Listen up, because we’re about to drop an important piece of info:
Your wedding? It’s about YOU.
It may seem obvious that a wedding is all about the two people getting married, but in reality, it’s often anything but. It’s easy to let traditions, common practices, and other people’s ideas dictate elements of your special day.
When it comes to the wedding ring, though, it’s time to put all of those other voices aside and focus on what feels right to you and your partner. After all, this ring is a representation of your marriage – why not make it as unique and special as your love story?
If your Pinterest board is full of inspo, and diamonds are, indeed, your best friend, then maybe you already have this ring thing figured out. However, if you still haven’t found the ring that feels like The One, then we’ve rounded up some incredible suggestions for unique wedding bands that you’ll love wearing.
Handcrafted and Custom Rings
If you opt for a ring made from a traditional material (think gold, silver, and gemstones), one way to make it more unique is to choose a handcrafted or custom ring. Wondering where you can find a handmade wedding ring? We’ve got you covered!
LUUM: Jewelry With a Story To Tell
Jessica and Jeff turned Yucatan mud from their engagement trip into a unique ring with LUUM. From family heirlooms to any significant material from your love story, LUUM creates truly one-of-a-kind rings.
Wedding Pioneer Exclusive: Use coupon code WP10 to get 10% off of your ring!
LUUM is a new jewelry company focused on creating custom wedding rings that are infused with the depth of meaning that they deserve.
LUUM artisans carefully hand-forge each ring using materials that are meaningful to the couple. Each couple must provide their own casting medium, choosing something that lends special significance to the ring-making process.
For founders Jessica Nahmias and Jeff Forrest, that casting medium was mud saved from their engagement trip down the Yucatan Peninsula, but you can choose any material that holds meaning for you. LUUM gives a variety of suggestions, including clay, salt, ash, and brick, but they love working with creative casting mediums, too!
Couples may also provide their own metal to be melted and recast into a ring. Choose an heirloom or other meaningful piece of jewelry (or other noble metal item) to add another layer of significance to your band.
Tattoo Wedding Bands
Your wedding ring is a symbol of your marriage vows, so why not opt for something just as permanent as “til death do us part?” Enter tattoo wedding bands.
For couples who don’t like the idea of wearing a wedding ring every day, a tattoo is a clever solution. It can be as simple or creative as you like, and it marks your eternal devotion without the need for jewelry.
Who Should Consider a Tattoo Wedding Ring?
An inked wedding band might be a great fit for people in professions where a wedding ring could be a hazard (electricians, medical professionals, and those in the construction industry come to mind).
They’re also worth considering if you or your partner simply don’t like wearing jewelry, want to sport something custom-designed, or have and love tattoo art as a general rule.
Silicone Wedding Bands
Silicone is a soft, flexible, and durable rubber material that you’ve surely seen everywhere. Straws, spatulas, and now wedding rings: silicone does it all!
A silicone wedding band is durable, comfortable, and affordable. Many people choose this type of ring as a complement to a more traditional wedding band and wear it in situations when they don’t feel comfortable wearing their metal ring.
Who Should Consider a Silicone Wedding Band?
Silicone wedding bands have become much more popular in recent years, as even people who wear a traditional wedding band some of the time have realized how nice a silicone band is in certain situations.
In some professions, it’s just not safe to wear a metal ring. That makes a silicone wedding band a great option for electricians, firefighters, heavy machine operators, medical professionals, and more.
Silicone bands are also popular among the active and outdoorsy. You can feel comfortable wearing a silicone ring for anything from rock climbing to lifting weights to swimming, thanks to its lightweight, stretchy material and durability.
Where Can You Get a Silicone Wedding Ring?
Options for silicone wedding rings abound (we told you they were popular!). You have a lot of decisions to make in this wedding-planning season, so let us narrow this one down for you by showing off a few of our favorites.
Manly Bands
The Perry by Manly Bands is a sleek and stylish silicone ring designed to combine practicality with a touch of sophistication. This ring is crafted with the modern man in mind, offering a comfortable and flexible alternative to traditional metal bands.
Manly Bands is a site dedicated to making sure everyone loves their wedding band, whether the perfect band looks like a whiskey barrel or a dinosaur bone (but more on that later!). Manly Bands’ collection of silicone rings ranges from classic to colorful, and at the time of writing, they’re all $50 or less.
Groove Life
Groove Life offers a wide range of designs, allowing you to express your personal style. Silicone rings are lightweight and flexible, ensuring a comfortable fit for all-day wear.
Groove Life is a brand selling products made for life in the rugged outdoors, and it all started with their silicone rings. The ridge inside the ring allows for airflow under the soft rubbery material, which is essential when working with your hands. They come in a wide variety of colors and patterns and wide, thin, or stackable thicknesses.
