In the UK wedding rings come with as many superstitions as the wedding ceremony. Some say that if you drop your wedding ring during the wedding service then the result will be years of wedded misery – worse than that the person who drops it will be the first to drop dead. As charming as that superstition may be, many brides to be actually believe it to be true. The same goes for an old tale that claims wedding rings had magical powers and that the third finger on the left hand was believed to be connect straight to the heart. Therefore wearing wedding rings on that finger would protect the heart of the person wearing it.
It was believed that if you tied your wedding ring on to a piece of string and dangled it over a pregnant woman’s stomach then you would be able to predict if the baby was a girl or a boy. If the ring swung in a circle then the baby was a girl, but if the wedding ring swung back and forth then the baby was a boy. It has never been reported anywhere whether this method of sexing an unborn child ever actually worked and there was a 1 in 2 chance of being correct anyway but this UK wedding rings superstition remains incredibly popular.
The next myth should be carefully adhered to. Size does matter! If you find that your wedding ring is too big for you then it is a sign that others could come between you and your partner and if your ring is too tight then your marriage will be smothering. Neither option is appealing to newly weds so make sure you get the sizing spot on.
Make sure you don’t buy your UK wedding rings on a Friday as this is very unlucky especially if the Friday happens to be the 13th of the month too. Actually superstition says that Wednesday is the best day to get married for luck and getting married on a Monday will bring you wealth. Tuesday is the best day for health and Saturday is supposedly the most unlucky day to get married. With the majority of couples getting married on a Saturday nowadays that superstition is one that is no longer believed, or that no one has heard of.
Bridal superstitions go on forever. Only borrow jewellery for your wedding from someone who is in a happy marriage or risk the happiness of your own marriage. Don’t try on your complete wedding outfit before the ceremony unless you want to tempt fate and if you decide to wear pearls, then remember that they represent a brides tears, whether happy tears or sad will be decided on your big day.
On that note let’s hope that your wedding day goes without a hitch.
Here are 10 great rules to help you find, afford and care for those cheap wedding rings you will be wearing for countless anniversaries to come.
Invest time in choosing
As this will probably be the only piece of jewellery that you will both shop for and wear forever, you need to make some preliminary decisions. Browse through magazines and look online, to give you ideas. Decide which colour metal you prefer – yellow or white. A simple wedding ring or something more eye catching, such as bands with diamonds? Don’t despair if you both choose different metals, why not have a mixture of both? If that doesn’t appeal – there is no rule to say that your wedding rings have to match.
Set a budget
From simple cheap wedding rings to bands covered in diamonds, there is something to suit your budget. If your local jewellers are too expensive the look online for cheap wedding rings. With no overhead costs, online retailers are cheaper, but cheaper doesn’t automatically mean that the quality is any less.
Start looking for your wedding rings early
Two months before your wedding is a good time, or sooner if you are considering bespoke rings.
Choose rings to suit your lifestyle
Think practically if you have a manual job or play contact sports – a wedding ring with rounded edges and no stones is less likely to get caught, cause injury or get damaged. Are you allergic to certain metal alloys? Cheap platinum wedding rings will prove hypoallergenic for most people.
Think Ahead
Do dare to be different, but think ahead – will you still love wearing your wedding rings in 20 years’ time?
Size does matter!
Choose your wedding rings when you are calm and cool. Swollen fingers will result in the wrong ring size and it dropping off in winter or causing pain in summer.
Quality
Cheap wedding rings do not necessary have an inferior quality to ones ten times the price tag but always look at the guarantee that the company provides.
Cleaning your cheap wedding rings
For a simple ring with no stones, rub with a soft lint free cloth. For rings with diamonds always follow the cleaning instructions that are recommended by the supplier.
Protect your wedding bands
All metals, even platinum are vulnerable to scratches and in the real world your wedding rings will never remain completely blemish-free, so avoid wearing them if you intend to do rough work or sports.
- 10. Keep your rings safe
If you have to remove your wedding ring, always put it in a designated safe place – especially whilst on holiday or away from home. On the shelf above the toilet or on the sink edge are a definite ‘no, no’ – rings will never jump into inaccessible orifices by themselves, but that nosey cat or that wayward elbow, will surely help your wedding ring on its way.
A recent newspaper report told the heartbreaking story of a woman in the USA who lost her wedding ring down the sink. It was worth US$10000. Fortunately the story has a happy ending – the rescue services recovered the ring! But it raised the possibility that every bride and groom need cheap wedding rings!
