28 of the Best Wedding Bands for You and Your Partner

You’ve got the ring! You’ve found the dress! You’ve selected the cake! Now it’s time to pick one of the best wedding bands—for you and your partner. “Wedding bands are a very personal choice,” says jeweler Stephanie Wynne Lalin, half of the sister duo behind Jemma Wynne jewelry. Just like the engagement ring, there are various schools of thought for the wedding band: traditional—meaning hugging right up next to the band like a puzzle piece; mix-and-match—a band that’s fairly opposite from the engagement ring such as plain gold next to all pavé diamonds, etc; and avant-garde—modern, unusual, and often bespoke.

If you’re not selecting a band that sits directly against the engagement ring, consider an option that gives a bit of space—especially if the engagement ring is an unusual shape or construction. Jemma Wynne specializes, among other things, in two-stone moi et toi rings. They have plenty of clients that pick traditional plain bands to sit with these but they also celebrate a bride’s choice to select a band that is intentionally mismatched, intentionally different, intentionally meant to be born in an unorthodox way—such as their wedding band on their ring finger and engagement ring on another finger or the other hand. “Sometimes the band can take away from the specialty of [the ring],” says Wynne Traffic.

“The wedding band on its own should be something you really love,” says Wynne Lalin. A point worth spending some time on. With the goal of forever in mind, here you will not always wear that new sparkly diamond—or colored gemstone, or other fanciful delight—of choice. There are days, weeks, months, maybe years at a time where the wedding band will be the ring (“You’re not going to be wearing your engagement ring everywhere you go,” Wynne Lalin wisely says), so it’s really worth thinking about.

When it comes to selecting a band with and for your partner, their personal style comes into play here too. A man who has never worn a piece of jewelry before his wedding day will likely balk at a hefty chunk of a ring. A partner with eclectic taste may want something with more pizza.

One other thing to take into consideration is materials. After all, gold and platinum are fairly soft metals and scratch easily. Will your plain gold band sit directly up against your engagement band pavé band? Be prepared for some wear and tear and the need to polish every couple of years if you’d like to keep the gold one looking close to pristine.

All in all, the decision of the wedding band is an activity you and your future partner can do together. Above all, pick something that works for you as individuals—in style and personality—as you enter into your future union. Below, our suggestions for some of the best wedding bands in the market.