Congratulations on your engagement! We're sure it was special and that the excitement of wedding planning is starting to set in. This is such a great season of life, and we hope you enjoy every moment.
As you're looking toward what's next and picking out your venue, invitations, and attire, we encourage you to take the time to find the right wedding band to compliment your engagement ring! This process can be really fun as you compare and contrast your options.
Many people may not realize the difference between an engagement ring and a wedding band. An engagement ring is also typically only worn by the person who was proposed to, while wedding bands are worn by both people to symbolize matrimony. To put it simply, engagement rings are what you wear during your time of engagement and a wedding band is added to your finger on your wedding day. A romantic way of looking at it is that engagement rings state "someone intends to spend the rest of their life with me," and a wedding band (when added to the engagement ring) states "someone has committed themselves to spend the rest of their life with me."
Engagement rings and wedding bands have different features as well as different meanings. An engagement ring is usually a statement piece, and a wedding band is usually a beautiful compliment that accentuates the engagement ring or is a standalone piece (typically in the case of the person who proposed).
On your wedding day, if you are the one who was proposed to, you will place your engagement ring on your right hand temporarily (or have someone in the wedding party hold it). When the vows are said, the wedding band will be placed on your ring finger, and the engagement ring over that. The wedding band should always remain closest to the heart, or so goes the tradition.
After your wedding ceremony, you'll want to go see a jeweler and get your rings melded together if they don't interlink well enough already. Most bands are free-standing when you buy them, so they typically will need to be melded to the engagement ring.
There are many different wedding bands to choose from, just as there were many engagement rings to choose from. It can be so fun to mix and match! You can find something that matches her engagement ring perfectly or complements it with a unique look. You'll also want to make the decision about his and her bands: whether you want them to match or align with the bride and groom's individual styles.
Wondering where to start? We suggest browsing our wedding band collection. If you have something specific in mind, make your way to one of our stores and we'll help you find exactly what you're looking for! We have stores in Florence, Huntsville, and Franklin with jewelers that can't wait to help you.