Of course, we mean cheap wedding rings in addition to their high end wedding rings. There are many practical reasons why this makes sense. The first reason is security. An expensive ring attracts attention to itself and that becomes a problem in this day and age. An inexpensive wedding ring worn when out and about solves that dilemma.
The second reason to buy a second – cheap – wedding ring takes us back to that newspaper report. Despite online advice and bitter experience, people rarely take their wedding ring off. The ring stays on during the housework, washing up, DIY, moving stuff, repairing stuff, sports stuff and every other kind of stuff! And people are surprised when they loose their treasured ring. More and more men are wearing rings and they are perhaps faced with even more risks to their ring. In addition to the risk of loosing the ring, there is perhaps a more realistic danger of the ring being damaged.
It should be remembered that when somebody wants to buy cheap wedding rings for day-to-day wear, there is no need to compromise on the quality or style. A few hundred pounds will secure a handcrafted stylish wedding ring in hallmarked Yellow Gold, White Gold, Rose Gold, Platinum or the very latest precious metal Palladium. It is also possible to choose inset diamonds. There will be a wide variety of styles to choose from. Choosing should be a great experience – it will be like choosing your wedding ring all over again.
Of course not all cheap rings are created equal; you’ll need to pay as much attention to the assurance of quality and service as you did when buying you ‘first’ ring. Online wedding ring specialist is likely to offer the combination of price, quality and service that couples will want when buying their ‘every day’ wedding rings, but having this everyday ring will allow you to make sure your #1 wedding ring stays safe, secure and special.
The ring is still perhaps the single most important purchase for your wedding – or purchases as most couples now select rings for the bridge AND groom. Getting the decision right is essential, so here are some helpful tips when choosing the perfect wedding rings.
1 – Choose you style
Bling or understated? Fat or thin? Classic or modern? There are plenty of styles to choose from so decide in advance what style suits you: don’t go with trends, go with your heart as you will be wearing the ring for the rest of your life so it needs to be a style that you will be happy to look at for the many years to come. Don’t let friends, family, partner or salesman make the decision for you: listen to their advice and experience, but ultimately the decision must be yours.
2 – Choose your metal
The choice of metal for the bride’s wedding band is often – but not always – dictated by her engagement ring. The groom’s ring will often follow suit too. However, if the bride and groom have different preferences there is nothing to stop the groom opting for gold while the bride goes for platinum. In any case, here are the most popular options:
- Yellow gold is the traditional choice. 24k is the purest but the softest variety so is not generally used for wedding bands. 14k and 18k gold are less pure but harder and make a durable wedding ring.
- White gold will complement any silver or platinum jewellery. However, a white gold wedding ring is often plated with rhodium to enhance its appearance, and this plating is likely to wear off with time.
- Platinum is another popular choice as is highly resistant to damage as well as looking great. It’s much rarer than gold and is therefore more expensive but will last a lifetime.
- Titanium is a more modern choice. It is extremely durable and can be carved without losing its strength.
3 – Shape
There are many different shapes to rings to select from and the main terms are as follows:
- Flat Cross Sectioned – a sharp edged profile for a modern sleek look
- Flat with Softened Edges– a slightly softer looking profile than the flat cross sectioned version
- D Shaped– a ring profile with a rounded outside and a flat inside
- Court Cross Sectioned – slightly curved both on the outside and the inside of the ring and designed as the most comfortable to wear
Ask your jeweller to show you rings of different shapes and profiles – you’ll need to perfectly comfortable when wearing the ring.
4 – Diamonds and Gemstones
Couples often favour jewel-set wedding rings. If you like this idea you should consider the harder stones (such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, topaz) as time takes its toll on softer varieties. Diamond-set wedding ringsare the most popular option.
5 – Engraving
It’s increasingly popular for the date and other messages to be engraved inside the wedding bands. If this is the overriding concern, tell you jeweller at the beginning – they will then only show you rings which can be engraved. Supply your message as clearly as possible and in plenty of time.
6 – Budget
Saving the hardest decision till last – you need to set a budget and STICK TO IT. You’ll be faced with hundreds of beautiful wedding rings ranging in price from a few hundred £ to £000s so you’ll need to be strong. There are some beautiful low cost and cheap wedding rings which any bride and groom will be proud to wear for the rest of their married lives.
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