Manage My Wedding Podcast

Choosing Wedding Rings: Tips to Save Time and Money with Australian Weddings Rings MMW 213

• Yvette Sitters • Episode 213

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Host Yvette Sitters chats with Alex from Australian Wedding Rings to uncover insider tips on shopping for wedding rings. From saving money while maintaining quality to understanding the timeline for ordering rings, this episode is packed with valuable advice for brides and grooms-to-be. Learn about the importance of asking the right questions, supporting local artisans, and prioritising your wedding ring preferences. Whether you're considering traditional or non-precious metal options, this episode will guide you through the process with ease.

Visit Australian Wedding Rings website here and get 10% off your wedding rings by using the code 'MANAGEMYWEDDING' upon checkout.

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Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Manage my Wedding podcast, where we believe your wedding is the most important time in your life and you deserve to feel supported and organised when planning the wedding of your dreams. I'm your host, yvette Sidders. Today, I am joined on the podcast with Alex, who owns Australian Wedding Rings, and they will save you time, money and stress, and that is what everyone listening to this podcast episode is all about. They are Australian made and owned, lifetime warranty and custom made fast, and I love those things about Australian Wedding Rings. So welcome to the Manage my Wedding podcast, alex.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much. I'm so excited to be here and talk about wedding rings.

Speaker 1:

I'm happy to have you. You are the very first person, out of 200 and however many episodes, to come and talk about rings.

Speaker 2:

Oh, wow, yeah, the wedding rings. I feel because they are so small they almost forgotten about on the wedding. It is a small feature and it's quite a personal feature the ring exchange. So it's not like the flowers that are very Instagram worthy but, yeah, very important part of the wedding.

Speaker 1:

It is, and that's why I think it's so important to have you on here and to talk about it. I personally know how much I love my rings. I have the same ones that I ordered at the time and I love them. I love them, oh, lovely. Sometimes my husband's like oh, do you think you'll ever upgrade them? I'm like no, like this is the symbol of that day, like it's yeah and that's gorgeous, yeah.

Speaker 2:

And that's really gorgeous to see. It's definitely that's the sort of feeling that you want to have out of a wedding band, rather than thinking, oh no, I need to upgrade this because it doesn't look good anymore or I'm not happy with it, so yeah, that's exactly the kind of feeling that a wedding band should give you.

Speaker 1:

And the fashion changes so fast. But I just don't feel like that's one of those things that needs to change.

Speaker 2:

Yes, that's the other thing too. Yeah, classic is always best for that reason.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely, and I'm sure you're going to touch on that. Mine is very classic, so choosing a wedding band, it is a very I feel like it's a beautiful, significant decision. So what do you feel like are the key factors that brides and grooms should consider when they are picking a wedding ring? That that complements their engagement ring as well and complements them and their personality and their style.

Speaker 2:

Yes, it's a very tough decision, but it's also very exciting, and I think in my experience, the most important thing to think about is actually the comfort and practicality, which doesn't sound very exciting, but a wedding ring is a functional piece of jewelry and you will be wearing it for a long time, so it has to come into it. To explain this, I like the using the analogy of a pair of shoes. If you think about the difference in the shoes that you would wear to work or on a night out or to a picnic, they're all different. But if you had to pick just one pair of shoes to wear every day and to do all those things, what type of shoes would you pick? Because essentially, that's what you're asking from a wedding ring You're asking it to be the one ring you wear everywhere and to do everything. So it's comfort and durability has to come into that, for sure.

Speaker 1:

That is a very good point. I'm so glad that you started with that instead of the design, because it's so true, you've got to wear it every single day.

Speaker 2:

Absolutely Going back to the shoe analogy, if I was to pick a pair of flats, I would get a lot more wear of them than, for example, a pair of stilettos.

