New wedding ring styles that fit everyone's budget

October 22, 2009 Written by: Bill Crotty

A lot of details go into planning the big day, but picking out a wedding ring is a decision that you have to live with for the rest of your life - literally. You'll wear your ring everyday, so it should be something that matches your personality and reflects your own personal style.

With the recession still affecting the budgets of many brides and grooms, the ring is one area where couples have been especially creative and flexible.

"It's the meaning of a wedding ring that's important, and this can be achieved even with the plainest washer," Tanya Coulthard, city editor Wedding Bells magazine told MSNBC.

After the traditional gold band, platinum has become the Rolls Royce of wedding ring metals. For a similar look at a lower price point, choose a white gold or silver band. Though 24k gold is the standard for wedding bands, an 18k gold ring will actually be more durable and less malleable, the news source reports.

Another thrifty trend for couples is for each partner to choose a simple white gold band, with the intention of upgrading to more ornate and expensive rings on their fifth wedding anniversary.