We all know that weddings are expensive. The venue, photographer, music, florist, and attire are just some of the costs you’ll likely face when planning your wedding, and all of these costs add up. So it’s no wonder why many couples want to find the most affordable options available to them. For wedding rings, some couples believe that this means shopping for them online. However, as many of these couples eventually find out, shopping for wedding bands online comes with drawbacks. Here are the main reasons why you should only shop for wedding rings at a local jewelry store.

• You’ll have the opportunity to try on different styles. For women, this means seeing which styles will look best with your engagement ring. For men, this means trying on different widths and looking at different metal options to see which style you prefer.
• You’ll receive advice from a wedding band expert. Jewelers work with wedding bands all the time. We design them, we create them, and we repair them if needed. This means that we know which wedding bands will last the longest, fit your lifestyle, complement your taste in fashion, and lead to the least amount of headaches later down the road.
• You’ll have the opportunity to customize your wedding band. Whether that means designing an entire ring from scratch based on your preferences, creating a shadow band that fits nicely against your engagement ring, or engraving a special message inside the ring, you’ll be able to work one-on-one with a jeweler to ensure you end up with the exact ring you want.
• You’ll avoid accidentally purchasing a piece that failed to meet your expectations. Because you can’t see the wedding band in person, you may be purchasing something that isn’t what you thought it would be. The metal color might not look like the online picture, the diamonds might not shine as bright as you thought, or the ring may not look as good on your finger as you thought it would. Whatever the case, if you do decide to purchase a wedding band online, make sure the company you’re purchasing from has a favorable return policy.
• You’ll be able to build or continue that essential relationship with a jeweler. Ring repair and maintenance services like sizing, rhodium plating, polishing, and gemstone tightening are all accomplished by a jeweler. When the time comes when you’re in need of one of these services, you’re going to want to go to a jeweler you trust.
• You’ll find better quality at a small, locally owned jewelry store. Oftentimes, if a wedding band is cheaper online, it’s because it was poorly made. This means that you’ll likely experience problems later down the road, like diamonds falling out or the band cracking. So even though you may save some money initially, purchasing a low-quality wedding band can actually cost you more over the long run.

Spending your wedding budget wisely is a must. This means spending the appropriate amount of money on the things most important to you and your future spouse and cutting costs on some of more trivial things. When it comes to selecting a wedding band, don’t skimp on quality if you don’t have to. The majority of your wedding band expenses can only be enjoyed during the big day. Wedding bands, however, will be admired and looked at every day for the rest of your life. Do you want the band that you’re going to wear every day, the one that signifies your commitment to the one person you love most in the world, to be a $20 ring you found on some website online or do you want a fine quality wedding band that came from a place you trust in your very own community?