no wedding band???

[Jaz]

I am getting a wedding ring that is a pave band (tapers up from 4.6 at the bottom to 6mm on top) with a 2.78 emerald center stone and we have no plans to get a wedding band because it seems that there would be none that would look good.

My question is, do I *have* to also have a wedding band. Do women ever just wear their engagemtn ring as the whole she-bang?

I don''t want it to look incomplete, or that I''m "just engaged" when I''m married. I know this seems silly, but I really agonize over it. My prefernce would be to wear just the one ring--but I''m worried how it will come across to others. Will they ask what a pretty ring, when is the happy date?" Aaaaahh!!

Any help appreciated!

Jaz

 

[AChiOAlumna]

If you are fine to wear the ring independently from a wedding band, then more power to you! It's really an individual choice. I was planning just to get an upgraded ring with a slightly larger (wider) band setting so I didn't feel it looked too much like an engagement ring (with a thinner band that was crying for an accompaniment), but I found a wedding set at the last minute that I fell in love with and that I could afford! So I, in the end, got a set...but going into this process I had no intention of doing such a thing...

My mother, for years, wore her princess cut, step-down baguette ring without a wedding band with no w-ring....she was never asked if she was engaged vs. married. It wasn't until my sister got married 5-years ago, that my mother decided to get an accompanying eternity band, because my sister's w-ring was an eternity band and my mother liked it so much that she got one too!

Like I said, it's all up to preference....

You can always, later, get a w-band customed to match you ring if you desire!

 

[sjz]

A friend of mine had a very elaborate ering that (in her opinion) really didn''t look right with a wedding band. After she was married, she wore her ering as a right hand ring, and ended up with a very elaborate diamond wedding band to wear on her left hand. That might be an option for you to consider.

 

[Hest88]

It''s completely up to you. Personally, the symbolism of my wedding band far outweighs any consideration I have over what might or might not look good. After all, my wedding set is not just jewelry to adorn my hand; it is the symbol of my engagement, my subsequent marriage, the the commitment inherent in both. However, that''s me. I know plenty of people who only wear their e-ring and that makes them happen. Do whatever satisfies you and don''t let anyone sway you away from what makes you happy.

 

[coda72]

My husband to be and I just purchased my ring, and I will be wearing it by itself. It looks a lot like an engagement ring since it has a 1.03 carat radiant cut diamond in the center and sapphires on either side, but I intend to wear it as a wedding ring. In fact I''m not wearing it right now because I am saving it for our wedding day. I honestly don''t care if people think I''m just engaged and not married. I''ll know I''m married. What you want is the only thing that matters; don''t worry about what other people think.

 

[FireGoddess]

6 mm is a pretty wide band, and that honker of a rock

will both take up quite a bit of room on the finger. I think, imagining what that might look like, that I would assume it''s a combo e-ring/w-band. I''ve seen many people do this, and if that''s what you want, I say go for it. If you decide you want a band later, you can always do as some others have already suggested and get a w-band and wear it, or the original ring, on the ring finger of the right hand.

What''s important is what you like, and what you think. Good luck!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Okay, what I would do, is insist upon getting a wedding band to wear for your ceremony that is sized to fit on your right hand and then after you''re married, you''ll have a cute RHR!

You''ve got to squeeze in as much jewelry as you can before marrying because after your honeymoon, priorities like houses and retirement funds start to drain the funds you have saved for fun stuff!

Oh, and don''t worry about what others think. If they ask when the big day is, just tell them you''re already married and then show them your wedding band which is your RHR! lol

 

[murray93]

I am working on a 3-stone ring with a 2-carat EC that will be an upgrade from my current e-ring/w-band. I plan to wear it alone with no w-band.

 

[michela002]

That decision is completely up to you. Not seeing the ring makes it hard to visualize, but it sounds like it''s a stand-alone piece. You shouldn''t wear a wedding band with your ring for the sake of it, if you think it will ruin the aesthetics of your ring.

It''s possible the occasional person may say to you when are you getting married, but I doubt most will ask.

If I were you, I would get a wedding band though - even if it''s a plain platinum band or something, so that on days that you want to wear something plain rather than your honker of an EC (

) you have the option to wear something (if of course you want to always be able to wear a ring.) The rest of the time you can wear it on your right hand, or even just leave it in the jewellery box!

It''s real your personal choice, you don''t have to have a wedding band if you don''t want one.

I personally considered a ring that wouldn''t let me wear a wedding band, and in the end I ruled it out because I wanted to have a wedding band, but that''s just my personal choice, and I can see why you would want your beautiful ring, even if it means you can''t wear a wedding band!

If you watch Desperative Housewives (hahahaha!) you might notice a few of those characters wear just their huge solitaires without a wedding band ... (just for some pop culture trivia!)

