Many people get so caught up by planning the wedding festivities that they almost forget about the rings! When they finally do start to look at wedding ring prices, they’re shocked at how much they can cost.

These 10 tips will help you to save money on your wedding rings.

1. Don’t buy platinum. These days, platinum is the most popular metal for wedding bands. But it’s expensive and you don’t need it. Most people won’t be able to tell the difference, and if they can…they probably don’t care. Opt for a cheaper metal such as gold, white gold, silver, or even titanium.
2. Diamonds aren’t a necessity. The diamond industry has done a good job of making you think that you need to have diamonds in your engagement or wedding rings. Other stones can look just as lovely without costing as much.
3. Check auction sites. You may be able to get a good deal on rings through an auction site. Not all things on auction sites are used. These days, many stores realize the wide audience they can reach by using auction sites and they use them to auction off brand new products.
4. Get a set. You may get a discount if you get your rings as part of a set or trio (two wedding rings and an engagement band). Check around for the best deal.
5. Use a family heirloom. If you’re lucky enough to have had jewelry handed down to you, there’s no reason you can’t use that. Using a family heirloom can be special and give the ring even more meaning.
6. Use a new jewelry designer. Sometimes your local college or art school can have a budding young jewelry designer who’s willing to sell their pieces at a deep discount in order to expand their portfolio.
7. Check for local sales. Many jewelry shops have big sales during Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Visit the stores during these times and you could get a great discount.
8. Choose a thin band. Wedding bands are often priced according to their weight. A thicker band will weigh more and thus be more expensive.
9. Check online sites. Make sure that you check online and see where you can find the best deal. You may also want to be on the lookout for coupon codes that can bring you even bigger savings.
10. Upgrade later. So you can’t afford your dream wedding bands now. No big deal. Get what you can afford now and plan to upgrade them for your 10-year anniversary, once you are more settled and have more money.

The important thing to note is that buying your wedding rings requires just as much planning and effort as planning every other part of your wedding. If you wait until the last minute, you’ll find yourself paying a lot more than you would have liked.

Tags: save money on wedding rings

This entry was posted on Friday, February 29th, 2008 at 4:50 am and is filed under Frugal Weddings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.