Congratulations! You’ve decided you and your fiancé are a perfect match! But do your wedding rings have to be? If you’re shopping for wedding rings and wondering if they have to be a 100% match, too, you should know that there’s only one thing that’s 100% certain in this situation and that is that there is no right or wrong answer! There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to selecting the style of wedding rings right for you and your partner. But there are some things you may want to consider before making your selections.
First, let’s see where the concept of matching wedding rings originated so we can see how wedding rings have evolved over time.
The origin of matching wedding rings
Wedding rings are a key component of the marriage ceremony. Rings exchanged between you and your fiancé are representative of the commitment you’re making to one another. According to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the practice of giving a ring to symbolize a union has been around for over 3000 years. However, wedding rings were typically only worn by the bride, not by the groom.
Wedding rings for men only caught on during WWII, providing soldiers a way to remember their wives and girlfriends back home while they were off to war. The tradition of giving the groom a wedding ring became more popular in the years since WWII and has now become an integral part of many wedding ceremonies.
Traditionally, wedding rings were designed to be similar to one another to show that the rings belonged to each other, like a set, representative of the couple getting married. But in the last two decades, the notion that the couple’s wedding rings must match each other has been kicked to the curb.
Couples shopping for wedding rings should feel comfortable with the idea that the style of ring they select is a personal choice and doesn’t have to match their partner’s.
Reasons you may want matching wedding rings
There are a few reasons why you might want to select matching wedding rings as opposed to choosing different styles.
- Uniformity: Some couples are sticklers for making sure everything about the wedding matches, even down to the rings! For some couples, this makes homing in on the “right” choice of wedding band a little easier since there are likely fewer options for “matching” bands than if there are no restrictions at all.
- Sense of closeness: You and your partner may opt for matching wedding rings to strengthen your sense of closeness to each other. Having matching wedding rings may help you feel closer to your partner in that the matching rings are symbolic of your union.
- Tradition: Some couples are traditionalists and prefer to do things the customary way. This is okay! If you’d like to opt for matching wedding rings, be sure you and your partner discuss how to accomplish this before you go in to visit your favorite jeweler so you can provide some ideas and guidance.
Reasons you may not want matching wedding rings
There are also a number of reasons you and your partner may not want your wedding rings to match.
- Different tastes: Wedding rings are meant to be a unique expression of the person wearing it, and your taste in jewelry might be the complete opposite of your partner’s. For example, if one partner’s wedding set is made from rose gold, the other partner might not want to select that color of metal for their wedding ring because they feel rose gold doesn’t look good on them and may opt for something else.
- Allergies: Your or your partner might not opt for matching rings because of potential metal allergies. Your fiancé could also be allergic to a particular metal and prefer something made from an alternate material like graphite, silicon or wood.
- Budgetary issues: Any couple getting married knows that weddings can be very costly. This might lead some couples to opt for mismatched rings to help save money. Rings made from materials other than precious metals typically cost less than those that are, and couples may want to consider this as they budget for their wedding.
Ways to make your wedding rings match without being replicas of each other
If you do want to make your wedding rings match in some way without being exact replicas of each other, there are a few things you can do.
- Engrave a message. Many couples will engrave the inside of their wedding rings with a special inscription or the date of their wedding. It’s popular for these engravings to match in terms of font and text, but again, you’re free to engrave anything you like on the inside of your rings. You can even engrave symbols and emojis if those carry a special meaning for you both. For inspiration as to what you might consider engraving on your ring, take a look at this post.
- Add hammer set stones. Another matching hidden detail couples might want to consider is adding “hammer” set stones to their rings. Hammer set stones are small, precious or semi-precious gemstones that are embedded on the inside of the wedding rings. These stones are set flush with the surface of the metal so they don’t irritate your skin when wearing them. Typically, these stones are the birthstones of the couple, but they can be representative of anything that’s meaningful to you and your fiancé.
- Select the same metal, but different styles. One effortless way to create uniformity between the wedding rings but allow for unique style is to use the same kind of metal but have unique designs. You can have matching wedding rings made from the same metal but one of the rings might have diamond pave and the other might have one larger bezel set stone. Or you can use the same metal but create wedding rings with different thicknesses. There’s no limit to the creativity you can have when it comes to creating your wedding rings!
Some final thoughts on selecting a wedding ring
The process of selecting a wedding ring can be quite overwhelming given the sheer number of different styles available. This often leads to couples leaving this important detail to the last minute. But as the exchanging of rings is an integral part of the ceremony, it shouldn’t be decided on too close to your big day.
Wedding rings are meant to be a unique expression of the person wearing the ring and today, many partners give each other the space and freedom to select a design that they love and want to wear every day. After all, if you're going to be wearing it and looking at it every day, you want to love it! You don’t want your person to resent wearing the ring by forcing them to wear something they don’t like simply because you wanted to surprise them with it.
Talk to your partner about these things before you purchase your wedding rings, and especially before you make custom rings. Making custom wedding rings is a popular choice with couples as the experience can be incredibly intimate and personal, therefore elevating the sentimental value of the rings.
Once you have chosen your wedding bands, whether matching or non-matching, make sure you get them insured. Obtaining personal jewelry insurance through Jewelers Mutual is an affordable option and covers loss, damage and disappearances. You can check your rate by clicking the button below.