Speaker 2:

It's the same with a ring. If you choose a ring that's comfortable and sturdy, you will actually wear it and it will be comfortable. Then you're also not going to be worried about damaging it. That's the other thing. If you have a ring that has lots of diamonds or it's very dainty or very intricate, you might actually find that you are afraid to wear it because it catches on your hair or it might get damaged. So these are the sort of things to think about when picking a ring.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's good. I didn't even think of those things as considerations, so that's very valid points. Wedding bands they come in, as we know, so many various metals, designs, styles. Can you explain the difference between the whole popular white gold, yellow gold, platinum, rose gold? What factors should the couples be considering when they're choosing the right metal for their wedding bands?

Speaker 2:

I'm so glad you asked this question because I love talking about metals and gold. It's one of my favourite things. So the different colour golds white, rose or yellow they're essentially a mix of pure gold and other metals. So, depending on what colour gold you want, pure gold is mixed with other metals like copper or silver or platinum, to give them the colour rose or the colour white, for example, and typically gold is always mixed because it does make it stronger. I didn't know that. Yeah, pure gold is just way too soft for it to be a long-term piece of jewelry. I know that you can actually get jewelry that is very high-carat 22 or 24-carat gold, but it's not durable jewelry, which is what you want in a wedding ring.

Speaker 1:

And I never knew that you mixed golds to make rose gold.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yeah. So just tweaking the copper content in the gold will give it a slightly rose colour. Likewise with white. If you mix it with platinum, that's what will actually give it the colour, but it's still a pure gold base.

Speaker 1:

Right, okay, now I understand. I'm learning a lot myself today.

Speaker 2:

Excellent. And then the other thing is the carat. So when people talk about carat, like 18 carat or 9 carat for example, what that measures is how much pure gold there is in that mix of gold or alloy. So, for example, with 18 carat it has 75% pure gold and 9 carat has 37.5% pure gold, Thank you. And that's where the difference in price comes in, because obviously if you have more pure gold it's more expensive than if you have less pure gold.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, okay, that makes sense. I remember when I was picking I picked my wedding, my engagement ring my husband proposed to me with a pretend one, because he wanted us to go together and experience that together and do that together, which at the time I was like, oh, I wasn't sure how I felt about that. But I'm so glad that's what happened, because it was such a beautiful experience to do together and I nearly opted for white gold because it was in fashion.

Speaker 1:

Yes yes, and I had to sit on it and really think about it. Everyone was getting white gold at the time. It was when the pear shape was very popular. I nearly was steered towards go, let's go the pear shape and let's go white gold. And I'm so glad now I didn't. I stuck to. I wear, sorry, yellow gold and I always wanted that princess classic ring and I'm so glad now that I went with what I love, not what the fashion was telling me to do, because I nearly messed up.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's really interesting. But very important it is a reflection of you, so it's good to think about that and not just sort of follow a trend.

Speaker 1:

Yeah it's definitely important. Do people ever ask you what they should pick, or do you do they usually? Do you help guide them through that picking that, what colors, right for them?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely, because, as you said, I like this, but this is trendy, and what I usually say to people it's you know, trends come and go. So, like you said, white gold at that time was really popular. Then yellow gold became really popular, and so that's why it has to be really important that you choose something that you feel goes with your other pieces. Also, for example, for men, if they have a dress watch or a sports watch that they wear, pick that color, because you're less likely to go out and change your watch every so often. Same with women. I say well, do you wear other jewelry? What color is that? Or is there more of one color or another, or you could have both. If you really can't make up your mind, have both the two. Tone is gorgeous, and there are a few ways that you can do it so that it looks really nice and purposeful, and then you actually all your options open because you can wear any color then. So that's a really clever idea as well. Yeah, the best of both worlds.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I like that. I do like that, mine, actually, when I look at it, because you've now got my thinking. My bands, my wedding bands, are yellow gold. My engagement ring is yellow gold, but is it the claw? Is that what it's called?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, the setting that would hold the diamond, white gold, ah, so you would have a mixture of the two. So if you wanted to add a white gold element, obviously you already have your wedding bands. But if you wanted to add white gold in the wedding bands, then you already have that in the engagement ring as well. So you could definitely mix them in and then all your options are open.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I love that. I do love that. Customization, we know, is a massive growing trend in wedding bands. What do Sins do couples have for personalising their wedding bands and how can they make their rings unique to them and their love story?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's, as you said, very trendy and it's actually at the core of what we offer at Australian wedding rings, because even a classic ring can be personalised, and that's by choosing specs like what gold colour or how wide the ring should be. And then, for example, if you're matching it with an engagement ring, there are a couple of classic options, for example, having the engagement ring sorry, the wedding band be the same width as the engagement ring band or be a lot wider than the engagement ring band, so just in the actual shape and specs of the rings you can have your own style. And then, of course, my favourite way of personalising a ring is with an engraved message. I just find that such a sweet way of personalising it, and it could be something very traditional, like your wedding date or your names, or even a simple I love you in the band. That would be lovely.

