Buying A Wedding Ring To Match Your Engagement Ring

UPDATED 18TH DECEMBER 2023 - H.SAMUEL EDITOR

Congratulations on your engagement, we bet you can’t stop looking at your hand, can you? The first thing that probably popped into your head was the dress - mightily important, we agree. This may have been followed by creating an extensive list of wedding guests (or perhaps a list of those you can get away with not inviting) for the big day. But one thing that might not be at the forefront of your mind at this very exciting moment, is how to choose a wedding ring. It might seem a simple task but with so many options (trust us, there are more than you may realise), it’s something to think about now so you don’t end up rushing your decision.

WEDDING RING SHOPPING

If you’ve been stressing the question ‘how do I choose the right wedding ring?’ just relax. Make it fun, take your time. You and your fiancé should make a day of it. Picking a wedding ring should be an enjoyable and exciting experience for you both, whether you’re focusing on one person’s ring at a time or buying them together, plan your day and make it fun. Try to clear your mind of preconceptions about the perfect wedding ring, what goes with what, what your sister’s best friend said 6 years ago about her cousin’s choice of wedding ring; ignore it all and try on a range of styles and metal types.

With yellow gold being the hot choice of metal in recent years, it’s not uncommon to mix things up in ways such as wearing a white gold or silver engagement ring with a gold wedding band, or a gold engagement ring with a silver wedding band.

Try different styles and metal combinations, take pictures, go for a nice lunch, and discuss your options – don't rush in.

WHERE TO BUY A WEDDING RING

The honest answer is to simply buy the ring wherever it steals your heart. When you were single, there was no rule for the perfect place to find a partner, and it’s the same with a ring – when you know, you know. Ensuring you buy from a reputable company who will be there should you need them is of course, important, so do your homework and know you are not only buying a ring but are benefitting from a wealth of experience and aftercare too.

Of course, we’d love to be a part of your happy ever after but simply make sure the wedding ring you choose is perfect for you and looks gorgeous next to your engagement ring.

MIXING GOLD AND SILVER

Mixing a white gold engagement ring with a yellow gold wedding band or vice versa gives you the best of both worlds when it comes to choosing the perfect wedding ring to compliment your engagement ring. You may love the tradition of a yellow gold wedding band - perhaps it reminds you of the wedding rings worn by your parents or grandparents - but said ‘yes’ to a platinum or white gold engagement ring. If you’re wondering whether it’s ok to pair a white gold, silver, or platinum engagement ring with a gold wedding band, the only way to know is to try them on together. With the combination of both colours closing the gap between tradition and contemporary styles, you may be surprised at how amazing a gold wedding band and any one of our white gold engagement rings from The Diamond Story collection work together.

What happens when you get proposed to with a treasured yellow gold family heirloom from your partner's side, but you’re not into yellow gold? Whilst it’s a warm and fuzzy feeling to have been chosen to inherit something so precious, if you’re a firm fan of silver-coloured metals over gold, you can get the best of both worlds by trying on a contrasting wedding band. Try on a plain white gold wedding ring with a thicker, more traditional looking band, it may perfectly complement your antique engagement ring.

DOES THE ENGAGEMENT RING HAVE TO MATCH THE WEDDING RING?

No, it doesn’t, but it should complement it. Your engagement ring is likely to be the main event, with intricate detailing, a range of stones or a simple dazzling diamond that demands to be looked at. The wedding ring should support your engagement ring, like a steady and trustworthy partner who has your back for life. You don’t want your wedding ring competing with your engagement ring for attention. Too much going on all at once can look a bit OTT. Here’s what we would recommend:

• Large diamonds on a plain band are beautifully complemented by diamond wedding rings. The additional sparkle around the band of the wedding ring supports the main event, without the smaller diamonds taking focus away from the main diamond on your engagement ring.
• Engagement rings with diamond encrusted bands suit a plain wedding band. Or, if the engagement ring has a slim band with very delicate diamonds, a matching diamond set wedding ring will also work well.
• Depending upon where your other half bought your engagement ring, you may be able to find a wedding band to match your engagement ring, so make sure you revisit the store or company if you like the idea of wedding and engagement rings that fit together like a jigsaw – these are called bridal sets and they guarantee the perfect match. To minimise stress, look to our Perfect Fit collection to ensure both your engagement ring and wedding band slot together comfortably.
• Try to match the shape of the two bands. You might not have noticed but the actual bands of rings come in different shapes. Some bands have curved edges meaning if you cut the metal in half the cross section would look almost spherical. Other bands have squared off edges or may be softly squared giving them a rounder edge. There are many band shapes, and we recommend choosing a wedding band that matches that of your engagement ring. Find out more by reading our wedding ring buyers guide.

SHOULD A WEDDING RING AND ENGAGEMENT RING BE THE SAME SIZE?

You will notice it feels a little tighter around your finger when trying on wedding rings. This is because of the added metal thickness when wearing two bands – the thicker the band, the snugger it will feel. If your wedding ring makes things feel a little too cozy and you get that undesirable ‘muffin top’ look, simply go up a size. Your wedding ring will be worn behind your engagement ring anyway, so if it’s slightly looser, there is always going to be something there to stop it from falling off. Additionally, you can speak to the instore experts who can discuss taking your ring up half a size by stretching it with special machinery, but this isn’t done on diamond bands, only plain.

Handy hint: Remember that your hands will be smaller in winter and larger in summer as temperature extremes make the hands swell up when hot and shrink back down when it’s cold, so keep this in mind when shopping.

Unless you have chosen a bridal set, choosing the perfect wedding ring can be tricky. We hope our guide to finding the perfect partner to your engagement ring has got you excited for wedding ring shopping, Why not book an appointment in-store or online and let our experts help you on your journey to the alter?