5 More Considerations When Choosing Your Man's Wedding Ring
In part 1, I looked at comfort, lifestyle, metal choice, personality, and budget considerations when choosing a man's ring. Here, I'll detail five additional issues to consider:
Do you want his ring to match yours?
It’s romantic to wear matching wedding rings, but if you and he have different tastes, different size hands, and completely different personalities, matching rings can represent a problem. Also, if you want your wedding ring to match -- and possibly connect to -- your engagement ring, that will make it more complicated to have his ring match yours. On the other hand, you can choose rings with similar features -- perhaps the same pattern or combination of metals.
Does he have strong feelings about design?
Men's wedding rings are usually simpler than women’s, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a wide variety of designs and styles to choose among. You can have his ring personalized in many ways: with a special symbol, engraving, texture, a Celtic knot, or a geometric shape. Men's rings can be any width you like; can be made of a combination of metals; and can be simple or ornate.
Will it be right for his body size and shape?
If he is a big guy, his hands are large, or he has long fingers, he can handle a wider ring that someone smaller. Choose an average-width or slightly wider band. If his hands are small or his fingers are slender, stick with a narrower band. In terms of width, men’s wedding rings are usually wider than their brides' bands. The most popular men's widths are 6 and 7 mm. If you are considering one wider than 7mm, bear in mind that very wide bands may not be as comfortable and usually fit tighter. So, when you have his finger sized for a wider ring, experts generally recommend going up by 1/4 - 1/2 size.
Does he want gemstones or not?
For some men, this is a big decision. Some men feel it is a little "too much," but, like all other choices involving a ring, this is a matter of personal preference. If he likes to live a little outside the box, it is perfectly acceptable for a men’s wedding ring to include gemstones. Again, it is a question of style, taste, personality, and the kind of work and play he does. If there is a chance he is going to dislodge or damage a stone, he may not want to do it. If you do opt for gemstones, the most common are diamonds, sapphires, and rubies. Most jewelers advise against pearls and opals, which are more fragile than gemstones. A ring with stones need not be overstated at all. In fact, it can be tasteful and elegant.
Can he wear it while he's working or playing?
Does he work with his hands? If so, are there specific safety or dress code requirements associated with the job that make the wearing of a wedding ring dangerous or against company policy? For example, does he work with machinery or some other kind of equipment that could become caught on a ring? If not, does he have a job that could be rough on jewelry in some way -- rubbing off the finish, denting the metal, or loosening a stone?
If the issue isn’t the job, perhaps it is extra-curricular activities. Does he engage in rough and tumble sports, such as rock climbing, football, soccer, ice hockey, or surfing? Any of them can play havoc with a ring, especially if it has gemstones or can easily slip off the finger. Or, what about hobbies? Do they involve gardening, soldering, sanding, cutting, or other kinds of tools that could damage a nice piece of jewelry? These are all considerations when choosing your man's wedding band.
There they are: A total of ten things to consider when choosing a wedding ring your groom will want to wear every day!
About the Author
Bobette Kyle-Wagner is publisher at MyOnlineWeddingHelp.com -- a Website helping engaged couples get the most use from Internet wedding resources. The site includes online wedding tips, original articles, tutorials, and shopping sections. To see the range of men's ring styles and materials available, visit the extensive men's wedding bands section at: http://www.myonlineweddinghelp.com/shopping/Mens-Wedding-Bands
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