Speaker 2:

And you can also get very creative. For example, you could do the cordon that's the way you met. That's, I think that's just so meaningful for the both of you. Or even something funny, like a little inside joke that only you're going to get, so anything that's personal and that's going to bring a smile to your face when you see it in five years time. So that's a beautiful way of personalising the rings, and then you can also take it a step further with a personalised ring box or something that has your names or your initials, and it's just a beautiful keepsake for after the wedding. But also photographers love them because they can create an even better visual story with your wedding bands and your personalised box and they just look beautiful in photos.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I didn't even think of that. Do you ever get one of the partners calling up and adding something as a surprise?

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. Yes, we do that quite a bit actually. I think it's so romantic, so they will coordinate with the engraving separately and they're not going to show them to each other until the day, and oh yeah, that just gives me goosebumps.

Speaker 1:

I love that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I had a couple who were doing that and but they also wanted to make sure that the rings were the right fit when they received them. So they got their best man to help them out with the sizing so that they wouldn't look at the engraving while they were trying them on for size. So that was a really nice way for the best man to be involved as well. I thought that was really special.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's nice. I love that Mine aren't engraved and you've now got me thinking I've got very tiny hands, so my mine are very tiny rings. They're like kid sizes. Very minute Can you still engrave, no matter what the size is?

Speaker 2:

You can, but you will be limited to how long that message is. So the traditional hand engraving you probably wouldn't get too many characters in there. But something we do is laser engraving, and with the laser engraving, because it is computerized, we can actually fit more characters on and also you can choose what font you want, so you can personalize it even more. But yes, you would be limited. Obviously, the bigger the ring the better, but not impossible.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, you've got me thinking. Now I'm like for everyone listening, if you're wondering oh my gosh, we just we want to get each other a gift, but we don't want to waste any money and we can't really afford it, but we still want to buy a gift. This is like the perfect present idea. Like go and speak to Australian wedding rings and I'm organizing engraving. Like I think that's really special. Like as it would be surprised, like that would be so nice.

Speaker 2:

Yeah and yeah, you'll have that gift forever. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1:

They can wear it inside as well. Read it inside as often as I like. I love it.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I like imagining couples sort of taking it off and reading it every now and then and just thinking about the wedding day and it bringing a smile to their faces.

Speaker 1:

Totally. My husband surprised me on the wedding day. Well, I kind of worked it out, but he was a smart still. So you can't hide much from a wedding planner, right? No, but I have. My wedding band and my internity ring were both given to me on the wedding day. They're quite fine and they're both identical. So he gifted to me on the wedding day the eternity one, so that I could wear the whole set as matching for all the pictures. Oh beautiful.

Speaker 2:

Oh, yes, so that would have made some really lovely pictures.

Speaker 1:

It, did it was really lovely and it was such a nice idea it was really lovely.

Speaker 1:

I was, yeah, very blessed. Oh, but they weren't expensive rings, you know. But they're a great quality and that's probably why he could do it in the budget, because it wasn't excessive, but they're excellent quality. That's 10 years on and they still look brand new. So it goes to show prices and always people are like, oh, I have to spend all this crazy money. To say I spent all this money, and it's not always the case. You just you really need quality.

