Getting married is one of the most special moments in a couple’s life. Choosing the perfect wedding bands to exchange during the ceremony can be an exciting and meaningful part of the wedding planning process. Many couples opt to engrave a special message inside their bands to make them even more personal and unique. But with so many options, what should you engrave on a wedding band?
Popular Engraving Themes
When thinking about what message to engrave inside wedding bands, most couples choose something sentimental, romantic, or symbolic of their relationship and commitment to each other. Some popular engraving theme ideas include:
Wedding Date
Many couples opt to engrave their wedding date inside their bands as a special reminder of the day they were married. This can be engraved in a variety of formats such as “John & Jane, 9.15.2023”.
Romantic Sayings
Short messages like “Forever & Always” or “All My Love” make for simple yet meaningful engraved wedding bands. Song lyrics and movie quotes are also popular.
Vows or Promises
You may want to engrave a shortened version of the vows you will say at your wedding ceremony or promises about your commitment to each other. For example, “In Sickness and Health” or “I Promise to Always Be By Your Side”.
Initials
Engraving initials like “J.S + J.B” is a classic way to personalize wedding rings. You can just do first initials or also include last name initials.
Special Symbols
Some couples opt for symbolic images like hearts, infinity symbols, arrows, puzzle pieces, house, anchors, or religious symbols instead of or in addition to words.
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Tips for Picking the Perfect Engraving
Make it Meaningful for You
Most importantly, engrave something that holds special meaning for your relationship. Stay away from generic messages and really personalize it. Inside jokes, favorite memories, or milestone moments can all inspire great engraving ideas.
Keep it Short and Simple
Since space is limited, shorter 1-3 word phrases or 5-7 letter initials work best for ring engraving. You have about 50 characters total for the entire engraving, so edit longer phrases down to their essence.
Engrave After Purchase
It’s best not to get your engraving done by the jeweler before your purchase just in case you change your mind later. Most jewelers can professionally engrave messages in rings after purchase. This also allows you to surprise each other!
Match or Coordinate Them
If both you and your future spouse are getting engraved bands, you may want to choose matching or coordinating messages. However, some couples prefer to get different individual engravings instead.
Check for Spelling
Don’t forget to double and triple check the spelling of your engraving message! Misspelled words are difficult and expensive to correct on a ring. Ask multiple friends to proofread just in case.
Add the Wedding Location
Including your wedding location city and state is a nice touch such as “John & Jane, New York, NY, 9.15.2023”. This commemorates where you tied the knot.
Unique Engraving Ideas
If you want an engraving that stands out from the norm, get creative with one of these unique ideas:
Song Lyrics
Incorporate a few lines from a song with special meaning to your relationship. “You’re My Best Friend” by Queen or “Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton make great wedding ring inspiration.
Literary Quotes
A short quote from your favorite novel, poem, or play can look beautiful engraved. Try a line from Shakespeare, Jane Austen, or other classic literature.
Inside Jokes
Engrave a silly phrase or nickname that shares an inside story between the two of you. This adds a unique level of personalization.
Birthstones
Consider engraving your birthstone types, the first letter of each birthstone, or birthstone colors to symbolize both your unique identities.
Coordinates
Mark a special location like where you met, got engaged, or tied the knot by engraving its latitude and longitude coordinates.
Fingerprints
Some couples are starting to engrave miniature fingerprints – one from each partner – on the inner band to make it completely one-of-a-kind.
What Not to Engrave
While personal and romantic messages make great ring engraving, here are some types of messages you may want to avoid:
Names
Engraving a first or full name is not generally recommended since it makes the rings harder to reuse or repurpose if needed down the road. Initials are best.
Long Phrases
As mentioned before, lengthy phrases don’t work well for engraving due to space limitations. Try to keep it under 50 characters.
Trendy Sayings
“You Had Me at Hello” or “Love Wins” may feel clever now, but trendy phrases could sound dated after a few years inscribed in your wedding ring.
Profane or Vulgar Words
Keep engraved wedding bands tasteful and elegant by avoiding profane language, sexual references, or crude inside jokes.
Negative Messages
Don’t tempt fate with pessimistic engraving ideas like “The Third Time’s the Charm” or “Hope This One Lasts” if you’ve been married before. Keep it positive!
How to Decide
At the end of the day there are so many options for great wedding band engraving ideas to represent your unique love story. Brainstorm phrases with meaning between you and your partner. Compromise if you initially have different concepts in mind. And most importantly, don’t overthink it – just choose a short, heartfelt message that will remind you of your promises and commitment every time you look down at your engraved rings!
