A question many newly engaged couples may wonder is “when should we buy our wedding bands?”
Shopping for wedding bands can be tricky because you want them to be in before the wedding, but you don’t want to buy them too early and risk something happening to them before the big day.
Wedding bands should be purchased around 2-3 months before the wedding date, and they should be in your possession at least a month prior to the wedding. Wedding bands should not be saved for the last minute to account for sizing, customization, and unexpected shipping or handling delays.
Weddings can be stressful, and there are many questions to consider.
So, when should you start looking for the ring? How long do specific customizations take? What should I do if my ring doesn’t come in on time?
Here’s everything you need to know about when to purchase wedding bands.
When Should You Start Looking to Buy Your Wedding Bands?
It is recommended to start looking for wedding bands at least 3 months before the wedding date.
By starting three months prior, you give yourself adequate time to find the right band, resize the ring, and add a customized engraving/gemstone if you desire.
If you plan on getting customized wedding bands, or you are picky about your rings, you might want to start looking a little earlier for the ideal wedding band.
Keep in mind that you might not find the wedding band that you want on the first trip, and therefore will have to plan other times to look for rings.
Why Buy Bands so Early?
Ultimately, it is better to cautiously plan more time than needed to get the rings in and have them in your possession ahead of time than to not plan enough time and not have the bands in time for the wedding.
You should plan to have the wedding bands in your possession a month before the wedding.
That way you can hold them for safekeeping, and you still have time to make some adjustments to the rings if needed.
Having them ahead of time also eases anxiety because it is one less thing to take care of.
Planning a wedding can be a costly event, and many couples like to plan out and budget their wedding ahead of time.
The wedding bands should be included in these budget plans, especially if you want to evenly distribute your expenses across several weeks or months.
Wedding bands should be purchased earlier so that their cost is already accounted for and there is less stress coming into the actual wedding.
However, no rule says that you have to have wedding bands for the actual wedding.
If your budget is tight, or if you didn’t receive the rings in time, you can buy cheap rings for the symbol in the actual wedding and purchase the actual bands later when you are in a more financially secure position.
Shopping for the Ring
Couples generally like to pick out wedding bands together for a romantic experience.
When shopping for a wedding ring, you should make sure that you plan enough time during the visit to browse and shop for a variety of rings.
Shopping in Person:
Most couples like to shop for and buy their rings in person.
Buying rings in person guarantees the ring will fit properly, that the style looks exactly how you want it to, and that the band matches the engagement ring.
Plus, shopping for rings together is a romantic experience for couples who are about to be wed.
Although you are buying the ring in person, you should do a lot of online research beforehand with your significant other to determine the metal, style, and design wanted for the wedding bands.
You should also ask the jeweler in the store about sizing options, customization resources, and a general timeframe for getting the rings done if needed.
It is important to note that sizing and customization can take additional time.
Shopping online:
Most couples prefer to shop in person, but there are many options to buy wedding rings online.
When buying rings online, you should be sure to carefully look at the sizing chart and the reviews.
Always look at the shipping date and availability of the ring.
Thankfully, most websites now provide super fast and easy shipping to most locations.
On the Blue Nile website, you can purchase a ring and get it shipped to you two days later.
You can even get an engraving done in less than 24 hours and still have it shipped two days later.
However, online websites are not miracle workers.
You cannot always expect a ring to be in stock, or for there to be the specific design that you want.
Plus, with online shopping, there is less surety that the ring will fit and look how you want it.
To take this into account, you should plan to have the ring shipped and in your possession over a month ahead of your wedding date.
This is to ensure you have enough time to send the ring back just in case something needs to be changed.
What Wedding Band Customizations are Available?
Sizing:
If you found great wedding bands, but they don’t come in your particular size, the good news is that most jewelers have resizing services.
Resizing could take anywhere from an hour, up to several weeks depending on the specific jeweler, the type of ring you have, and the business of that particular shop.
When purchasing wedding bands, you should make sure to leave at least two weeks for possible resizing options.
Engravings:
A lot of couples like to get engravings on their wedding bands.
These engravings can add uniqueness to the rings and specific meaning to the couple.
However, engraving wedding rings can take a while. Some engravings can take up to one month to be completed.
Therefore, it is super important to plan for this time if you want your bands engraved.
Uniquely designed ring:
If you design your own wedding band that needs to be made from scratch, you should plan on it taking 4-6 weeks to be completed and shipped.
If you are planning on having a specifically designed wedding band, you should design and order it so that the latest it will arrive is one month before the wedding.