 

[Lynn B]

Two of my best friends just wear one ring each. The first friend has a gorgeous, 18K yellow gold antique-style ring with diamonds. It was her engagement ring. It is definitely a "stand alone" style. She never got a "wedding ring" - she just wears this one ring. And she gets looks and compliments everywhere she goes.

The second friend never got an e-ring... they were financially challenged

when they got married and she only had a simple gold band. For an anniversary, her DH bought her a beautiful, vintage ring with a lovely, very firey stone. Again, a definite "stand alone" ring. She now keeps her original wedding band safely tucked in her jewelry box and wears her one beautiful ring.

It may be a bit "non-traditional" but it''s certainly an acceptable option, which can, IMHO, be quite beautiful.

Lynn

 

[rosy]

It''s total personal preference. I prefer having a wedding band because my ring is a thin solitaire & it looks naked without it. Plus, to me it''s special because my husband will wear a band also & looking down at my hand & seeing the bands remind me of our wedding day & committment to one another.

 

[Jaz]

Thank you one and all for your thoughful replies. That some of you were so supportive of me not wanting a wedding band feels like I now have "permission" to pay atention to what *I* would like.

BTW, I have been married for 5 years. I have had a simple plan gold band cuz that was all we could afford. This new ring is because my husband has had several promotions at work. So technically I have a wedding band. If ther are times I don't want to wear my new platinum ring, then I can wear the plain gold band.

Thank you again for beinig so positive about me not wearing a wedding band with my new ring.

blessings,
Jaz

 

[jellybean]

Jaz --

You have gotten a lot of good responses. I''ll tell you my experience -- my e-ring was supposed to have a shadow band for the wedding ring. Well, I didn''t like the shadow band after I had it made so I just wore the e-ring on my left hand for the last 5 years I have been married and my diamond wedding band on my right hand. (I didn''t wear my e-ring on my right hand b/c I work w/ my hands and once loosened the prong on it). It looked like a stand alone ring, however, I was constantly asked if it was my e-ring or wedding ring. (I''m a pharmacist so I have a lot of contact w/ the public). Some would just ask "when is the big day?" Sometimes I got tired of it but it wasn''t a big deal. My husband just wanted me to wear something on my ring finger -- it didn''t matter to him whether it was one or two rings.

I found it much more comfortable to wear one ring only. However, I did recently have my diamond reset into a solitaire to wear with my band. Now, it''s too wide and I don''t like it.

I''m debating between looking for a thinner solitaire or a new set.

 

[NyssaLynne]

Date: 3/16/2005 12

7:25 PM
Author: coda72
My husband to be and I just purchased my ring, and I will be wearing it by itself. It looks a lot like an engagement ring since it has a 1.03 carat radiant cut diamond in the center and sapphires on either side, but I intend to wear it as a wedding ring.

I had a 1.02 carat radiant-cut, with emerald-cut side sapphires set east-west, in a thick/wide cathedral-style mounting for my e-ring before my recent upgrade. Do you have a picture of your ring? I had a lot of trouble finding a band to go with my ring. Finally found one right before we got married, but hardly ever wore it because it just made the set too wide and uncomfortable.

 

[coda72]

Lynne, I don''t yet have pictures of my ring, but once I do, I will post them. I know what you mean about a wedding band not looking right with your ring because even if I wanted to wear a wedding band for propriety''s sake, I don''t think I could find one that would look right. My ring has the radiant with a pear shaped sapphire on either side of the diamond set east to west. I don''t know the size but the weight of each sapphire is around .3 carats. Since I have a narrow finger (size 4), this ring takes up the whole front side of my finger. It looks great as a stand alone ring, but I don''t think it would look good with an another band.

 

[Destiny]

Speaking from experience. I originally wanted a princess cut solitaire for my e-ring and a eternity band for my wedding ring. I got engaged around Christmas time and the jeweler who made my ring didn''t have time to make a plain band, he already had this setting with 2 baguettes on the side. He suggested to my now husband that we could just upgrade for the wedding.

Upon searching for almost 6 months, I decided to go with a Renaissance 3 sided pave setting (3/4 eternity) and not wear a band, it will only cover the diamonds on the side. This will be my e-ring and my w-ring all in one since I have notice a lot of my friends upgrading to just one ring. I love my ring, but sometimes I felt like I wish I just had a band to wear alone. Also, I have people ask me, "where is your wedding band?"

So for Valentine''s Day, my really nice husband of only 3 months surprise my with a 3 sided pave eternity band to go with my ring. Now, I love my rings, I love the sparkles, it shows my center stone more and I love the fact that I can just wear a band (a really sparkly one). See pic on the side.

 

[headlight]

I wear my three-stone ring as just one ring. People can interpret it as they please. I love the three-stone ring look but think it stands on its own, as it already has a "banded" look to it. I think a band or bands, whether plain or embellished, take away from the three-stone ring. Maybe if the stones were smaller, I would feel differently; yet, when I had my former three-stone ring that was comprised of smaller stones, I still did not wear a band with it for the same reasons.