For many couples, shopping for wedding bands is one of the most fun parts of planning: an excuse to crack open the champagne and adorn yourselves in gold and diamonds. And it’s worth making into a special event. Wedding bands are a visual symbol of your love and commitment, a reminder of your vows that you’ll wear every day, forever.
“A wedding ring is perhaps the most meaningful piece of jewellery we’ll ever wear — it holds memory, emotion and love,” says jewellery designer Annoushka Ducas. The options are more varied than ever – and, as with every other aspect of your wedding, there are no rules. Some couples opt for matching bands, while others choose different rings that suit each individual’s style. For brides, how well a wedding band complements an engagement ring is a big consideration.
“I always begin by asking: Should your wedding ring speak the same language as your engagement ring, or tell its own story beside it?” says designer Hattie Rickards. “For some, the engagement ring already holds deep personal meaning and visual presence. In that case, a simple, delicate band often works beautifully — complementing rather than competing. If you’re drawn to contrast and want your wedding ring to express a different style, that’s wonderful too — but it’s still important to consider how the two rings will sit together physically. Comfort, proportion, and harmony are key.”
If an engagement ring is ‘wed fit’, meaning it has a slightly higher profile, a wedding band will slot neatly beside it. Lower-profile engagement rings or those with large central stones might require a curved wedding band that follows the contours exactly. Alternatively, some brides like the visual space created between a straight wedding band and their engagement ring – it all comes down to personal preference.
“I love it when engagement rings and wedding bands are thoughtfully paired, but that doesn’t mean they have to match exactly. In fact, I often prefer when they don’t,” says Charlotte Freeman, founder of C Heinrich Diamonds. “A bit of contrast can be beautiful, whether it’s mixing metals, playing with different textures or widths, or combining unique diamond shapes. It gives each ring a chance to shine on its own. The key is finding the balance; they should complement each other without one overshadowing the other.”
Another important consideration is how the wedding band looks when worn alone, for those days when you choose to leave your engagement ring at home. “Whether it’s a diamond band or a chunkier gold band, which I think is very chic, it’s important that you choose something that feels just as special solo as it does paired with your engagement ring,” says Freeman.
Philippa Fergusson and Sally Herbert, co-founders of Philippa Herbert, have some practical advice to avoid embarrassment at the altar: “Make sure you try on your rings two weeks before the wedding so you have plenty of time to get them resized if necessary – there is nothing worse than them not fitting on the day of the ceremony!”
From timeless, pared-back gold bands to glamorous diamond-set designs, these are some of the best wedding bands to buy now.
Boodles
Set with one carat of brilliant-cut diamonds, this 11-stone ring combines glamour and practicality. It adds serious scintillation to your wedding ring finger, while the half-eternity setting means the diamonds are protected from everyday wear.
£5,500 Discover more here
Hancocks London
A pretty platinum eternity-style wedding band set with Old European cut diamonds three-quarters of the way around, which means it can be resized in the future if necessary. The combination of antique diamonds and modern bezel settings creates a timeless blend of history and modernity.
£5,500, Discover more here
Jessica McCormack
Loved by celebrities, Jessica McCormack has a stunning array of plain and diamond-set wedding bands from super-fine to extra-chunky, but we’re beguiled by this shell-inspired design: a stylish twist on a solid-gold classic.
£1,500, Discover more here
C Heinrich
“There will be days when you wear just your wedding band, and I always design with that in mind,” says founder Charlotte Freeman. This double-row diamond ring, combining brilliant-cut and marquise diamonds, packs a serious punch alone or stacked.
£4,450 Discover more here
Cartier
Is there anything chicer and more timeless than a plain gold wedding band? A plain gold wedding band that’s signed Cartier. This 2.5mm band whispers effortless elegance, letting your engagement ring take centre stage.
£770 Discover more here
De Beers
De Beers is known for its classical styles, but it also offers distinctive, modern designs. Brilliant-cut and pear-shaped diamonds are bezel set in yellow gold in this unusual, pretty wedding band – the perfect partner to a contemporary engagement ring.
£2,875 Discover more here
Hattie Rickards
“A wedding ring is such a personal piece—it’s the one you’re most likely to wear every day. So I always say: it should feel like you,” says Hattie Rickards, who works closely with couples to translate their personality into her bespoke designs. This slim, baguette-diamond wedding ring exudes modernity and understated style.
Price on application, Discover more here
David Morris
Struggling to decide between plain and diamond-set? This crossover band by David Morris offers the best of both worlds, with a scintillating line of pavé-set diamonds intersecting a platinum or white, rose or yellow-gold band.
From £1,550, Discover more here
Minka Jewels
Minka Jewels’ three-stone Mermaid engagement ring is on many a bride-to-be’s wishlist, and this sculptural ring is designed to hug the ring’s curves perfectly. A contemporary take on a timeless classic.
£750 Discover more here
Tiffany & Co
This chunky wedding band combines platinum and yellow gold in an iconic design created in 1959. A mixed-metal showstopper that’s more than a match for an equally showstopping engagement ring. XOXO…
£14,200 Discover more here
Annoushka
Scattered with 20 diamonds set flush into the metal, this slender ring features a ruby on the inside, for constant contact with the skin. Designer Annoushka Ducas encourages clients to add a personalised engraving. “It’s these quiet, hidden details that make it truly special,” she says.
£1,200 Discover more here
Dove House
Oval diamonds are popular with modern brides, and this bespoke eternity-style band continues the trend, wrapping the finger with oval diamonds set with minimal metal to let their brilliance shine. A wedding ring with A-list appeal.
POA, Discover more here
Philippa Herbert
This distinctive design combines the current trend for all things chunky and gold with antique-style star-set diamonds. Perfect for those who want their wedding band to make a style statement all of its own. A bespoke engraving adds a personal touch.
From £1,345, Discover more here
Vrai
This V-shaped wedding band is designed to fit around engagement rings with a large, elongated central stone, such as ever-popular pear-shaped solitaires. Pavé-set with 0.20 carats of lab-grown diamonds, it’s a delicately glamorous addition to your wedding stack.
£1,134 Discover more here
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