Speaker 2:

That's right. That's right and something that you touched on before with the design if it's something very classic, it's going to look fabulous in five, 10, 30 years time. So something like a classic band that doesn't have gemstones on it will do those two things it will save you money, because you're not spending money on diamonds, but also it's going to look great at any given time. It's just going to stay fresh and always be fashionable. You're not going to look at this ring and say, oh my gosh, that looks so 2023.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, it's so true. It's so true, so you touched on it before, and a couple of times actually, because it is important about the sizing and the comfort because it's pretty crucial for wedding bands.

Speaker 2:

Yes.

Speaker 1:

Especially men, right, because they're not used to wearing one. Oh, men are hesitant. I know my husband was, and they're meant to be worn every day. So how do couples get their make sure they're wedding bands fit comfortably and securely, and what should they do if they need to have it resized in the future?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's I'm. We hear that a lot with guys. They're not used to it. For a lot of them this is the first and only ring they're gonna wear and Because they're not used to it, it will definitely feel weird and heavy and constricting, even if it's the right size. So my advice in that case is to Give it time, because the more you wear it, I promise you get used to it. It will get more comfortable. It's just that you're not used to it. That's why it feels strange. But the other thing that people don't realize with hands is that your hands and your fingers Swell in hot weather and shrink in cold weather. So and there could be anywhere between half a size to two sizes different between your summer hands and your winter hands.

Speaker 2:

It's very important to not rush into resizing. Unless the ring is falling off or it's constructing your circulation, then definitely needs to be resized now. But if it's not, just give it time, give it a good 12 months, go through the seasons, work out what the best happy medium is, and Remember that in summer your rings will get a little bit tighter and in winter they will be a little bit looser again, as long as they're not falling off or cutting off your circulation. So that's really important. And with resizing, if you go for a Band that doesn't have diamonds all the way around, or a band that's really fine and doesn't have a lot of gold, then resizing is usually quite straightforward. So yeah, so long as you stay away from those rings, and it can be resized at any time.

Speaker 1:

That's good to know. Mine has little diamond.

Speaker 2:

He's only on the top though, so yeah, that's perfect then, because it leaves there's lots of room at the back, yeah, to work on. But yeah, if the diamonds go all the way around, yeah, you just can't. You wouldn't actually have to get a new ring made. So that's really important to keep in mind.

Speaker 1:

Oh, because I nearly went all the way around and now know why the guy must have suggested that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it's. It's really locking you into one size and Hands change, so it's. I think it's unrealistic to expect to be the one size for the rest of your life.

Speaker 1:

Yep, totally, and my husband? He was very old. This is so strange and yeah. He thinks that's strange.

Speaker 2:

So you just yes, it's any girl. Yeah, it really is just down to getting used to it, feeling comfortable and, as I said, even if it's the right size, he might feel that it's just too tight, and that's just because he's not used to it. But, yeah, give it time, be patient with it and yeah, I promise you you will get used to it.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, you will. I agree. Now we know that budget is a massive concern for most couples, especially at the moment when we're talking at the end of 2023. It's always a concern for people planning a wedding, especially at the moment. Can you give any tips on how to find the perfect wedding bands that align with the couple's budget While maintaining their quality in the craftsmanship as well? Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 2:

I mean, that's one of the non-negotiable things that we do here at Australian wedding rings Trying to save money while maintaining a high quality.

Speaker 2:

But if you're shopping in a more traditional way at jewelry stores, some of the things that you can do is, when you're looking at different rings, make sure that you get all the measurements and all the specs for the band when you get your quote, because sometimes two wedding bands may look the same on your hand, but they will be a difference in price, because maybe one has quite a different thickness and so it's heavier, and the other one maybe is a bit Finer and Ways less, and you may not be able to pick up on that straight away, but one of them is going to be significantly more.

