Wedding rings are one of the most important purchases you’ll make for your big day, as you’ll be wearing them for the rest of your lives together. For men who’ve never purchased jewellery before, it can be particularly tricky to know where to start. That’s why we asked Jack Jahan, a jewellery expert from Ramsdens Jewellery, to share his advice for choosing a men’s wedding band.
Metals
The metal you choose for your wedding band will have a huge impact on its price, appearance, and durability, so it’s one of the most important things to consider before you start shopping.
Yellow and rose gold
Yellow gold is a traditional choice for a men’s wedding band. However, you are unlikely to end up with a pure gold ring, because the metal is too soft for jewellery in its purest form (24 carats). For this reason, it is usually alloyed with copper and silver. Those with higher copper content are classed as rose gold.
Generally, the higher the number of carats, the purer, less durable, and more expensive the ring. For this reason, many people opt for 18-carat (75% pure) wedding bands, which offer a good balance.
‘White’ metals
White gold is created when gold is alloyed with ‘white’ metals like nickel, silver, or palladium. A coating of hypoallergenic rhodium adds whiteness and strength but will wear away over time. White gold wedding bands are therefore likely to need re-plating in the future.
Sterling silver is another popular option for wedding rings. Like gold, silver is too soft for jewellery in its purest form, so it is alloyed with other metals (usually copper) to create sterling silver. Pieces usually carry a 925 hallmark to indicate that they are 92.5% pure.
Platinum is one of the most luxurious wedding ring metals. It is durable and hypoallergenic, with a natural silvery sheen. Palladium is a similar but more affordable option.
‘Grey’ metals
Darker metals like titanium, zirconium, tungsten, and steel are becoming more popular options for men’s wedding rings. They are strong, scratch-resistant, and hypoallergenic, making them popular among men who work with their hands.
Profiles
The profile of your wedding ring will affect not only how it looks but also how it feels. Court rings are curved on the inside and outside, meaning that they’re comfortable to wear and unlikely to ‘catch’ when you’re working with your hands. This is one of the most popular shapes for a wedding ring. D-shaped rings are rounded on the outside and flat on the inside. This means that they sit snug to the finger for a more streamlined appearance. Flat rings are flat on the inside and outside. This gives them a chunky appearance that’s quite popular with men. However, they are more likely to catch and often considered to be less comfortable. There are also some other options, such as halo rings, which have a circular cross-section. When trying on different profiles, think about comfort and practicality as well as the overall look. After all, you’re likely to wear this ring every day for the rest of your life. When it comes to band width, some people think that chunkier rings are more masculine, but they are also more obtrusive. It is usually best to try on a few different styles and see what looks and feels best on your hand.
Gemstones
While many men opt for plain wedding bands, there’s nothing stopping you from choosing something with gemstones. These can add extra personality to your ring, and they might even symbolise something special to you. The decision ultimately comes down to your own sense of style.
Diamonds are one of the most popular options due to their association with luxury, but you could opt for a coloured stone like emerald, sapphire, or ruby. You can also buy rings with imitation precious stones that are more affordable.
Just remember to think about practicality as well as style. The way that the stones are set can impact the durability and maintenance requirements of your ring.
We hope this article has given you all the information you need to choose the perfect men’s wedding ring. If you need more help planning your big day in or around Norfolk, we offer a full wedding planning service here at Belles & Beaus.
PLANNING A COVID SAFE WEDDING If you are newly engaged and excited to start your wedding planning journey it may well be rather daunting with a pandemic looming over everything. Covid-19 has had a huge impact on weddings in 2020, from limiting guest numbers to preventing receptions and banning dancing. With the release of the new vaccine there have been tentative talks that weddings could be back to more normal function from the spring but as we know things can change very rapidly so couples are asking how to plan for such an uncertain future.
There are plenty of ways to plan and adapt your big day to meet this new way of planning. You may find that having a smaller guestlist means you have more budget to play with, which means you can go big on the guest experience and splash out on your priority items like amazing food, a free bar, live entertainment or floral displays.
Pick a Date While it might feel daunting to pick a date given the uncertainty of the pandemic, choosing a day far in advance will help ensure that you get the venue and vendors that you want most. Many of the 2020 weddings that were postponed moved to 2021 so bear in mind peak weekends may already be fully booked for venues and suppliers alike, Be open to a weekday wedding which increases the likelihood of your venue and whole supplier team being available, and ensures you can marry in the season you want if weekend dates are busy. Alternatively why not look further ahead, many suppliers have opened their diaries for 2022 and beyond.
