Wedding Ideas

When the Christmas season rolls around each year, economists reveal the Christmas Price Index, which is a calculation of the cost to purchase all of the gifts in the popular holiday song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” This year, the Christmas Price Index checks in at a whopping $101,119.84 to purchase all of those French hens and maids-a-milking. However, if it is just golden budget wedding rings that you are looking for, you may be able to spend significantly less than this year’s Christmas Price Index.

Christmas is a popular time to propose marriage, whether you hide a set of diamond cluster rings in the toe of a Christmas stocking or have a waiter bring out a glass of diamond-studded champagne at your favorite restaurant. The best way to keep on a budget for both Christmas AND your wedding is to consider purchasing high-quality trio wedding rings sets that are composed of real diamond cluster rings.

If golden budget wedding rings are on your Christmas list (and in sets of three rather than sets of five), then here are a few options for you to consider:

1. Budget Wedding Rings: Floral

If your bride-to-be is a lover of gardens and all things floral, consider a trio wedding ring set that includes a cluster of diamonds on the engagement ring which is arranged in the shape of a stunning flower. This set includes not only the flower-centered engagement ring, but also two other diamond cluster rings: two wedding bands that are set with a more simple pattern of diamonds in a straight line in the 14 k yellow gold that will allow the engagement ring to really stand out. For only $836.99 for all three rings, you are sure to come in way under this year’s Christmas Price Index.

2. Budget Wedding Rings: Modern

For a more modern look, consider this set of budget wedding rings which features a large square-shaped cluster of diamonds in the engagement ring. All three rings in the set feature a pattern of angular lines to complement the visual statement of the engagement ring, and the wedding bands are both set with diagonal stripes of lustrous diamonds. At $1019.99, this set costs about one hundred times less than the Christmas Price Index for this year.

You put a lot of thought into choosing diamond cluster rings that fit both your style and your budget. Now that you have picked out and purchased your affordable wedding rings, how can you have some free fun with the beautiful rings that you picked out?

1. Get your affordable wedding rings cleaned.

One of the best ways you can take care of your diamond cluster rings is to periodically get them cleaned and inspected. Many jewelers offer free ring cleaning and inspection, especially if you take them to a local jeweler rather than a big jewelry chain store. Free ring cleaning is a very inexpensive thrill. Even if your ring didn’t look dirty to you, you will be excited to see the intense sparkle of your real diamond ring afterwards.

2. Get a manicure.

No, a manicure at an expensive spa is not a free wedding ring thrill. But if you get together with a friend and pool your nail care stashes, you can give each other manicures for free. File your nails, smooth them with lotion, and have a friend paint your nails with a long-lasting neutral shade. Now your hands will be ready to be grabbed by inquisitive friends and family who want to admire your engagement and wedding rings up close.

3. Take a photograph of your affordable wedding rings.

Once your diamond cluster rings are cleaned and your nails are manicured, get a friend to take several pictures of your sparkling fingers. Or, if you already have professional engagement or wedding photography planned, ask your photographer to take pictures of your rings on your fingers for your memories. Some couples like to have a picture of their hands to be enlarged and framed for their new home. Others like to have an informal snapshot of their ringed hand as a Facebook profile picture to announce their engagement or marriage.

Photo Credit: Flickr (powellizer)

The history of the wedding ring is not fully understood. Many sources cite ancient Rome as the original birthplace of the wedding ring, but others cite ancient Egypt as the home of the wedding tradition centuries before. And these ancient Egyptian rings were pretty different from today’s gold and diamond wedding bands. Brides wore rings woven from plants that grew alongside the Nile River. These makeshift rings, a far cry from a diamond cluster ring of today, usually did not survive very long with daily wear. Later, women were given more long-lasting metal rings. At the time, iron was the preferred substance to make these rings, but iron rings had the problem of growing rusty.

As the tradition of wedding rings passed from the Egyptians to the Greeks to the Romans, and all over Europe, the use of more precious metals and jewels became increasingly common. In fact, in Ireland, it was considered bad luck to use any metal besides gold for a wedding ring. Diamonds became popular due to their strength and durability. Interestingly, the use of more expensive materials to create wedding rings transformed the ring into a symbol of an economic contract between families more than a sacred contract between two people.

Although there is no mention of wedding rings in the Bible, some wedding ring traditions do originate from the Catholic Church. Indeed, in the 13th century, Pope Innocent III standardized marriage practices. One change he instituted was an expected waiting period between an engagement and a wedding. He also mandated that a different ring should be used to formalize each contract. That is why women generally have both an engagement ring and a wedding ring today.

For centuries, it was women alone who wore wedding rings. That changed in the twentieth century. World War II brought about the change for many countries. The tradition of wearing a wedding band expanded to men so that they would have a happy reminder of their lives back home with them when they went off to fight. Wedding ring traditions continue to grow and change around the world. In some cultures, gold and diamond wedding bands are traditionally worn on the toe rather than on the finger. In other cultures, it is traditional to give an additional diamond cluster ring for a major wedding anniversary.

Whatever your religious or cultural tradition, you can find a diamond cluster ring set that best reflects your own relationship, while continuing a tradition that has become an important symbol of the marriage vows.

Photo Credit: TMAB2003

Summer is almost here, and you’ve been thinking that you are ready to propose to your girlfriend. Pick out an inexpensive trio ring set that includes a beautiful real diamond engagement ring, and surprise your girlfriend with a proposal at your closest beach. Here are a few creative proposal ideas to get you started.

1. Find a large stick to write “Marry me!” in the wet sand close to the water. Be certain that your girlfriend reads your message before the waves wash it away. Slip the engagement ring from the trio ring set onto her finger when she says yes.

2. Take your girlfriend on a special picnic at the beach. Tie the engagement ring to the handle of her fork while packing the picnic, or hide the ring box in the picnic basket until the perfect moment to unpack it.

3. If you’ve got a bigger proposal budget, hire an advertising airplane to fly a banner over the beach that says “Will you marry me?” while you are splashing in the waves or soaking in the sun with your girlfriend.

4. Take a walk on the beach at sunrise or sunset with the engagement ring from the trio ring set in your pocket. Get down on one knee in the sand when the moment is right.

5. Get tickets for a short whale-watching trip or a dinner cruise if neither of you is prone to seasickness. When you are out on the water, find a private moment to pull your girlfriend aside and ask her to share your life.

6. Build a sand castle with your girlfriend. When she is not looking, put the ring box in her bucket, on her shovel, on top of the castle, or some other place where she will see it right away.

For more proposal inspiration, you may wish to read 5 Creative Proposal Ideas for Easter, Creative Proposal Traditions from Around the World, Creative Proposal Ideas from Books and Movies, or 10 Romantic Ways to Propose this Christmas.