Speaker 2:

So always ask those questions. Also, if there are any diamonds involved, always make sure that you know what those diamonds are, so that you're comparing Apples with apples. Yes, the other thing to remember is that don't be afraid to ask where the ring is made, because if it's an Australian made ring, it will be a different price than if it's something that's imported from overseas, and while that might save you money in the first instance, it might actually cost you more in the long run, just in repair work or warranties that sort of thing. So yeah, buying Australian made is usually a good way to save money in the long run, for sure.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I agree and support local. I say, and that's the other thing?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely. Especially at this sort of time, I think it's a lovely thing to do as well. And then, of course, depending on budget, there are lots of other non-precious metal alternatives that you can look at. There are so many options out there, for example, zirconium, titanium, silicon, wood. Any of these materials as well can make for a beautiful ring at a completely different price point. The only thing to remember with those is that they do have limitations, like, for example, most of them are not resizable, so if you need to resize in the future, you probably will need to buy another ring. Also, some of them, depending on your line of work, may not be recommended because they can't be cut off in an emergency. I'm sorry, yeah, just be aware, with those non-traditional metals, that they do have some limitations.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, that's good to know, it's simple.

Speaker 1:

So how far out does and I get asked this quite often and it'd be good to me I'm wanting to answer, as well as my listeners. But how far out does an engagement ring and a wedding band actually need to be ordered? Because we talk about wedding dresses all the time and we're all like minimum six months we don't talk about the rings, and some people can leave it right for the last minute. Then they're stressed out.

Speaker 2:

It is. Yeah, I think a lot of people who may go to a jewelry store would expect to actually walk away with the ring right on that day, which is not how it works. So for engagement rings, let's talk about those first. In an ideal world, you would start the process 12 or six months before you need it, and that's because it's like buying a house or a car. The actual purchasing process is really fast, but you're time to do your research, to find what something you'd like to view diamonds, to choose the one that you like. They might not be available in Australia. They may have to be imported in. All those things take time. So I would say at least six months before you actually need it, just to be on the safe side. Of course, you could look at ready-made options as well, but that might not give you the exact diamond or the exact design that you want. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2:

So trading rings are a little bit more straightforward, which is good, but I would still recommend that you go and look at least six months out, make your decisions, work out what you like and then ask your retailer when you need to action. That, because the standard time varies anywhere between two and eight weeks, depending how it's made or where it's made. Having said that, I have heard of people who have had to postpone their elopements because the wedding rings weren't ready. They were delayed, so the more time you have up your sleeve, definitely the better. But yeah, so I would say, six months out, go on planet, talk to your jeweler and then ask that question, because the answer will vary. For example, with us we're very fast, so if you were to order it today, it would be on your hand in about 12 days. Oh wow.

Speaker 1:

That's fantastic.

Speaker 2:

It's very fast, and we have had couples who have left it till the last minute and we were able to give them a beautiful wedding band in time for their wedding. So we love doing that too, but I would say, don't leave it till the last 12 days either. Yeah, because that does place unnecessary stress. Yeah, so how do?

Speaker 1:

you get them to size it, to have it turned around that quickly.

Speaker 2:

We do have a free size that's available on our website. You can request one and that's actually sent to your house, and so you can measure your finger yourself. There's a full instructions and it's very easy. It's surprisingly easy and also surprisingly accurate. It's very accurate. So if you are getting married in a hurry, we do have an option for Express Post, or be in your house in a couple of days and place the order. Let us know when you're getting married and we'll prioritise it so that you do have it in time. We haven't missed a wedding yet, so let's put it that way.

Speaker 1:

I love that. I love that sizing idea. That's fantastic. What a great service you've created. That's amazing.

Speaker 2:

It is, and the idea is that you can do all that. You can organise all that from home on your own time. After hours, or because you are time poor, when you're planning a wedding, there is no time to go and just find your size and look around. So that's what we're trying to save you just the time to do all these things. They come to you.

