I love weddings. I really do! I love seeing the intricate thought and detail placed on what type of food is served, what the ceremony is like, the decorations… I love watching the joy on everyone’s faces, but specifically the bride and groom. I love the dance at the end of the night, all the way to how the bride and groom choose to make their grand exit.
But I know behind every wedding is a long time of planning, including countless moments of laughter, tears, stress, and anticipation. And that time starts right from engagement.
We were at a Wedding Trade Show in Minneapolis, MN recently, and as I watched newly engaged couples go back and forth about what they still needed to do, it made me think back to when I was engaged. I’ll be honest, I was not a great example of what to do when planning a wedding. My husband and I often joke that we don’t know how our wedding happened, because we sure didn’t plan it!
One thing I nearly forgot, entirely, in the lead-up to our big day was a wedding band for my now husband. Somehow it just didn’t quite make it on our list of things to do. Fortunately, we did end up with a beautiful ring that we are both very happy with, but looking back at 22-year-old me, there are a few things I would’ve wanted to know when buying a wedding band.
- Make it a big deal! There’s so much hype about the engagement ring (as there should be), but the excitement shouldn’t stop there. Guys, you also are going to be showing off this ring for the rest of forever, so yes, it is a big deal.
- The options are endless. When I started looking for a wedding band for my fiancé, I thought there were only two options: a solid gold band, or a solid silver band. Don’t ask me why I thought this, I obviously had never looked into wedding bands. Both of those are classic, timeless options that I still love, but as we started looking, we were blown away by SO. MANY. OPTIONS. You could get titanium, tantalum, tungsten, you could have a brushed finish, a polished finish, a hammered finish - all you had to do was dream a little bit! My unsolicited advice – look around. Get a feel for what’s out there. There’s bound to be something you fall in love with.
- Advocate for yourself. This seems like a funny one when it comes to rings, but you are the only one who knows exactly what you want. If you’ve dreamed up some idea in your head of what you want in a ring, chase that. At Støberi, along with our standard designs, we also offer one-of-a-kind custom builds for our customers. I have seen so many people watch their dream ring crafted into reality simply because they were willing to ask.
- It’s your ring, not your dad’s…or your friend’s…or your uncle’s. Let’s face it, we all have well-intentioned people in our life who have strong opinions. First, let’s thank God for those people because at times, we all need people like that in our life. But when it comes to picking a wedding ring, it is you and your partner that need to make a decision based on what YOU want. It doesn’t matter what other people think or like or don’t like. It’s what you want, nothing more.
- Have fun with it! Wedding planning can be stressful at times. This part should not be! You’re picking out a beautiful accessory that symbolizes you and your partner’s love – there should only be fun and excitement involved in that.
Since I can’t communicate these thoughts to a younger, engaged me, hopefully if you’re where I was, you can be encouraged in your search for the perfect ring. Don’t let it get lost in the stressful planning but take the time to enjoy it! And as always, if we can be of any assistance here at Støberi, we’ve got you. We’d love to hear from you, even if it’s just to say hi!
- A.M.