Jewellery

Complete the Look

59 JEWELLERY 68 HAIR & BEAUTY 72 FLOWERS 74 REAL LIFE WEDDING

Jewellery Ring Shopping, Anyone?

Swooning over sparklers isn’t over once someone’s been down on one knee… That’s just the beginning and there’s lots of fun still to be had! Now, it’s time to find the perfect wedding band for each of you to slip on at the altar on the big day.

There can be a lot to think about here so take note of our top tips for a stress-free shopping experience. Then sit back and let the northeast’s ever-wonderful jewellery experts do the rest...

Getting started

Like pretty much everything else associated with wedding planning, start in plenty of time. Don’t head out to the shops just yet, though. The first thing you’ll want to do is sort your budget. There really is something to suit everyone so really consider how much you want to spend. And remember, as a forever purchase this may well be worth a bit of investment.

Head for the experts

Investigate local jewellery suppliers online and find a few you vibe with. Do you want rings that are ready to take home or are you up for the epic and wonderful creative challenge of designing your own, for example? If it’s the latter, definitely factor in some extra time for this special process. Either way, it’s time to hit the shops!

www.byrhea.co.uk

www.byrhea.co.uk www.danirosephotography.com

Get the size right

First up, the practical bit – get your ring size measured by the in-store professional. A lovely quick win!

Picking a partner for the engagement ring

Next, for those of you with an engagement ring, it’s important to plan your wedding band around it so that they sit beautifully together. Jewellery experts will be able to provide plenty of advice on this (recommending ‘shaped rings’ over ‘court-shaped rings’) and although it will narrow down your choices to some extent, this can often be a good thing!

Fall in love with a style

You and your ring will have many happy years together so you’re going to want something you’ll cherish forever. Start by having a look around and a try on or tell the jeweller about your personal style (Are you modern or traditional? Do you like a splash of colour? Something a bit different?) to see what they suggest.

They’ll probably discuss the following with you: • The precious metal you’d like: Platinum is a natural, bright white metal and will never tarnish or fade whilst white gold is coated with rhodium to get its lustre. Alternatively, yellow gold is rather rare and gives a gorgeous warm glow, and rose gold is a stylish favourite of the romantics out there. Sensitive when wearing jewellery? Head straight for the selection of titanium rings. This metal is hypoallergenic, has a slightly dark grey tone and a comfortable, lightweight feel. • The style you’d like: As mentioned above, this is a very personal decision and options range from classic plain bands to showstopping dazzlers, and everything in between. Gents, you’ll be looking at an array of widths, styles and finishes when it comes to your wedding band and ladies, you’ll be getting to grips with terms like ‘vintage’, ‘sparkle edge’ and

‘diamond twist’.

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www.byrhea.co.uk

• The extent to which you’d like your rings to

complement one another: They’ll most likely be photographed together on your wedding morning but, besides that, some couples like that their rings are from the same ‘family’.

• Whether or not you’d like to add personalisation:

From the extra special wedding date to your other half’s name to a secret message for them to discover at the altar, there are loads of options for adding a bespoke touch to your wedding rings.

While you’re there…

Did you know how much more our wonderful northeast jewellers have to offer you when you’re tying the knot? Here are just a few other boxes you can tick whilst you’re there: How about booking your engagement ring in for a pre-wedding clean? It’s going to be photographed a lot on the big day, especially during the ceremony and in those romantic couple shots, so you’ll want it looking its best. Plus, it’ll have a flawless new ring next to it – you don’t want to show it up!

• Talking of cleaning, take advantage of the expertise at your fingertips and ask the jeweller for top tips on taking care of your all-important rings.

• Looking for glorious gifts for your wedding party? Why not get them something special they can wear on the day? Or if you’re thinking of thank yous for the mums, how about a sparkly sentiment?

• After you’ve been married a few years, you may well want to celebrate with a beautiful eternity ring. And there’s no harm in having a little look ahead of time, is there?! ♥

DESIGN I MANUFACTURE I REPAIR

For more than three decades,

Sandy Menzies has been delighting engaged couples and newlyweds in Aberdeen with his passion for creating bespoke and imaginative handmade jewellery.

But now it’s time for something new…

His unique design solution will see him move his workflow from handmade manufacture to Computer

Aided Design, marrying the latest digital technology with superb setting and finishing techniques – plus the high-quality service he’s known for.

• Fancy a Celtic knot design? An intricate texture or pattern? Some special words on your jewellery? Or do you have an unusually-shaped stone? No request is too big or small for this clever tech! • You’ll get a more accurate price estimate – perfect for satisfying that budget spreadsheet! • Be prepared to fall in love with your sparkler before it’s even made during your official 3D preview.