Handmade Wedding Rings, or Rings Off the Shelf?

It’s time to choose his and her wedding bands. But should you hit the malls and get one from a jewellery shop, or have them made bespoke? Whilst this debate is not always applicable when selecting engagement rings because you’ve inherited yours or similar, when it comes to wedding bands it can pose quite a dilemma.

Just how do you make the decision: get a designer to make the exact rings you have in mind, or enter a jewellery store and hope that something you like is on the shelf – bearing in mind that you’ll be wearing them for (dare I say it?) the rest of your lives?

We’ve made it a little easier for you.

Why you should go bespoke:

You or your partner have a very good idea of what it is you would both like and can draw specifications; so if one of you is an artist or designer
You already have pictures of your desired rings
Your budget is not too tight (bespoke, on the whole, is probably going to cost you more than jewellery bought in a store)
You absolutely abhor the idea of trawling a mall for a set of rings and want the exclusiveness of a designed pair of bands
The idea of complementary his and her bands really turns you on
You want something utterly unique and personal
You like the idea of following the design process and being involved
You already have a designer in mind

Why you should hit the shops:

You’ve left it ’till the last minute – in which case, jewellery stores are a god-send
You simply want an ordinary band – keeping it simple is often the way to go as a plain band neither goes out of vogue or costs terribly much
The idea of shopping around for a designer, comparing quotes and selecting the best one makes the hair on your head stand up
You have no idea what you want, but you hope your partner will know the minute they see it
If knowing the cost of a ring even before you try it on sets your mind at ease and prevents heart palpitations