Tradition used to say you should spend from one and a half to three months’ wages on an engagement ring, but a wedding ring is quite different. These days, with internet shopping and price competitiveness, it’s easier to work within a tight budget that suits modern living, especially at times of cost cutting.
Deciding on a metal for the wedding rings is important and will dictate the budget. Generally a woman’s wedding ring metal will match her engagement ring, and the shape and width of her wedding band will match with it too. But men are becoming increasingly daring with their modern choices of wedding bands, designs and metals – choosing such metals as titanium, palladium, zirconium or even stainless steel (all of which are very affordable!) Plus, many couples these days prefer to pay less on wedding rings and put the money saved into the wedding reception/honeymoon/flower fund.
If a couple were to decide on a pair of standard wedding bands in platinum, a realistic budget for the two rings would be around £1000 – the woman’s ring is generally a third of this total – depending on where one shopped (obviously a designer or Hatton Garden jewellery shop would charge around two or three times this amount!) Platinum is one of the most expensive and exclusive metals out there, but it is possible, by shopping online, to have a pair of bands within this budget.
For 18 carat gold, you’d be looking at just less than the platinum budget, say £800-£900, for a pair of wedding rings. And for palladium, a modern cheaper alternative to platinum, a typical pair of rings should cost around the £400-£500 – a great money saving option. Cheaper metals, like 9 carat gold and white gold, are not such a good investment as they will age/tarnish and will need further treatments to regain their original finish. It’s always advisable to spend as much as you can afford – remember it is a lifetime investment and you’re showing your loved one how much they mean to you.
And having a bespoke ring made to order is not as expensive as many may think. It’s worth asking how much extra it would be to add a small diamond or two, an engraved line or a section of brushed finish to a standard wedding ring. All these little trimmings make your bands unique, to your design, and can cost as little as £100 or so per ring.
Don’t forget to allow for extras like engraving – which is generally around £25 extra per ring – or certification (for insurance purposes) at around £30 extra per ring.
These approximations are based on buying a pair of wedding rings online (so saving huge amounts on high street prices). Check out www.blackcarat.co.uk to see how much you can save.
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I think that you should spend what your budget allows and then also what you like. If you like an expensive wedding bands and you have the money to purchase it then by all means do!
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Catchy Blog and Interesting Comments. Engagement Ring
the best wedding ring is of course the very expensive diamond ring.*’
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