When you choose an engagement ring and wedding bands for your impending marriage, you’ll consider your style, budget and other factors when choosing the rings. One question we tend to hear is: Should couples' wedding bands match? In other words, should the bride and groom wear the same style wedding rings?
While the tendency was more toward matching in the past, there is now no hard-and-fast rule or proper etiquette you have to follow. It’s up to you as a couple, and people are able to make a case for both sides. Here are some thoughts to consider before choosing your rings.
Yes, Wedding Bands Should Match
Some couples like the idea of having matching wedding bands. There are many reasons why a couple could feel this way. For example, having matching wedding rings could give a way for the pair to express their togetherness — that they’re two parts of the same mold, so to speak.
Maybe it means a lot to you to pick out a custom ring design you both love and know that the other person wears the same style as you, confirming your compatibility and strengthening your bond. Decide how you feel about this, and ask your significant other for his or her views.
On a practical level, some couples find it more convenient or affordable to choose a set that includes matching wedding rings together. Or perhaps both individuals simply have similar tastes. Or conversely, one person does not have much of a preference and wants the other to choose the rings.
Having matching wedding bands could make a lot of sense for couples who pick out their rings together rather than having the diamond engagement ring come first as a surprise. Nonetheless, it’s still possible to acquire matching rings after a surprise proposal for those who choose to do so.
No, Wedding Bands Can Be Unique
Regarding the question “Should wedding bands match?” the case can also be made for each individual to have a distinct ring style. Having separate rings doesn’t have to mean that you have less of a connection. It simply means that each of you is keeping and expressing your unique personality and preferences within your new union.
Many factors can create the desire for separate ring styles. You and your beloved might each have a strong personality and definitive tastes. One of you could have an old-fashioned sense of style while the other is modern. One of you could like bolder jewelry while the other prefers clean aesthetics, and so on. It could simply be a clash between wanting a masculine or feminine style.
In these cases, there is no rule that says anyone has to settle. Each person can get the design he or she likes best, so both are happy. If desired, a possible compromise is to match some aspect of the wedding rings, such as the precious metal of the setting or a modern or classic sensibility, without matching the exact design.
Like many decisions during the wedding planning process, the answer to whether couples' wedding bands should match is completely up to you and your significant other. There are different kinds of people and couples, so there can be many wedding band preferences.
What do you think: Should wedding bands match? Talk to your other half and browse the wedding band options offered by Ethan Lord Jewelers to make up your mind.