When two people get engaged, the engagement ring is always at the center of attention. Tons of emphasis is placed on planning the engagement and, of course, choosing the perfect engagement ring. But one aspect of getting married is often overlooked: the wedding band. Ironically, selecting this symbol of a couple’s love and their bright new future together is often one of the last things on brides’ to-do lists. To help you choose the best wedding band to represent your marriage, we’ve rounded up these expert tips for navigating the wedding band market.

Start Looking Early
Couples often make the mistake of waiting until just days before the ceremony to start looking for their wedding bands, limiting them both budget-wise and design-wise. It would be a good idea to make this one of the first things you check off as a couple: that way, you have all the time in the world to have your rings custom-designed and correctly-sized.

Another reason why you might want to put the wedding band first is so that you have the budget for it. If you want it custom-designed or even engraved, those services will pad up the cost of the ring. Before you shell out a few extra hundred dollars on upgraded floral centerpieces for your reception, you should definitely make sure that the ring that’s supposed to last you a lifetime is covered.

Consider Your Lifestyle
Obviously, you will be wearing your wedding band every day. Depending on the kind of
lifestyle you lead and the kind of work you do, you might want to find a ring made of more durable materials. If you work a lot with your hands, for example, or if you’re accident-prone, you might choose platinum or even stainless steel. If you’re afraid of losing the ring, stay away from a big, expensive diamond and consider a cheaper (but more unique) design that features colored gemstones. (You could also take some inspiration from this post about unique engagement rings and wedding bands!)

Coordinate with Your Future Spouse—Or Don’t
There’s no hard-and-fast rule that says you and your spouse need to have matching
wedding bands. If yellow gold is your preferred metal tone but your S.O. is fonder of silver, feel free to wear the metal of your choice. You may be perfect for each other and still have completely different tastes in jewelry, after all, and you should celebrate that! At least the different ring styles will complement your individual personalities more while still commemorating your lifelong commitment to each other.

If you are interested in rings that complement each other or totally match, it might be smart to purchase them together. Many jewelry stores offer wedding band sets for couples who want complementary or matching rings. Some stores even offer sets in different metal tones so that you and your future spouse can have rings with matching motifs set in metals that complement your individual style or skin tones.

For a truly personalized experience, you can also choose to custom-design wedding bands for yourselves. That way, you can determine exactly the degree to which you want to match and have an incredibly personal ring design to celebrate your love.

If you’re interested in saving some money on your wedding ring, consider TrueFacet marketplace! Contact our concierge service here and receive personalized assistance to find the wedding bands of your dreams.