RING-a-ding-ding: A Story about Her

So when we last left off, I told you about Mr. Sweet Cream's band that he chose during our trip to Philly's Jeweler's Row... a choice that will live on his finger for years to come.

But what about lil' ol' me??

Well, I might have shared my pretty bling one here once or twice...

A refresher you might ask?  Well, I am happy to oblige.

So while it's totally unique and something that I was almost in tears (silly me!) after Mr. Sweets told me it was sold before he could get to it -- what a trickster -- it isn't something that is easy to match a band to.

I was told by friends and jewelry sales people about making it a right-hand ring and heard stories about girls who wore their wedding band without their engagement bling.  That's all well and fine for other girlies, but it didn't sit quite right in my heart for whatever reason.  I know that my left-hand ring finger would feel totally naked if it left.

I realize that I could just get a band to shape around it, like I've seen so many Almost Misses do.  I love that for them... but not for me.

So, after Mama Sweet Cream showed me her Ciocia Mary's (remember... half of me is Polish! It's all fancy and Polish for "Aunt") wedding band that Ciocia Mary's sweet hubby, Lou gave to her, I knew that it had to be something like this.

I then had in mind something simple that could just slide right on under the unique shaped ring that Mr. Sweet's just knew I loved... Someone out there could make something like this... right?

So on our first trip down Jeweler's Row I talked to Joe at Lynn Jewelry who said that it was totally doable.  And sent me to Unique Settings to get an idea of what I wanted.

So after eye candy like this....

...we decided on and idea that wasn't like all of the others.  We would combine the dotted look of the last picture, with rows and rows of dots with something like the second to last shot -- a whole new ring that would match right up to the details of my 1920s bling.  And I got it wide enough and flat enough that it should work -- well for me, that is!

Me with my inspiration pics -- ready to chat bands with Lynn Jewelry, Joe.

I must admit that I am a little nervous that I am not doing as Mr. Sweets did and ordering something that I could see live and in person  -- but Joe promised that I'd leave happy, even if that meant reworking it.

And what could be better than picking our bands, grabbing some lunch in the city & then taking in a Phils game? Mr. Sweets was pretty content the whole time, knowing that we had a game to go to later...

I love that instead of acting like it was a chore to cross off the list (although we totally understand the madness that is wedding planning...some things are very "chorish")...that we made a date of it and have memories of our day picking out our bands.

Did you have an usual engagement ring that you worked with to pick out the band?  What was your solution??  Did you make your band selection a "date" with your SO or did you just cross it off and move on?

NOTE: All pics of the bands are from Unique Settings of New York.  They have amazing rings all over that site and it was a great tool to find just what I wanted!

RING-a-ding-ding: A Story about Him

One of the things that we knew had to be crossed off the list was getting our bands.  After all the dances were danced, pictures were taken and kisses were kissed at our wedding, isn't this what would last as reminder of our commitment to each other and the day that made us "man & wife?"

So, we decided to make a little trip to Philly's-own Jewelers' Row.

For those of you unfamiliar with this street, it's a little part of Philly that is dedicated to, you guessed it, jewelry shops. 

Me & Mr. Sweets made a date of it on Valentine's Day in February to stroll around, get some ideas and actually had the most delicious brunch to ever grace our lips at Smokin' Betty's (Mr. Sweets had country biscuits and gravy with homemade biscuits, sausage gravy & potato hash and I opted for the "waffle of the Weekend" which had delicious strawberries right in the waffle. So. YUM. I might have almost bit Mr. Sweets' hand off when he offered me a taste of his...it was THAT good).  

We went home with business cards and notes from our Vday Romp Around the City and didn't really think about it again until months later.  Just around 4th of July I looked at our list of to dos and noticed that wedding band wasn't even crossed off!  So we made a trip the day of an evening Phillies game to the one-and-only Jewelers' Row.

We need bands & we need 'em now!

So with our notes & idea in mind, we went back to a little place called Lynn Jewelers, who promised that custom work could be done & that deals could be had.

Let me tell you about Mr. Sweet Cream's band first.  The mister practically picked out his band on our February trip and immediately after carousing the jewelry cases knew that he wanted tungsten.

Mr. Sweet Cream, who is involved in the tool business & is a tool freak, had sparkles in his eyes when he first heard that there are such things as rings made of this type of stuff.  I guess it just so happens that they use this metal in tools too?

For those like me who weren't familiar with tungsten, I refer to Wikipedia who says:

Tungsten carbide is an inorganic chemical compound containing equal parts of tunsten and carboncarbide.  In its most basic form, it is a fine gray powder, but it can be pressed and formed into shapes for use in industrial machinery, tools, abrasives as well as jewelery.  Tungsten carbide is approximately three times stiffer than steel and is much denser than steel or titanium.



So with the fact that it a darker metal, was tough, shiny & that it could be used in tools, Mr. Sweets knew that he had to have a tungsten band.


And he knew that he loved a beveled edge.  

via tungsten rings blog

But then got thrown for a loop with a concave version.

via Brent L Miller

So with the Phils waiting for us, Mr. Sweets remembered what he liked about each.

Mr. Sweets trying them on for size.

And then he decided on something different!  Mr. Sweets hadn't seen this tungsten beveled edge band before with a stripe of silver going through the middle. 

I am madly in love with Mr. Sweet Cream's choice of tungsten & silver!

 

So just like that he picked out his ring.

Now for me, it wasn't so simple...


What type of band did your guy decide on to sport his finger?  Was he super picky?  Did his choice surprise you?

*All pics personal unless otherwise noted.