Amayzine

Why you should choose wedding rings on your own

Women and shiny things: I don't know what it is. But if I put one half toe in a random jeweler, I already become hysterical.

Suddenly I realize that I really need a bit more diamonds. Necklaces, rings, extra rings, rings with a big stone, a small stone, and a bunch of sparkles and yes, also some gold bracelets. Actually, I have nothing. Oh, look there. Wide bracelets, thin bracelets Yellow gold, white gold, rose gold; I want it. I need it. I can't live without it anymore. But no. I'm not here for cheerful arm candy and elegant necklaces that come down to my navel. I'm here with one important task: I'm here to choose wedding rings. And that's why I'm not alone in the jeweler: my boyfriend and I are going to try on and measure together. Yay.

We're presented with a box full of glitter and gold and I have to swallow a bit to keep my drool in check. I want that one. I want that one too. And for this ring finger, two little rings will definitely fit. No no, I can only have one. The most beautiful one, because it is a ring for eternity, hopefully. Do I want a wide gold band on the ring, no gold between the diamond stones, 14 carats or 16 carats or 18 carats? Do I want to have a date engraved or also our names? What size do I actually have? I hesitate and look and judge. I don't know. Then I check my boyfriend on the left. He's already done. He's staring out the window again. He chose a tough men's model and hop, his sizes have been measured and he thinks it's all fine. ‘A gold ring is just a gold ring, right?‘ says the best man. We've just been in for four minutes.

My mouth almost drops open. I would love to go to six other jewelers in the city to compare a bit. Not just in terms of price, but especially in terms of assortment. Because a wedding ring is NOT just a ring, it is of LIFE importance. It is the most beautiful piece of jewelry you will ever buy, right? Why doesn't he understand that? Why doesn't he look with me, why don't we bike to the other side of the city for that one famous jeweler in the North, why don't we first look for a few weeks on Pinterest for some inspiration and examples? Men… !#%*!(!$^@&.

And then… I suddenly see one shining so beautifully… Oh my God, that one is twice as expensive as our agreed budget. But wait a minute. My boyfriend is already staring out the window. Ha. He only half notices. ‘Yeah yeah, that's nice, darling, just get that one.’ Then I suddenly realize what the only real advantage is of buying rings TOGETHER. The prices of the two rings are simply added together, so every man in the story doesn't really know how expensive his wife's ring is. And so men also don't really know what his costs in comparison to.

Suddenly I find it much less bad that I couldn't browse alone in the bracelet section. And let this be a wise lesson for all future brides among us.

FACTS

  • The average price for a set of wedding rings in the Netherlands is 1500 euros.
  • Actually, wedding rings were only intended for women. Only after World War II did men start the tradition, because they were often away from home.
  • The first wedding rings were made from reed stems.