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A few generations ago, women were expected to change their last names after getting married. Until the 1970s, some states even required women to use their husbands’ names to vote, get a driver’s license or do banking. But times have changed, and modern couples can decide for themselves how they want to navigate the name-change question.

To Change or Not?

There’s no universal right or wrong decision. Some same-sex and straight couples keep their current names. Some hyphenate or combine both last names to create a shared new one. And some women or men decide to take their spouse’s name. Since it’s often an emotionally loaded topic, it’s important to think through your personal preferences and discuss them with your partner in advance. You may find that you both feel strongly about it and have to work through a compromise. Or you may learn that it’s not really a big deal to your partner either way.

By the Numbers

Around 20% of women married in recent years have decided to keep their names, according to a Google Consumer Survey conducted by The Upshot. And another 10% chose an alternative option, such as hyphenating their name. Since gay marriage has only been legal nationwide since 2015, there is not yet much data on the trends for same-sex couples.

For Your Consideration

If you’re not sure if you want to change your name or not, start by asking yourself open-ended questions. Pay attention to any gut reactions you have, and talk about your perspective with your future spouse.

Questions to get you started:

• What feelings do you have when you think about changing or keeping your name? What do you want to do?
• How does your name influence your identity? Does changing your name affect this?
• What factors (personal, political, historical, religious, etc.) are important for you in this decision?
• If you and your partner want to have children some day, what last name do you want them to have? Is it important for you all to have the same name?
• Are there any professional or financial concerns you have about changing your name?

Choices, Choices

Here are a few naming options to explore:

• Keep your name
• Take your spouse’s name, or have your spouse take yours
• Take your spouse’s name, and use your last name a middle name
• Hyphenate your two last names
• Merge your two last names into one
• Pick a completely new last name

Ultimately there is no one right answer to this question. You and your partner may have differing opinions on this topic, but the most important thing is to give each other the ability and space to share your feelings, and to make a decision based on what you both value together.

Ten years ago, customized ring sets were practically unheard of… unless, of course, you had an unlimited budget and could work with an artisan to handcraft them.

Since this option was only accessible to the super-wealthy, most of us normal folks just had to browse the showcases at jewelry stores and settle for the rings that were available.

The problem with this default system is that engagement and wedding rings are not a casual, off-the-shelf purchase. Your rings are the only physical objects you have as a couple that represent your unity. You don’t want just any rings; you want your rings – the ones that you feel an emotional connection to, and that show who you’re married to.

This is the heart of why My Trio Rings decided to make affordable customized rings a priority. With our approach, you have the opportunity to make your rings your own. You are an integral part of the design process, from start to finish, which makes your rings far more meaningful.

The Rise of Customization

In recent years, particularly with the increase in 3D printing, customized rings have become more accessible – though at prices over $10,000, they’re still not very affordable.

Now, instead of having to find an independent artisan to craft your rings, you can find more mainstream jewelers who offer customization. The process looks something like this:

• You work one-on-one with a designer, bringing your ideas, sketches or photos and explaining what you want your rings to look like
• The designer uses computer-aided design (CAD) to build your ring design from scratch, rendering what the head, body and diamonds will look like when put all together
• The designer prints out a 3D model of the rings, gets your changes and approval, then crafts the actual rings

The Problem with this Approach

Price & Time

This is a time-consuming method, requiring a lot of the designer’s time, which can easily add $1,000 or more on top of the normal cost of the rings.

Risk

The jeweler is creating a completely custom design for the very first time, which means the rings could have unexpected structural problems. For example, the head of the engagement ring you want might not be properly supported by the ring body you choose. You’re putting all your trust in the designer, hoping that he or she will create what you envision. But if you don’t end up liking your rings, you’re unlikely to be able to return them. After all, what would the jeweler be able to do with completely customized ring sets?

How My Trio Ring Does Customization Better

My Trio Rings decided to go in a completely different direction.

With four generations of expertise in diamond jewelry crafting, we knew there was a better way to design customized rings that wouldn’t require starting from scratch every single time. We wanted to offer our customers the ability to personalize their rings and get exactly what they want, but we also wanted to eliminate the time delays and price hikes.

With our Create Your Own tool, you are able to direct the design process completely online. This alone dramatically lowers the price point from what other jewelers offer.

Here’s how it works:

• Go to the Create Your Own tool
• Play with different looks that match your personal style and your budget. This allows you to experiment with different diamond heads, wedding band styles, types of gold, etc., selecting from thousands of variations.

• First, browse through the 20 diamond head options, ranging from solitaires to cluster heads in a wide variety of styles. Click each head to instantly see a detailed photo of what your customized ring would look like. For example, if you are on a tighter budget, you might opt for a cluster setting; it gives a big, elegant look, but it’s more affordable than a solitaire. But if you want to take the next step up in price, you could select a round or princess-cut solitaire.

• Once you’ve found a head you like, select your engagement ring and women’s wedding band styles. Compare what your setting looks like in 10K or 14K white or yellow gold, and visualize your rings in a huge selection of styles.

• When you’ve designed your bridal set, move on to the men’s wedding band, selecting from white or yellow gold bands (some plain, some set with diamonds) that complete your perfect trio ring set. When you add a men’s wedding band to the bridal set, you automatically receive a 5% discount at checkout.

• Click through for detailed information on your set’s appearance, specifications and price, And throughout the whole process, you can get assistance from our customer service representatives.

The Benefits of Our Approach

We curate the diamonds to offer the very best price-to-quality ratio possible, so all you have to focus on is what you like. Create Your Own offers thousands of different combinations of designs.

Price

Since we offer a variety of curated design elements, you aren’t starting from the very beginning – which means you aren’t paying for a designer’s time to figure out a totally new design, which may not look as you expected once crafted. Customization doesn’t drive up the price of your rings; you’ll pay around the same amount for a customized ring set as you would for any other My Trio Rings set. (Our popular layaway plan is also available for customized rings – you create an individual payment plan that works for you.)

Less Hassle

You don’t have to fight traffic for scheduled appointments, or struggle to get help in a store. Our customer service is available to assist you online, 24/7. And our state-of-the-art Create Your Own tool allows you to customize your ring design in an easy, interactive and fast experience.

No Surprises

There’s no guessing game with our customization tool, no worrying that what you see in a drawing or model won’t turn out the same in real life. Your rings will look exactly the way you designed them to. Read through our couple’s reviews, and you’ll see a common theme that the rings look even better than expected!

Risk Free

If you change your mind about your rings, you don’t have to worry about losing your investment. Our return policy also applies to our customized rings: return or exchange them within 30 days for no penalty. And because we offer predesigned elements, we also already know that your rings will be high-quality and structurally sound. You don’t have to know everything about the 4 C’s or intricate jewelry design to build your one of a kind matching ring set.

Fast Turnaround

Our customized rings can be shipped out in as quick as 3 days, whereas rings crafted by jewelers could take anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks to deliver.

More Personalization

Our customized rings offer the same matching set options as our other inventory, so you can be sure the wedding bands and engagement ring complement each other perfectly. You can also engrave your rings with a personalized and meaningful message to take that customization one step further!