Choosing an engagement ring can be one of the most important choices you make for your wedding and marriage because there’s only one shot of getting it right in making that first impression, as well as the fact your loved one will be wearing it and displaying it for the rest of their life. Choosing an engagement ring is not only important for your marriage ceremony and life together, but it’s also the key tool for your actual proposal, so you’ll want something to make an impression, reflect your love and be a memorable moment.
All of this combined can leave you feeling anxious and worried over finding the perfect engagement ring — especially if it’s a surprise and you can’t ask your partner for guidance! It doesn’t have to be stressful, however, with a little planning and knowledge beforehand.
Here’s a handy guide for selecting that perfect engagement ring.
– Create a Budget that Works for You
There’s no right or wrong when it comes to the price to pay for an engagement ring. You shouldn’t ever worry about paying over the odds for the perfect engagement ring. Getting into debt over this purchase isn’t a great way to begin your nuptials, and your fiancé won’t expect you to pay more than you can afford.
Creating a budget you’re happy with will get you off to the right start and also narrow down your search by eliminating any rings, jewels, or jewelers which are out of your budget.
When creating a budget, you might want to consider what you already have saved or what you could save up if you’d rather pay for an engagement ring on finance.
– Think About Your Wedding Rings
You’ll want the engagement ring to match seamlessly with the wedding ring you’re going to be wearing, too. Features like matching metal color and jewels, which complement the overall design, are important. You don’t need to choose your wedding ring before your engagement ring purchase, but if you already have a wedding ring picked out, think about what would best match that.
If you don’t have a wedding ring picked out yet, then make sure whatever engagement ring you choose first also matches the wedding ring you choose later.
– Create a Customized Ring
An engagement ring should be personal to you and your partner, either with meaning behind it or simply something with a design that’s ideal for the recipient. Opting for a customized engagement ring can make it that much more personal by selecting the style, metal color, and gem color, to name a few options.
Jewelers like www.pagesargisson.com create customized engagement rings, so it’s always an option if you can’t find what you’re looking for ready-made.
– Assess Your Partner’s Current Jewelry Style
A good place to start is to look closely at the jewelry your partner already wears, and especially the style of rings they wear. Do they prefer simplistic and minimal, or bold and bright? Do they favor silver over gold? Is there a particular stone shape or color they always favor?
It’s important to have an engagement ring that stands out from any jewelry they already have, but you can use their existing jewelry as a starting point to set you on the right track. For instance, if they hate gold jewelry and only ever wear silver, then it’s a good idea to get a silver band for the engagement ring.
– Bigger Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Better
It’s a common trend that huge sparkling rocks are the best engagement rings, but it’s not always the case. It depends entirely on your partner’s personal style, the quality of the ring, and your budget. If your partner always wears statement jewelry and perhaps has vocalized in the past that they’d want their engagement ring to be a showstopper, then this is where size would be important. However, buying a huge ring just to make a statement may not go down well if your partner prefers simple jewelry and would feel uncomfortable wearing something so big.
It’s also a matter of your partner’s lifestyle. This is a ring they’re going to be wearing all day, every day, for the rest of their life, after all. So would a huge, expensive ring get in the way, risk breaking, or be cumbersome for them, especially if they work with their hands?
Therefore, think carefully about the size of the ring you’re looking for.
Final Thoughts
What matters most when choosing your partner’s engagement ring is what they would think and feel about it and not what society or trends may pressure you into feeling. The perfect ring for your partner could be a simple gold band with a small stone and an even smaller price tag, so getting something flashy, heavy, and hugely expensive isn’t going to be the best way to show them how well you know them.
With this in mind, planning, careful thinking, and looking at your partner’s personal taste and style will all be important.
