Bling! Gotta Love that Ring!
Ladies, let’s talk jewelry! I don’t know about you, but I can’t help and get excited about the ring! Whether it is simple and sophisticated or a complete one-of-a-kind, there is something about that shiny symbol of forever that makes me swoon. You melt whenever you catch a glimpse of your ring driving or brushing your hair and the light flickers off the edge…or is that just me!
But it can be entirely overwhleming choosing a ring: you've got the 4 C's to worry about and then we have the old-school rule that an engagement ring should cost about 2 ½ months’ salary. Oh, and it has to be huge!(Geez! Who made up these rules??)
Well have no fear; there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to ring shopping! In fact, as you read on, you'll see that breaking these rules often creates the best rings and happiest brides!
For myself, my husband and I were living on a single income when we got married. Our budget was miniscule in the engagement ring world, but we found a way to get me the one-of-a-kind piece I had always dreamed of on the budget we could afford. (Financing also helped make this a reality! Yup, jewelry stores often offer 0% financing!)
And does it have to be a diamond? Nope. And this is exactly how my husband and I saved on my custom ring. It’s not a diamond at all! But if the idea of a diamond is what you want, or what you want to get her, here are some stories from real brides with gorgeous, unique rings that didn’t push couple’s into the poor house!
From April: “In Ben's quest to find the perfect ring he knew he would have to design his own! Ben sketched this design and worked with a jeweler to make my dream ring a reality. He even had it sand blasted to get the matte finish I love. The funny thing was that I had insisted on a princess cut diamond but little did I know Ben secretly inherited a cushion cut diamond through my grandfather! Ben specifically designed the setting to square off the diamond.”
Do I have to go to a fancy ring store? Nope, in fact here are two bride’s fiancé s that went very 21t Century and bought online!
Chris found Abbi's gorgeous diamond from a reputable online jewelry dealer! He surprised her with the engagement ring and then she made it her own with the wedding band. Here's what she said:
From Abbi: “The engagement ring was picked out completely by Chris, which is really special because he spent time and really thought about what I would like. He went classic so it would never go out of style. When we picked out my wedding band, I liked the chain type design because it signifies that we would be ‘linked’ together forever. I also wanted something less traditional to balance out the traditional engagement ring.”
This stunning black diamond also came from online! He custom designed it through an Etsy designer- A trilliant cut black diamond with a modern brushed gold band! Swoon!
At the end of the day, a gorgeous ring is completely attainable without forcing you to live in your old bedroom at your parents' house. So consider: Style, Stone, Sentimentality-not Salary!