Explore Different Types of Wedding
Minimony A minimony is a mini-ceremony with a small group of loved ones, in person or virtually. If it is important to you to get married sooner rather than later then this is a great choice. Your minimony will be followed by a wedding at a later date, where you can either have a reception with all your loved ones or have a blessing ceremony too.
Micro Wedding A Micro wedding has fewer than 20 guests, and right from the beginning, that’s the number that the couple were always planning to invite. It isn’t about whittling down a guest list; it’s for those who love the idea of a really intimate wedding in the UK or abroad. You’ll use your budget to splurge on your guests, with incredible food, entertainment and a unique venue. Traditionally, with a micro wedding, there’s no future, larger reception planned.
Multiday Wedding Multiday weddings include festivities over the course of three days, with a pre-wedding rehearsal dinner, the wedding day, and a next-day brunch or lunch. You can invite different groupings of guests to each separate events, meaning those groups don’t overlap at all and you can keep the numbers for each event down while celebrating with your whole large guest list. This is a great way to celebrate if you have a Barn, Tipi or private Dry Hire Venue across several days.
Livestream Your Wedding For loved ones who can’t attend, we’ll see more couples livestreaming their wedding. Elderly relatives or those at-risk may not want to be in a large group, so allow them to watch your wedding live on a video platform.
Take It Outdoors If Possible Being outside is much safer than gathering indoors because there’s more space and airflow. If possible, see if you can plan an outdoor wedding instead of an indoor event. Or, if your ceremony is inside, try to organize an outdoor reception. indoors/outdoors wedding were already rising in popularity—now is a great opportunity to embrace the trend.
Your Venue Wedding venues come in all shapes and sizes and range from hotels to dry hire barns, glamping sites to town halls, tipis to private hire stately homes. Each one will have different ways of operating depending on their license, for instance a hotel may have back to back weddings across a weekend whereas a barn or dry hire venue may be available on a 4 day hire. Speak to them about their covid safe protocols and whether they provide hand santisers or if that is something you need to consider adding yourself. If there are government restrictions at the time, speak to your venue about their guest limitations so you don’t invite too many people. Talk to the venue about their rules regarding masks indoors and social distancing as well. That way, you can tell your guests exactly what to expect on the wedding day. You should also think through the layout of the space to allow for proper social distancing. Work with the venue coordinator to figure out how guests can stay within their bubbles and avoid mixing tables up too much.
Meet with Pros Virtually In order to finalise your team of wedding suppliers, organise virtual meetings to get to know your potential suppliers. Being able to talk with them will help you make an informed decision on the best pros for your wedding day. Address important questions with your suppliers from the start—that way, you’ll be on the same page from the beginning. It is recommended that suppliers and clients come to an agreement and commitment with one another while addressing all the possible outcomes, ask questions like, What if our date comes but we are only allowed X number of guests? and What if my guests aren’t comfortable attending or flying on that date? and ‘What if we have to postpone?’ While the future ramifications of coronavirus are unpredictable, it’s best to address any possible issues upfront. In turn, having these discussions will help eliminate any miscommunications down the line.
Communicate with Your Guests Guests might have a few nerves about group gatherings after a long time away from them. There are loads of ways to make your guests feel safe without sacrificing the look of your day. Your guests will be opening doors, picking up glasses, touching chairs and shaking hands so the best way to contain any spread of germs is to have lots of hand sanitiser and wipes available. It’s going to be tricky to keep your guests two metres from anyone outside their household or ‘social bubble’ at your wedding so consider signage placed around the venue as reminders, a clear and humorous sign at the entrance to your venue stating that you’d like everyone to maintain the two metre social distancing rule will make your intentions clear and keep the request light-hearted. At the end of the day, this is done out of love and respect for the safety of your guests, and they will understand that.
