They are after all the very rings that you’ll place on eachother’s fingers during your all-important I-do’s. The ones you will wear when you wipe your child’s first tear. And the ones you’ll still be wearing at your 50th anniversary bash!
In addition to being affordable they just must be timeless. Right? Right!
If you’re anything like us, you know what’s important to you – creativity, quality, price, size…all of the above.
Before you make this big, costly decision or spend months searching (like we did) there are some simple tips that will help you get a gorgeous ring, for less. Read on to find out what I learned when searching our wedding rings and writing about weddings for the last few years.
Style Is Everything!
When it comes to style, keeping it simple or going with a really popular design is often the most reasonable and easy way to save. Below are some styles that I have found have a lot of variance in price:
- Victorian Style Rings
- Simple Bands
- Celtic Rings
Just remember that even a simple ring can be really expensive if you choose a high-end gem or metal – so make sure to pay attention to all of the details I mention here when searching.
There’s More Than One Reason To Say No To Diamonds
Diamonds are touted as being a girls best friend. BUT, they aren’t our only friends! Nor are they friends of the environment or 3rd world humans.
Everything from rubies to emeralds, and even pearls make gorgeous options for cheap wedding rings.
Note: You can get cheaper, lower quality diamonds. But, generally speaking, their popularity and our view of them makes them an enemy of your wallet. Plus, the cheaper diamonds aren’t usually mined in an ethical way.
Buy From A Reputable Online Merchant
Buying your wedding ring from a reputable online merchant is one of the most obvious things you can do to get cheap wedding rings. Going this route will allow you to save on every kind of wedding ring style out there.
These are my three favorites:
Consider Wedding Ring Sets
If you’re buying your engagement ring and are ready to make the wedding ring-plunge at the same time buy them as a set. Like a lot of other things in life, buying wedding bands in sets lowers the cost.
My favorite online supplier for wedding ring sets is “My Trio Rings”
Just remember: Everything from the metal to the gem will have an effect on cost.
Pick Your Metals Carefully (And Creatively)
Who’s this “They” that says your wedding rings need to be platinum or white gold? Today, with the prices soaring a lot of people are questioning this logic. They’re beginning to see that there are some really great alternatives out there. Here are the most popular contenders:
- Silver
- Tungsten
- Paladdium
- Wood & Wood Combos
- Zirconium
If you’re wondering why gold bands are so expensive, you can blame it on the economy.
7 or 8 years ago a white gold band was actually cheap. I remember a friend of mine getting both her ring and her husbands for around $1000 (and these were big, chunky, thick bands!). Two years later when we were married the price of gold had doubled!
What We Did And What I Learned From Our Experience
When we started our search we knew that we wanted something that was unique, simple, symbolic and timeless. They also needed to cost less than $500 combined.
In the end we decided on the more costly option of custom rings in the shape of the mobius (it turns out we are pretty picky). BUT to keep the costs down, we decided on having them made in silver (a decision we are STILL really happy about!).
What I learned through all those months of searching, and while writing about weddings for the past 5 years is that:
- Everything from the style you pick to the metal you choose can raise or lower the cost.
- Knowing what’s most important to you in a ring will help narrow down the search and speed it up!
- There are ways to get big discounts on pretty much any style of ring you want.
I hope this helps you find the really lovely, affordable rings!
Send me a message if ever you have any questions!
Hi! I'm the editor of this site, KISSwedding.com. It was while I planned our simple, budget-friendly wedding that this site was born. I really mean this when I say it - I totally can't wait to see how these ideas inspire the planning of your big day.
