ring. But basically, he picked it out and I paid for it. Now, you are getting married so, your money is becoming joint so, I don't know if it matters as much who buys his ring but, for me it was important that I did because,  he does so much for me. 

Above All: Pick the ring that's right for you! 

Anymore questions? Leave them for me in the comments below!