Enso Rings
The Enso Exclusive silicone ring is in a league of its own. Each ring is created with internal breathing channels, making them not only the most luxurious silicone rings but also the most breathable.
If there’s a specific style you’re looking for in a silicone ring, Enso Rings probably has it. The Elements collection is infused with real precious metals, giving it a metallic sheen and a luxurious appearance suggestive of a traditional wedding ring. However, if you’re looking for a Mickey Mouse ring, well, they have that too. Best of all, Enso rings are made in the USA and have a lifetime warranty.
Seal the deal with the all-new contour elements ring. Infused with our special blend of precious materials, the contour brings a realistic metallic look and shine unlike any other and the flexible Enso comfort you know and love.
Resin Wedding Bands
Resin, or epoxy resin, is a clear, hard plastic substance that can be used to make rings. The resin is mixed with a hardener and poured into a ring mold. Before pouring, the resin can be mixed with pigments, glitter, or even tiny objects like beads or flowers.
Once the ring has cured, it is removed from the mold and sanded and polished to make it smooth and shiny.
Who Should Consider a Resin Wedding Band?
Resin rings are perfect for a couple who wants total control over customization. You can include your favorite colors, flower petals from the garden you grew together, or even grains of sand from your last beach vacation. The options are pretty endless!
Beginners can make resin rings, so this option may also appeal to couples who want to make their wedding rings themselves.
Where Can You Get a Resin Wedding Band?
Don’t fret if you’re not the crafty type. Resin ring makers abound on craft sites like Etsy, and many even allow you to send in your own materials to include in the ring.
Preserve your precious dried flower petals in a beautiful handmade resin ring with our Custom Resin Ring. This ring is clear with your petals that you send to us and your choice of either silver and/or gold foil.
Caring for Resin Wedding Rings
A resin wedding ring requires a bit more care than a traditional ring. First off, you should avoid using any products with harsh chemicals, such as nail polish remover, hand sanitizer, and cleaning products. Chlorinated pools and body products like lotions and perfumes also pose a risk.
You should also steer clear of abrasive objects and extreme heat while your ring is on. In short, this isn’t the right ring to wear while working with your hands.
Wooden Rings
Wooden rings come in a couple of varieties: bentwood rings and inlaid wood rings.
Bentwood Rings
Bentwood Rings are made by vacuum impregnating the wood in an adhesive and bending it in a circle to achieve an extremely durable and waterproof construction.
Bentwood rings are made entirely of wood. They are formed by soaking or steaming thin veneers of wood until they are flexible. These veneers are then wrapped tightly together to form a ring. Once the wood dries again, the ring maintains its shape.
Bentwood rings are strong, lightweight, and durable. They beautifully showcase the grain of the wood, and no two will ever be exactly alike.
Rings With Wooden Inlay
Some ring manufacturers make metal rings that feature strips of wood inlay. These wood elements may decorate the outside of the ring or form a layer of the interior next to the skin. In either case, the wood adds a unique and attractive detail to the metal ring.
Non-Traditional Materials: Bone, Antler, and More
If none of the previous materials appeal to you and you’re looking for something even more unique, we’re happy to share that plenty of other options exist!
Bone
The T-Rex by Manly Bands is a truly unique and captivating piece of jewelry. This extraordinary ring is a fusion of Black Zirconium and genuine T-Rex Dinosaur Bone, making it a remarkable statement of style and individuality.
When it comes to unique ring materials, we haven’t spotted anything quite as surprising as dinosaur bone rings. Manly Bands offers a line of rings that feature authentic, ethically sourced bone fragments from dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures like megalodons and mammoths. It’s a home run for people who love history, adventure, and having a great conversation starter at every party.
Antler
The BOONE by Northern Royal is a rugged and distinctive men's wedding band that beautifully combines natural elements with craftsmanship. This unique ring features a hammered texture and is crafted with genuine deer antler inlays, giving it an authentic and rustic appeal.
Outdoorsmen, this one is for you! Companies like Manly Band and Northern Royal offer rings cast from highly durable metals like tungsten and inlaid with antler material. For the outdoorsy types with a stylish side, Staghead Designs makes beautiful custom rings, including those with antler inlay.
"The Expedition" by Staghead Designs is an enchanting and adventurous wedding ring that captures the spirit of exploration and the beauty of the great outdoors.
Other Non-Traditional Materials
St. Clair Fishing Line Ring by Northern Royal is a captivating tribute to fishing and the outdoors, featuring a detailed fishing line pattern encircling the band.
If you’re simply not a gold-and-silver kind of guy (or gal), it’s still possible to find a wedding ring that honors both your interests and your marriage.
Manly Bands is, again, a great place to shop for this type of ring. You can find rings made from materials like M1 Garand Rifle Stock, Jack Daniels Whiskey barrels, and Fender guitar strings. Northern Royal also offers a line of rings inlaid with fishing line.
