Custom Platinum channel set eternity band with princess cut diamonds

By Guest Blogger: Whiteflash.com

It is coming closer and closer to your wedding day and you still don’t have a wedding band? This happens more often than not and many grooms find themselves in a time crunch to find a wedding band in a mist of wedding dilemmas.

With today’s connection to online communities and social media applications like Facebook and Twitter, e-commerce shopping trends have increased dramatically. The traditional engagement ring and wedding band search has traveled to a new realm; the online shopping world. The ease of access to the internet has taken over most peoples lives in the simplicity of online shopping: click, buy and ship.

Statistics show that shopping online for wedding bands and many wedding items has increased in popularity with couples finding more time on their hands to go online, rather than searching the endless line of brick and mortar stores for the ever-time consuming journey. And at the end of your tedious journey you try to recount what you saw before, where is was and how much. Today’s online groom has is much easier browsing from their desk at work, while getting a coffee at starbuck’s or even more often on their phone. The search does not stop with wedding rings but also is seen in groomsmen’s gifts and bridal accessories as well. The world has become more connected…the grooms of today can browse through a stores collection located in Texas while tanning on the beach in Cancun. This phenomenon of global search has steadily become the norm. So get online and searching!

A Couple Tips on Your Search:
1) Make sure you know which metal is best for you (Gold, Platinum, Titanium, Tungsten, etc)
2) Reputation Matters (find an accredit company and look up reviews on sites such as iVouch and BBB)
3) Know how much you want to spend
4) Bring ideas for styles (do you want something you have already seen or something customized to your taste)

Custom 14K white gold men's ring with two princess cut diamonds and a wirebrush finish

Custom 14K white gold men's wedding band including two rows of five channel set princess cut diamonds totaling approximately 2.00ctw

Custom Platinum Men’s Braid Wedding Band with a Satin Finish.

Monday’s recommended wedding links for the groom. Enjoy!

Meet Paul & Caragh Brooks: you may already know them as the couple who got married at Taco Bell

Nuptuals Grande: Couple Rings Wedding Bells at Taco Bell – asylum

Groom Wedding Bands – whiteflash

Best Man Loses Pants During Wedding – bride tide

Signs you Should Call off the Wedding – ask men

Slipknot’s Corey Taylor Ties the Knot in Vegas – entertainment tonight

5 Unique Flasks for Groomsmen – groomsadvice

Men’s Wedding Accessories – the dessy group

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do you have a link that you’d like to share in a future link drop? send it to us

Guest Blogger Profile: Whiteflash.com

Our friends at Whiteflash.com have grooms covered with a wide selection of wedding bands and men's jewelry.

The last thing a groom thinks about is his wedding ring. It’s the poor cousin to his bride’s spectacular diamond engagement ring. That said, the groom’s wedding ring is the one indicator that this man has a gorgeous wife somewhere, possibly on his arm. The great news is that a groom and bride’s wedding rings are the one item in a wedding that don’t cost a fortune. In this article, Whiteflash.com covers what a man needs to know about the most important piece of jewelry he’ll ever wear.

Unless you’re a groom wearing a high school or college ring, chances are your wedding ring is going to be the first real piece of jewelry (gasp!) and the most important ring you’re ever going to wear. While you did your duty by buying an engagement ring and popping the question, you’ll want to think about the ring that you buy for your bride and the one you’ll wear on your ring finger. We make it easy to get through the variety of choices for men’s wedding bands, from platinum to titanium and everything in between.

Cost of the Wedding Ring
A man’s wedding rings will cost between approximately $100 (for titanium rings) to $2000 (for platinum with diamonds set in the ring), with most rings coming in around $600. The reason for the price range (albeit much less of a range than a woman’s diamond engagement ring) is the material used to make the band, and whether diamonds are used.

Mens Wedding Rings Materials
A groom’s wedding band will be made of platinum, white gold, yellow gold, titanium or stainless steel  Platinum and white gold are, at present, the most popular materials.

White gold is an alloy of gold (ie. it is a mixture of gold and silver or palladium). This is where the concept of Karat comes in. Karat is a measure of the purity of the material. An 18K gold ring has 75% pure gold. The higher the karat, the softer the ring and the more easily it will get scratched and dented. Accordingly, 18K is considered the optimal karat (with pure gold coming in at 24 karats).

There are positives and negatives with each type of wedding ring material you purchase. In particular, each will show different wear and tear after some time. The photo above shows what you can expect after one year of wear from each of the popular wedding ring materials.

