How Much Do Wedding Bands Cost Compared To Engagement Rings?

You asked, how much do engagement rings cost? And we answered. You asked, how much do wedding bands cost? And we answered. The next question that we get all the time is, "So how much can I expect to spend on my wedding bands if the engagement ring cost X dollars?" And, drum roll please, we have your answer:

The best way to answer this question is to look at how much people spend on average on their engagement rings as compared to their wedding bands. The national average cost for an engagement ring was $5,855 in 2014. The national average cost for wedding bands were a little different, in that couples spent an average of $1,417 on the bride's band and an average of $558 on the groom's band, which adds up to an average of $1,975 for both of the wedding bands.

So, if you go by the national average cost of wedding bands and engagement rings, you can expect to spend about 33.7% (or just about 1/3) of what you spent on your engagement ring on your wedding bands.

You might be thinking but wait, is that always true? The answer to that question is definitely not. Other factors will affect how much your wedding bands cost relative to an engagement ring. Here are a few of them that will influence the amount you spend when it comes to engagement ring costs vs. wedding band costs:

The Style of The Rings

The first factor that affects the cost of your engagement ring compared to your wedding bands will be what style wedding rings you choose to go with. The more intricate the style, the more expensive. So, if your engagement ring has a twisted band but you want a plain wedding ring, then you will be spending a lot less on your wedding band. But, if you want a bigger and more intricate band to match your engagement ring, then you will be spending closer to what you spent on your engagement ring for your band. Many women tend to create custom wedding bands to get rid of the gap that sometimes occurs between the engagement ring and the wedding band. This may or might drive up the cost of the band, depending on how intricate of a design you want.

The style of men's wedding bands will also affect the price. Going with a plain, classic metal wedding band for him will certainly have a lower cost than a two-tone band with stylish finishes or millgrain accent. The style of the wedding band will influence what the cost is.

The Number of Diamonds

The number of diamonds on the wedding bands will also greatly impact their cost. A plain solitaire engagement ring and an eternity band with large diamonds is going to cost similar to what a more intricately set engagement ring and a simple, plain wedding ring would cost. But, if you have the same engagement ring and one eternity band vs. a plain metal band, the eternity band is always going to cost more because of the number of diamonds. In addition, if you want a 9-stone wedding band, it is going to cost more than a 5-stone wedding band.

When you are trying to figure out how much you are going to spend on your wedding bands as compared to your engagement ring, you need to determine the amount of diamonds you want on your band. The more diamonds, the closer your bands are going to cost in comparison to your engagement ring.

The Type of Metal

Is your engagement ring white gold but your wedding bands are both going to be platinum? Then you might spend a little more than the national average on your wedding rings. Is one wedding band yellow gold and the other platinum? All of these factors will affect how much your wedding bands cost relative to your engagement ring.

The Financial Situation

If you are planning on buying wedding bands, you are most likely getting married soon. This means that you will be spending money on the wedding and depending on your financial situation, you may have budgeted a certain amount of money from your overall wedding costs to go towards your bands. For some people, they have a lot more room to play around with than others. While some couples get engaged early in their lives and don't have as much money to put towards their wedding bands, others get engaged early and then wait to get married to be able to have more money to spend on wedding bands. In any of these cases, your financial situation is going to influence how much you spend on your wedding rings relative to the engagement ring.

Getting ready to tie the knot but still need your wedding bands? Contact us or make an appointment and one of our specialists will be more than happy to help you find the perfect wedding rings!