Planning a wedding means paying attention to the details. There’s the venue, the dress, the flowers, the decorations, the guest list, the food… but for many couples, one little detail that’s easily overlooked is the groom’s band. After all, wedding bands for men aren’t all that exciting, they don’t have a huge bling factor, and frankly, no one’s going to notice, right?
Wrong. Today’s wedding bands for men come in a huge range of materials, with lots of stunning options. Before you even start to plan your wedding, give men’s wedding bands a serious consideration. The extra time will help you find the band that’s right, even if that means you have one custom designed.
Men’s Wedding Band Options
Men have more options than ever before when it comes to wedding bands. There are endless colors, cuts, and combinations of materials that can turn what was once pretty much always a super basic gold band into a work of art. If you’re looking for a band, consider these options:
Silicone
Silicone bands came into the market as a safer choice for men in the trades, or who work with their hands a lot. Unlike metal bands, silicone bands stretch and can break if they get caught in equipment, potentially saving the wearer from serious injury.
Not only are they stretchy and comfortable, they’ve become somewhat of a trend, giving rise to endless color and texture options. You might be surprised how much a little bit of silicone can say when made with the right touches. You can also easily wear silicone bands with gloves or in the shower without worrying they might slip off or get lost.
Steel/Tungsten
Steel and tungsten are both extremely durable materials that are gaining popularity both for their staying power and the look of the metal itself. Stainless steel is a choice that allows a lot of intricate design with a small price point, tungsten is perfect if you’re looking for a ring that will readily take laser engravings or etchings.
Both are good choices for men’s wedding bands but have trade-offs. Tungsten is very brittle and can chip easily, plus the metal strength makes it very hard to resize. Stainless steel is more flexible, looks a lot like white gold, but doesn’t wear especially well. You’ll need to take extra care with stainless steel and polish your ring often for best effect. Both types can be difficult to remove if you were to be in an accident or experience sudden hand swelling, due to an injury.
Standard Gold/Platinum
Traditional rings made of metals like golds and platinum are rings that balance durability with flexibility. Both types of metals take stones easily, allowing for more intricate designs, can be resized as needed, and tend to wear well, depending on the specific gold you choose. Because these metals are easy to work, you’ll often find them with various inlays or other interesting details.
On the flip side, however, both materials are highly prized, and therefore, can be costly. However, if you’re looking for the kind of wedding band that will stand the test of time with little effort, either gold or platinum are good choices. Platinum makes for the ultimate in easy care wedding bands, as they only get more distinguished with age, so cleaning isn’t even necessary unless you want to retain a mirror finish.
Another Options: Custom Men’s Wedding Bands
If you’re looking for something a little more unique, or a ring that you can truly say is your own, choosing a custom men’s wedding band is the way to go. Although these can require considerable time to complete and won’t be a last-minute purchase, the time investment is just a small drop in the bucket for the lifetime commitment the ring represents.
Custom wedding bands for men can be made of almost any material, though silver, gold, platinum and other easily worked metals tend to be most popular. Since it’s a custom ring, the fit, finish, stone settings, and inlays are entirely up to you. Some of today’s most popular custom rings for men include things like polished wooden inserts, contrasting dramatic metal overlays, or laser engraving.
Who says men’s wedding bands have to be boring? Your ring should be a reflection of you, as well as a symbol of your commitment to your future spouse. It’s just one more detail that will help make for a perfect wedding day.
Indiana University Alumni : GIA Graduate Gemologist Student