Just a little lowdown about when to buy your bespoke wedding rings and how much to spend.

From my personal point of view, there are a lot of misconceptions out there about when to buy your wedding rings.

From well-known bridal blogs and helpful wedding planning guides, they all push the narrative that wedding rings should be bought anywhere between 3-4 months before your big day.

As a bespoke jewellery designer, this is quite the bugbear of mine – don’t get me wrong, 3-4 months is generally enough time, BUT should you want a design which is more complex such as; a design fitted to an engagement ring, something that repurposed old gold, or requires the sourcing of different shaped diamonds, unique gemstones or any includes engravings, I recommend investing in your wedding rings at least 6-8 months before the big day.

I’ll explain why….

All wedding rings are bespoke, whether they are pre-designed or new designs. Everyone has different sized fingers, may require different metals, widths and of course, budgets are unique to the individual.

On average bespoke jewellery takes anywhere from 4 -20 weeks to make.

This seems like a massive difference in time, but this is dictated by what design you go for, whether it’s straight forward/simple or whether it is unique to you.

For instance, a plain wedding band may take 4 weeks, whereas a wedding band made to fit your engagement rings style and shape will require a lot longer, this is due to the design and manufacturing process.

I’ll break that down a little further in a worst-case scenario with a ‘Made-To-Fit’ wedding rings timeline…

Consultation & Design - This is where your design ideas come alive; from concept sketches to diamond/gemstone sourcing. - Est. 4 weeks
3-Dimensional Design - At this point your engagement ring will either be 3D scanned or CAD designed (via ME), I will take every measurement/image possible and recreate your ring on the screen. Your wedding ring will then be transformed into a realistic model and any changes made to make it perfect for you. - Est. 2 weeks
Resin Check - A resin is made for you to try on to check you are happy with the fit, design and scale. If there are any changes need for it to fit perfectly, they are made at this point and another resin made to try on. - Est. 4 weeks
Workshop - Your ring will be 3D printed in wax/resin and go through the ‘lost cast wax’ process to be assembled and set on the bench. - Est. 8 weeks
Collection - The part you’ve been eagerly anticipating, the collection of your wedding rings! BUT there is a snag, it’s too snug, too big of needs tweaking! Est. 1-2 weeks

Now, this of course is the worst-case scenario!!

Usually, when I design/make a bespoke wedding ring, it takes on average 12-16 weeks.

However, when you start the bespoke process, there are so many unknown elements, such as whether we are re-purposing your gold or having special diamond cuts. I believe it’s better to have them boxed and ready 2-3 months in advance, than not having them ready at all for your big day!

Wedding Ring Budgets

Now let’s get down to cost, as a bespoke designer, I will always design to your desired budget, that’s my job and I adore doing it for you!

However, please remember, once you have worn the dress, walked down the aisle, said your I-Do’s, drank the champagne, ate the cake, speeches spoken and danced your feet into oblivion, your rings are the one thing you take away with you.

Your wedding rings are in fact the ONLY thing that you carry with you every day (unless of course, you go for my bridal button concept). It’s such a special symbol of your everlasting love and a sentimental memento of your big day.

Often clients come in 3-4 months before and have understandably exhausted their budget, thus, you are left compromising on your design and the metal options you can go for.

I believe wholeheartedly this is the one area you SHOULDN’T compromise on!

I know I’m the designer, so technically I would say this, but you are the ones wearing your wedding bands every day, for the rest of your life – why compromise on such an integral piece?

What do I think your budget should be?

Well, this is ultimately down to you, on average 2 weddings rings can cost anywhere between £600-£3000.

If you’re unsure what you can afford/want, my suggestion would be to do some research and make sure you chat to your desired jewellery designer at the very beginning of your wedding planning journey. This way you can set aside the right budget for what your heart desires.

SO where does the 3-4 month advice come from?

Well, generally, yes bespoke does usually only take 3-4 months, but that’s a finite deadline when it comes to bespoke!

Why leave them to the last minute - what happens if the worst-case scenario were to happen?

The only exception to this would be if you purchase what I class as, ‘off-the-shelf’ bespoke wedding rings.

Off the shelf wedding rings are still made to order, but they are already pre-designed. You will be presented with a tray of options, these options can usually be made in different widths, metals and diamond/gemstone sizes. Even though they are still ‘technically’ bespoke, they are ready-to-order, so take sufficiently less time to make.

Thus, if you find yourself in a tricky position 1-3 months before the big day, this would be your answer. BUT if you want something extra special, please make sure you start your bespoke wedding ring journey at least 6 months before.

Of course, another advantage of going with a bespoke designer like me is the wealth of experience I bring to the table. If you are confused about what metal to use, what design elements to incorporate and how to choose something both unique and special but durable enough to be worn every day I can help you make the practical and creative choices needed to create the perfect rings FOR YOU.