The Ring::Modern, Classic, Nontraditional...

Of all the decisions I've made for the wedding, by far the most difficult and the one that I am ALL OVER the board on is the ring. Everyday I show JB ring upon ring from wide to thin, diamond-filled to etched, I simply don't have the power to make up my mind on this one. I want to be able to wear my band by itself, or with my engagement ring and at the moment (this literal moment, as I'm writing this) I'm leaning toward minimal or no diamonds (who needs 'em...have you seen my engagement ring?! JB rocked it).

My main problem is that the rings I want aren't sold in store (etsy-love), or they're not sold near me (NYC has the main stock of rings I want), so I can't try them on with my engagement ring. That's why I need your help, what do you think?

Here are some of my options in all their glory...I've tried to narrow it down to my faves, but honestly there are probably more that I may like better, or at least like better for a few minutes (my indecisiveness is RAMPANT). Because there is such a long list of possibilities coming your way, I've broken them down in to groups so that you can easily source each image. Plus, ALL of these can be ordered online and they're all well under $1,000.

P.S. Which ever ring I decide on, I will order in white gold (so no worries on the yellow v. white gold issue).

I was going to try to list my favorites from each group...but I can't even decide on that.

Clockwise from top left: one, two, three, four, five

These next ones match my engagement ring, they're made by Eidel Precious and would clearly fit well with my current ring, but I think they're just a little too classic for me. However they are SO gorgeous and sparkly!

The next set I absolutely adore. I love that number 3 is vintage, but I think it might be a bit too wide. I really love the placement of the stones on numbers two and four. I just generally like number one.

Clockwise from top left: one, two, three, four

Number three of the next four is from BHLDN and I LOVE it, but I don't know if I love it as a wedding ring or just as a ring.

Clockwise from top left: one, two, three, four

This final grouping is maybe my favorite...maybe.

Clockwise from top left: one, two, three

What do you think? Which is your favorite? Which would look best with my ring?

{His Ring} He Doesn't Want to Wear One

The hubby-to-be is a simple guy when it comes to fashion. Put him in a nice pair of jeans (Joes are his current faves) and a well cut, v-neck t-shirt and he's a happy camper. Accessories? You can forget about that...his only accessories are a belt and a pair of sunglasses.  He does not wear (or own for that matter) a watch, bracelet, ring, etc. It's just not his style and I'm okay with that...Well, I thought I was until it came time to discussing his ring.  We talked about whether or not he ''has'' to have one (um, YES!) and then whether or not he ''has'' to wear it (the jury is still out on that one). When we went ring shopping for him, my poor guy was visibly uncomfortable.  Having something on his finger felt so alien to him.  Every sales person told him ''Don't worry, you'll get used to wearing one'' but that did little to calm his fears.  To be honest, I thought I would like seeing him with a ring but it looked a little funny and so not ''him.''  I'm hoping that was just because we haven't found the right style for him yet!

After a lot of thought, we decided that he will get a ring, if for no other reason than to have something to exchange during the ceremony.  Then, he'll give it an honest effort to try getting used to wearing the ring.  If he still hates it after a while, I think I'm okay with him not wearing it. So, the next step is:  we need a ring!  Knowing that there's a good chance it may not get worn often, we don't want to spend too much on it.  We've done some browsing on Overstock.com and think the four styles below might be worth trying.  Bonus:  They are all priced well under $100.  It doesn't get much better than that!

An added bonus is that our photographer, Trevor Dayley, takes really gorgeous ring pics.  We definitely want to have something for him to shoot, even if it ends up being mainly for show. A few of my favorite ring shots of his are below...aren't they fabulous? I can hardly wait for ours!

One part of me doesn't care if Christian chooses not to wear a ring.  I don't believe that it will make us any less married or that it means he is not committed to our relationship.  If he doesn't like wearing a ring, why should I force him in to doing something that he is uncomfortable with?  However, the other part of me thinks it would be really nice to have an outward symbol of our love and unity for all the world to see.  I am not one of those girls that thinks any random guy with a wedding ring is sexy but I can imagine getting butterflies when looking at my hubby with a ring, THE ring, on his finger :)

So ladies, what do you think?  I've read some pretty emotionally charged posts on forums about this issue and it seems like many girls have struggled with the same thing. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Bling in the New Year!

Christmas and New Year's are a very popular time to get engaged. So to new readers, congrats and welcome to the wonderful world of wedding planning! The first question most brides get is, "Can I see your ring?" It is such a fun time to show off your new rock! So, new (or old!) brides- what does your ring look like? Did you go classic? Modern? Antique? Custom? Personally, I fell in love with a band and could never find it as a setting, so my wonderful fiancé had one custom made at Washington Diamond, near Washington D.C. They were amazing to work with! I was so surprised! Did you pick out your own ring? Or trust your man to do so?

I snuck on my wedding band when Dan wasn't looking! :)

Here are some other beautiful rings (and creative ring shots!) for your enjoyment!

clockwise from top left: 1; 2; 3; 4

So share with me what your ring story or send a picture to me (madelinepage@gmail.com) and next week I'll show them all off! Let's bling in the new year right!