Wear Masks Wearing a mask is one small, simple thing you and your partner can do to help keep your guests as safe as possible. We know the idea of rocking a face covering on your wedding day isn’t the most exciting, but it does reduce the transmission of coronavirus. We really love this floral version to match the wedding bouquet, supplied by Charlotte Staff Flowers
Styling Your Venue Fallen in love with a big venue and not sure what to do now you’re only 15 people? There’s lots of creative ways to create an intimate atmosphere even in bigger venues. Create clusters of decor, rather than spread everything out around the room leaving the centre of the room empty and potentially void you could create cluster features at the edges of the room as well as through the middle. This could be achieved by incorporating tall trees, plants, grids or frames with foliage etc. You could then position tables between the clusters so each table has it’s own intimate dining zone and is naturally shielded from the next allowing guests to feel safe. Using larger tables with fewer guests around which will automatically increase the amount of floor space you are using up but also allow for larger centrepieces. Opt for tall, oversized centrepieces which make the ceiling appear lower, break up the space and create the wow factor! Consider your colour palette as White tends to make a space appear more light and airy so using rich dark colours can make large spaces seem smaller and more intimate. Many barns and stately homes have beams and tall ceilings which can add to the feeling of too much space, so ideas for bringing the ceiling down are worth exploring – lighting canopies, drapes, hanging paper lanterns and foliage displays can all be suspended above guests heads to create an enclosed space. Consider setting up a few bars, buffet or snack stations around the venue so no one area is too busy at once, maybe each area could serve a different style of food or drinks. Self service items such as grazing buffets and sweet tables are currently not allowed but individual bowls of snacks or ready packed bags of sweets or candy floss can be selected from each station, along with ready poured glasses of cocktails on drinks trolleys are a great way of filling space, and giving guests the opportunity to interact when selecting their food or drink before going back to their table. Creating lounge areas with vintage seating, Persian rugs and greenery is a great way to fill space and encourage people to break away from tables to sit in small groups dotted around. Wherever possible, use outdoor spaces for the different sections of your day. Find ways to incorporate open-air elements, like an outdoor ceremony, photographs and reception drinks on the lawn, and an outside lounge area with fire pits for guests to mingle in the evening. So while your wedding day might look a little different from your original plans, the meaning of the union will ensure it will still be one of the best and most memorable days of your life. It has never been more apparent that the most important thing about a wedding is the love of two people.
Wedding Photography at Grosvenor Casino Grosvenor Casino is more than just a Casino, set in the elegant Shadingfield Lodge, a Victorian building once frequented by royalty, with a restaurant that overlooks some wonderful gardens and just a two-minute walk from the beach. You really could not ask for a more ideal location to celebrate your wedding. With free venue hire, lots of parking, a huge adult playground downstairs (casino) a large sweeping staircase, just imagine all the amazing pictures you could have on your wedding day regardless what the British weather does.
With the creativity from Jan from Belles & Beaus and Amanda from Timeless Florals , the Grosvenor Casino restaurant was transformed into an amazing room fit for royalty.
A huge thanks to Jan from Belles and Beaus , Amanda from Timeless Florals and Julie from Grosvenor Casino for allowing us the time to create such an amazing setup and the opportunity to tell all the brides and grooms about such an unknown location!
If you want to know more about hosting your wedding at the Grosvenor Casino contact Julie on 01493 850444 and if you are looking for a Norfolk Wedding Photographer to capture your Love, Laughter and Just Big Smiles, then please do get in touch , Karl and Jim would love to hear about what you have planned for your wedding day.
Daisy is an 8yr old girl with a big vision for her future wedding day, her mum is one of Norfolk’s finest wedding hair and Make Up Artists who happens to know a lot of fabulous suppliers always up for a challenge, and so the dream wedding shoot was born, A crisp early winter morning at the stunning @Sennowepark in Norfolk, the brief was blush pink, baby blue, nude and a pop of red, stunning floral dresses and silver sequin pants. I was in charge of styling a top table, i brought Daisy’s vision to life with baby pink table cloth, baby blue chiffon runner and napkins nestling on top of vintage blue plates. Vintage cut crystal glassware complimented large blue and red goblets, Vintage glass candlesticks boasted pale pink and pale blue candles with stationary provided by the wonderful Mel at @melmadestationary and flowers by @thebotanyhouse.
Photographer www.sophiecass.com Venue styling www.bellesandbeausweddingstyling.co.uk Venue www.sennowepark.com Hair and Makeup www.stephaniealexandramua.co.uk Dresses www.thebottomdraweruk.co.uk Dress Designer www.bowendryden.co.uk Flowers www.thebotanyhouse.co.uk Cake & Sweet Grazing Table www.sugarbuttonscreative.co.uk Balloon Display www.clairesfloralandballoondesigns.co.uk Stationery www.melmade.co.uk Suit Hire wwwpuresuithire.co.uk Models – Ziggy Brace, Tim Clarke and Kate Jennifer
