On wedding rings

One of the most important symbols in a wedding is the ring. I consider it the most obvious sign of the couple's unending love for each other (hence, the circle shape, too). My hubby says it's also the first thing you should look for in a girl or guy you're eyeing, to know whether she/he is committed or not.

But I digress...

Anyway, to grant a request from Pinoy online buddy utotmopink, I'm sharing you some tips on helping you and your partner find THE wedding ring.

I'm pretty sure you've seen lots of wedding ring designs in magazines, over the Net, or even on your friend's ring finger. At this point, it can get very confusing as to what wedding ring you would really like to wear forever. So first up, you should know the basic considerations when searching for a wedding ring.

One is the budget. How much are you willing to spend for a pair of wedding rings? Below $100? Around $400? Or maybe up to a thousand? Knowing your budget range will surely determine almost everything else about your rings.

Which would also include the second consideration: design. Would you want a plain band? Or something with diamonds? Would you like the rings to be in yellow gold, white gold, tungsten or titanium? If you'd like diamonds, how many or how big would they be?

The aforementioned consideration will also depend on your style. Would you want it simple and not too flashy? Or would you want it to be the center of everyone's attention with those big blings?

Once you have an answer to those questions, you can now scout for the wedding rings of your choice, whether online or in jewelry stores. Of course, be sure to bring your partner along so you could both decide on the one.

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Here in Manila, there are many options where you can find wedding rings that would suit your budget.

During my wedding preparations, I was told that inexpensive wedding rings were sold at Ongpin St. in Binondo, in Manila's Chinatown. I must admit, I never went there because I didn't know how to get there. Anyway, I was told that plain gold bands may cost around Php5,000 only (around $100) or even less. But here's the tricky part: I was told to be careful in buying the rings there because some are made of fake gold (gold probably mixed with another metal, steel perhaps?). One of the shops recommended by past brides was Mayfair Jewelry, at 809 Ongpin St. Unfortunately, we failed to drop by there.

So the next step was to look for rings somewhere near to where we live. We landed at The Jewellery in Greenhills. It's basically an area of jewelry stores, so canvassing is pretty easy because you don't have to walk too far to get to the next shop since they're located beside each other.

I've also encountered some other stores recommended by other Manila brides:

Goldenhills Jewelry, which also has a store in The Jewellery in Greenhills. I believe they have branches in other malls, too. Some brides recommend this store for their add-on services (free cleaning, etc., though I know other jewelry shops offer this, too) and free arrhae.

Suarez Wedding Rings, which has a shop at Gateway, Cubao (near the LRT2 entrance) and SM Mall of Asia. I believe they're one of the big names in jewelry in Cebu.

Matus Jewellery, which has a new branch at the SM Megamall Atrium (5th floor, I think).

Miladay, which is also located in The Jewellery and in malls like Robinsons Galleria. Incidentally, this is the shop where we bought our wedding bands (the photo above are our actual rings).

These are just some of the names that are on the top of my head. There are many other jewelry stores out there, especially in malls. Just take time in going around, canvassing, and asking about their prices and offers before your purchase.