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Congratulations on your engagement! You are now the owner of a very special piece of jewelry! It’s forever right? So let’s talk about how to take care of it so it lasts forever. And let’s talk about how to find it a pretty friend of a wedding band.
Buy your wedding rings about two months before your wedding date.
Ring care:
Tell your boo to insure it (You will need an appraisal or receipt) immediately after it leaves the store. Or get it done ASAP! You can get insurance for as little as $5 a month!
Clean It Regularly
Super simple girlfriend. Cup of warm water, a couple drops of dish soap, let it soak overnight. Use a soft baby toothbrush to brush it gently, rinse and pat dry. Remember to cover the sink so you don’t lose it!
Try not to take it off in a public restroom or while washing your hands. You’re likely to drop it and it’s going either fall down the drain or onto a hard concrete or tile floor risking damage.
Listen to your ring for any shaking and get in the habit of checking prongs to ensure nothing is loose. Get a “prong” check every few months by a trusted jeweler.
Keep ring dishes around the house! If it has somewhere safe to land, it won’t get lost.
Don’t wear it while you sleep. It could come off in the middle of the night and sheets tend to catch on prongs. You can also scratch yourself! Or your partner! Avoid those face scratches!
Never swim with your ring. Chemicals in pools and your sunscreen and sand are not good for your ring. They can eat at the metals and cause structural damage. On top of that, your body contracts when it’s in the water, maybe just enough to have your ring casually slip off your finger into the vast water. Not good. If you didn’t need another reason, I’m dishing one more: your towel and bathing suit threads could become tangled in your prongs just enough to dislodge your stone. Best to avoid it all together. And while we’re at it, just take it off when you shower too.
Try not to wear it while changing, especially while wearing a sweater or scarf. The yarns are likely to catch and bend those prongs! If you do have to change with it on, turn the stone into the inside of your hand and cup your hand while you’re changing. That way it’s protected from catching on anything.
Monica’s Hot Tip: Get something like a Lion Latch to put your ring in if you ever have to take it off while you’re out and about. I love mine!
The Technicalities:
Let’s clear this up once and for all: your wedding band goes first so that it’s closer to your heart. It’s cheesy but it’s true.
During your ceremony you have two options. You can give it to someone to hang onto (Your coordinator can do this!) or put it on your other hand then slip it over the wedding band once it’s over.
Your Wedding Band
Make sure your engagement ring remains the star of the show - your wedding band shouldn’t take over but rather enhance the look of the set together. Don’t be afraid to mix metals - it give the overall look a modern flare!
Rings should fit snug together. That being said, if your stone is set lower you may opt for a contoured band that can go around the stone.
For more tips on how to match your band to your engagement ring click here.
Morgan’s Hot Tip: Solder it to your engagement ring to your wedding band to avoid having two rings to put on. Also, they’ll always be together so you’ll be less likely to lose one and not the other! Bonus, your wedding band won’t be constantly spinning!
Ring Guard/Ring Enhancer
For a great explanation on the difference between the two click here.
Ring guard - meant to enhance a ring. A pair of identical rings that go around the ring that is being protected. Makes your ring look bigger, upgrades it or can be used as wedding rings.
Ring Enhancer - one ring that often looks like two and the center ring is inserted between the two. Oftentimes it’s curved to go around the center ring.
Ring Alternatives:
Get a stunt double for your ring. To take traveling, to do highly active things… basically anything where you could possibly damage or lose your ring. That way you can still indicate you’re taken but not worry about losing your precious keepsake.
There are so many options out there with lab created or moissanite rings that look exactly like a shiny diamond, if that’s your style. Otherwise there are tons of other types of stone options to suit your personal vibe! Nobody has to know how much your ring costs or what the carat size is - just you and your boo.
Buy a pack of silicone rings like qalo or any other fun option on Amazon to use on days where you’re roughly using your hands (working out, moving boxes) or for when you have a beach or pool day. The water temperature can shrink your fingers and whoops, there goes your ring.
Remember, your ring is a symbol of your love and commitment but its size doesn’t indicate the amount of love and commitment you and your partner have. Do what works best for you and your finances and your style. In the end it’s all about the love you share! Marriages are forever too, so you have time to get that baby upgraded or change your mind all together and get something totally different down the road! But the biggest takeaway is - take care of that thing! Treasure it like you treasure your love <3