Learn more about men’s wedding ring materials:
•    Platinum Wedding Rings – the king of rings
•    White Gold Wedding Rings – the most popular choice for the groom
•    Gold Wedding Rings – the classic ring choice for the groom
•    Tungsten Wedding Rings – won’t scratch and very inexpensive
•    Titanium Wedding Rings – slick, but has some drawbacks

Men's wedding rings from Whiteflash.com

Width of the Wedding Ring
The width of a man’s wedding ring is measured in millimeters. The smallest rings are 3 mm in width, whereas the largest rings are 8mm in width. Generally, men will purchase a ring that is on the larger side, tending towards 5-6 mm.

Style
Many of the younger generations of men choose simple wedding bands, and generally, have shied away from yellow gold in favor of 18k white gold or platinum. Some men have chosen rings that have a braid carved in them, or alternatively, some other edging that the manufacturer has set. Diamond-studded rings for men are definitely in the minority.

For additional comfort, grooms should consider purchasing a ring where the inside of the wedding ring is cambered or with rounded edges. Frankly, however, when a groom first wears a ring – any ring – it is likely to feel like a foreign object, with hard edges. Over time, rounded edges probably don’t add much, especially since most of the time, you’ll not even notice your ring. (You will, however, notice when your ring is not on your finger, as you reach to play with it. Read on to find out why this is the case.)

When to Buy the Wedding Band
Generally, a groom will buy his bride’s diamond engagement ring separate from the wedding bands, as the bride and groom each have wedding bands, and may want to choreograph the look of their rings with matching wedding bands. Accordingly, the wedding bands should be purchased two months before the wedding (at the latest). This will allow for time to get it sized properly, and make any adjustments.

Matching groom and bride wedding bands from Whiteflash

Ring Measurements
The diameter of the ring will be measured either by your jeweler, or if you are buying wedding rings online, all reputable online retailers have suggested wedding ring size guides that you can print out. And even if you are buying your ring online, jewelry stores will happily fit you for your ring (as they try to sell you on their product!)

Working Out
A note – men should take their ring off and put it in a safe place (and the same place) when going to the gym to work out. This is because dumbbells and barbells can easily scratch or dent ring materials. Don’t leave it in the locker, but rather, put it in your bag. Countless husbands have had to admit to their wives that they lost their 18k white gold wedding ring at the gym.

Playing with Your Ring
One of the first things a groom will do upon wearing his ring for the first time as a husband, and not a groom, will be to play with it. Twisting it on his finger, many a groom will twist and turn at the ring when nervous, such as when the groom makes his wedding speech.

Your wedding band will be a constant reminder of your wife and the commitment you’ve made. Perhaps it’s a reminder that you haven’t bought flowers recently. Or that you should tell her that you love her everyday. Whatever it signifies to you, take some time to pick out a man’s wedding ring you will be happy to wear.

We recently stumbled across a very cool company that’s launched an edgy brand of men’s tungsten rings. Introducing 3headedpony.com

The two best words in online shopping: free shipping.

We know you don’t wanna hear us babble about anything else, so we’ll let you hear it straight from the horse’s errr pony’s mouth:

Dude, you’re whipped, you might as well face it. Let’s be honest, the least you can do is get a killer ring out of the deal. Genuine Tungsten Carbide Bands by 3HEADEDPONY are scratch-resistant and permanently polished. We ask the hottest chicks we can find to pick out the styles offered on 3HEADEDPONY. Unfortunately, they are always too busy. You’ll still find styles that you and the Mrs. will dig, we promise. Did we mention that we ship USPS Priority mail for free, just in case your pre-wedding task list snuck up on you? Check us out at 3headedpony.com

Jewelry and Groom Style Expert expert Michael O’Connor stops by to share some tips exclusively for The Man Registry’s grooms on wedding bands.

Dilek Sezen Wedding Band Set

Let’s face it, if you’re reading this you’re most likely a guy who is heading down the aisle within the foreseeable future.  And as a guy who is heading down the aisle shortly I can assume that you have probably been through the process of purchasing an engagement ring. Therefore, you have recently received what you may feel is a significant jewelry education or perhaps more jewelry information that any one guy really needs to know.

But what did you really learn about jewelry that can help you make educated jewelry purchases in future, and you know there will be more! For that matter, what did you learn that will help you make the perfect choice right now, as you begin your search for wedding bands? The diamond education that you received while buying the engagement ring won’t help you now. You’ll need some good solid jewelry basics to help you make this choice, plus of course, a few options to suit your own sense of style and personality.

