By Angela
Your wedding rings are the one bit of jewellery you’ll likely wear every day for the rest of your life. It is natural to pause and think about how you obtain them. There isn’t a single right answer, but there are three good ones. The best choice depends entirely on you as a couple.
Take time to compare options, whether you choose pre-designed bands, customised pieces, or a compromise. Discuss your budget, lifestyle, and values with your partner to guide the decision. Whatever you decide, ensure the fit, durability, and meaning suit both of you. This approach keeps the focus on long-term satisfaction rather than trends.
I offer all three routes, so I promise this isn’t a sales pitch dressed as advice. Some couples are absolutely right to buy off the shelf, and I’ll happily tell them so. Here’s an honest look at each.
Option one: off the shelf
Best for: couples who know what they like, are working to a timeline, or simply don’t want the fuss.
There is nothing wrong with buying a ready-made ring for wedding rings. A well-made classic band is a beautiful thing.
Buying one is quick and easy to budget for. You can see exactly what you’re getting, try it on, and take it home.
The trade-off is that thousands of other people can own the identical ring.
If your taste is fairly classic, you’d rather spend energy on the other nine hundred wedding decisions. This is a perfectly sensible, lovely choice.
You can browse ready-made pieces in the shop.
Because everything is handmade in small numbers, even the ‘off the shelf’ pieces have more character for wedding rings.
They have far more character than a high-street chain.
Option two: bespoke (I make it for you)
Best for: couples who want something that is unmistakably theirs, or who have a specific idea, stone, or story in mind.
This is where we sit down together and design your rings from scratch. You may want to match the ring to an heirloom. You may also seek a shape or texture that means something to you. Or simply have something no one else on earth is wearing.
We talk it through, I sketch and show you options. Then I make it by hand at the bench. This hands-on approach ensures the final piece matches your vision. We can adjust details as we go. Throughout the process, I listen to your preferences and refine every element.
Bespoke takes longer and costs more than buying ready-made, and that’s the honest truth. What you’re paying for is the design and the craft.
The finished rings are built around you, not adapted from something generic. For a lot of couples, that permanence is exactly the point. It’s a ring with your fingerprints on the idea, even if not on the metal.
If you have even a vague notion of what you’d love, that’s plenty to start with. You can see how commissions work on the made to order page, and there’s a dedicated overview of wedding jewellery services too.
Option three: make them yourselves
Best for: couples who want the story as much as the ring, and fancy rolling their sleeves up.
This is my favourite, and I’ll admit my bias. In a guided workshop, you make each other’s wedding bands with your own hands, with me beside you the whole way so nothing goes wrong. You shape the metal, solder it, and finish it, and at the end you’re each wearing a ring made by the person you’re marrying.
I won’t pretend they’ll be flawless to the millimetre. They are handmade, which means they carry tiny, human irregularities that give them character.
Years from now, you may say, ‘I made that’ or ‘she made mine,’ and that memory will feel meaningful. Those small marks and quirks are part of the story behind each ring. That personal touch makes ownership clear and adds sentimental value over time.
It’s not for everyone. If the idea of a torch makes you break out in a sweat, option one or two might suit you better.
But for couples who love an experience and a story, nothing beats it.
You can find workshop details on the Workshops page, and I can also come to you, including for wedding rings.
So which one is right?
Ask yourselves three quick questions:
For wedding rings, how much time do you have before the big day? Off the shelf options are fastest. However, bespoke needs the longest lead time, and a workshop requires a booked date well in advance.
How important is it that the rings are unique? If “one of a kind” matters, lean bespoke or make-your-own.
Do you want a thing, or a thing plus a memory? If the making is part of the appeal, you already know the answer.
And if you’re still not sure, that’s genuinely fine. Drop me a line via the contact page, tell me a little about the two of you and roughly when you’re getting married, and I’ll help you work out which route fits. No obligation, and no hard sell. Just a magpie who loves helping people end up with rings they adore.