Speaker 1:

Oh, I think I said at the start when I introduced you guys that Ozzie made and owned your lifetime warranty custom made, and you're all about what was it? And I see this everywhere. You like save time and money and stress and I'm like, oh my gosh, absolutely. That is everything I'm all about, because they're all the key stresses of wedding planning.

Speaker 2:

So exactly and yeah, I found out about that when I was planning my own wedding and I thought, wow, for somebody who has to go out there and work out what they need, go get sized, that's a lot of time. So if we can condense that and then give it to you in a way that you can shop on your own time when you can, you can do it while you're commuting to work or after the kids have gone to bed.

Speaker 1:

That's what we're all about. Yeah, that's fantastic. I love that, especially at a time where it feels like everyone is just so much busier than they were. It feels like everyone you speak to at the moment is so busy. And then you add wedding planning on that. Oh gosh, You've got another full time job right. Absolutely, it really is a full time job. It is so I love that you can offer that service. That's fantastic. So tell us I know we've talked a bit about rings and everything that you do. It's a great service that you have. What is your number one wedding planning tip?

Speaker 2:

Oh wow. This is actually something that my husband and I did when we were planning our wedding. So my tip is to sit down individually and make a list of the things that you imagine at your wedding. Just go nuts. And then split those up into four groups. There's the must have, the nice to have, the I don't mind if I don't have it or not, and the I don't want, and that really helps to visualize what's important. And then bring those two lists together and what you'll end up with is a little bit of a blueprint of what's important to you.

Speaker 2:

And then, obviously, that will also help you prioritize where to allocate your money and your time and also, if you need to cull. Also, you know exactly which column to cull from first so that worked really well for us. And then, in thinking about what sort of things to put on the list, I think I would say don't feel that you have to have things at your wedding just because they are tradition or because you think that they are expected. I think one of the trends that I'm seeing is that a lot of brides are not comfortable with the garter toss and so and they're asking the question I'm stressing about this because I don't want to do it, but we need to do it. The reality is, if you don't want to do it, you don't need to do it. So, yeah, I think that would be my twofold wedding tip.

Speaker 1:

Oh, alex, you are. I feel like you've done my calm bride planner course actually, because the very first thing that we do in the very first lesson is that we actually do pretty similar to what you said, is we get them to put down everything that they think of imagine and then, yeah, then that's the first lesson. Then further down in the course, we do exactly what you said, we break it down, and so that is such a great tip. I'm like, oh, I love what you say. It's so important and a little wedding vision, right Like it creates the wedding vision, and it's just so important.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so important and it worked really well for us. So it was. I could see that it actually works because you're stressed and you have to tell things and you know exactly where to go or what's important to you and your partner. So I think that also reduces the amount of arguments that you have.

Speaker 1:

It does. It also helps you make decisions like there's always one partner that's really into the planning more than the other, yes, and if you know what they want and they're busy, you can make a decision because that's what they wanted to, or that they didn't want that, so you won't have that. So it just helps so much with that decision making, which speeds everything up. It's so important.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1:

Great tip and good on you for doing that, because so many people miss that step at the start as well, so it's really important. Thank you. Thank you for sharing that. Tell the listeners I've loved chatting with you. I've learned so much myself oh great, About rings today. I can't believe how much I've learned. Tell the listeners where can they find Australian Wedding Rings? And find you and see more about what you offer.

Speaker 2:

Yes, so the best place is our website. It's Australianweddingringscomau, and I think the other place would be Instagram. Our handle is at Australian Wedding Rings.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, perfect, very easy. And I'm going to link everything in the show notes as well so that the listeners can go there and link through and have a look at your rings and your service. And if you have any questions, guys, and you're just not sure, alex is more than happy to talk to you and answer your questions as well. That's what they're there for. They're there for a proper service as well, so make sure you answer them Absolutely.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much, alex. It's been so nice to talk to you. Thanks, yvette. I've had so much fun. Thanks for having me on, I'm glad. Thanks for that.