Men's diamond wedding band from Frederick Goldman

So let’s test your mettle (metal knowledge, that is). Do you know the differences between platinum and white gold? Do you know that 18 karat gold is better than 14 karat gold? Do you know why? Well 14 karat gold (based upon 24 karat being pure gold) is approximately 58.5% pure gold, making the balance of 41.5% a mix of other metals. These metals in the jewelry industry are called “alloys”. Alloys can range in composition from 1 specific metal to a combination depending upon the color of gold that the designer wishes. You should know right of the bat that all gold, when mined from the earth is yellow and there is no such thing as white gold, rose gold, or any other color gold that is found in nature other than yellow. Therefore the color is created by disguising the natural yellowness of gold by mixing a variety of other metals with it. Rose gold, for example gets its pinkish color by mixing alloys that are primarily copper. So like the bottom of a pot or saucepan, the piece takes on a pinkish hue. White gold is created in the same way, camouflaging the color of the naturally yellow gold with other “whitening” alloys. Additionally, with white gold, since it is never truly pure white in color due to the higher concentration of yellow gold to alloys, manufacturers usually apply a “plating” of rhodium, a naturally white metal, over the top to give the appearance of extreme whiteness (the rhodium will eventually wear off exposing a less white underneath). The same rule applies to other karats of gold. So when people say that 18 karat gold is “better”, what they really mean is that it has more pure gold and less alloy, being approximately 75% pure gold and 25% alloy mix.

When purchasing anything you wear it is important to keep in mind two things: where you will be wearing the item and how you will be wearing the item. Male wedding bands are no different.  You need to remember that you will be wearing it: 1. As a sign of your important commitment. 2. With everything that you choose from the time you put it on. 3. Every day, for life. Therefore it’s important to choose wisely from both a style perspective and a materials perspective. My advice on the matter is this:

Groom Wedding Band from Frederick Goldman

Male wedding band from Kirk Kara

A wedding band is the outward symbol of one of the most important commitments you will make during your lifetime.  As such, it deserves the distinction of being made from a precious and more rare metal. Just like you wouldn’t celebrate a major job promotion with a bottle of water and a bag of potato chips, celebrating your lifetime commitment to another needs to be marked by a something truly precious and special – not the same metal that your kitchen sink is made of.  Choose a precious metal such as platinum or gold to mark the importance of your commitment. Today even the best designers are offering a wide variety of weights and widths of wedding bands in order to appeal to any budget you may have so don’t feel you have to trade down to a non-precious metal in order to save money. Additionally, since you will be wearing the ring for life, you’ll want it made from a metal that can be refinished, restored or re-sized over your lifetime (I know that my fingers are not the same size they were 10 years ago).  You will also want your ring made from a metal that is durable enough to stand up to daily wear.  While platinum and gold are both precious metals each will wear over the long term in different ways with platinum being the more durable of the two. The reason is that platinum is more “dense” than gold and will loose little metal to everyday wear. That’s why the most important diamonds in the world are set into platinum, to ensure their security. However, if you like the yellow hue of gold, platinum is a naturally white metal and is not alloyed in the same way as gold. This means that it is purer, usually at 90% – 95% pure platinum, and the color, unlike gold because of the alloys, will always be true white.

When choosing a suitable style of a wedding band, remember again that you will be wearing this ring for many years. Think about how your personal style has evolved over the past number of years and choose a ring that you’ll be happy with for a long time.  If shiny is not your thing, many designers are showing beautiful matte or brushed finished bands with a rugged more masculine feel. If plain polished or brushed is just “too plain” some of the hottest designers today are adding beautiful carvings and patterns to men’s wedding bands to create interest. Also, don’t be afraid of think about a band with diamonds or colored gemstones if you like them. There are plenty to choose from and some gemstones may have special meaning to you, such as yours or your fiance’s birthstone, creating even deeper meaning behind your bands. And finally, although both of you may have different styles, and therefore want different rings, which if fine, one thing that should signify the pairing of those rings is the choice of the precious metal being used.

A special thanks to guest blogger Michael O’Connor

Wedding Band & Groom Style Expert Michael O'Connor

Michael O’Connor is one of America’s leading voices on jewelry, style and accessories and has become the “go-to” resource for editors and producers seeking information on current trends and celebrity information.  O’Connor as been involved in the luxury, jewelry and fashion industries in a career that spans over 25 years.  Starting originally as a jewelry designer and forecasting upcoming trends, O’Connor has worked with some of the most recognized brands and helped develop some of the most followed trends in the world (such as the 3-diamond “past, present, future” styling).  Throughout the year O’Connor works with numerous top celebrities and celebrity stylists helping them to accessorize with jewelry for awards shows, appearances and premiers.  Additionally, he works with leading fashion and accessories editors and television producers to select products for their photo pages, illustrate story lines and programs.