When Jolene Riley asked her boyfriend Ben McDowell to bring her back a penny from Afghanistan as a sentimental gift, she got more than she bargained for. Ben turned an authentic Afghan coin into a beautiful ring in a touching gesture that saw the two get engaged immediately. Now Bay Rings, the leading custom ring retailers in the UK, are speaking out to more couples in order to encourage them to create their own personalised, individual rings ahead of the big day.

A spokesman for the company, which specialises in gold, silver, titanium and platinum wedding rings, says, “The heartrending gesture from a serving soldier to his girlfriend was a wonderful example of how custom rings can be more meaningful and powerful than standard shop-window style pieces. At Bay Rings, we can personalise rings by offering engravings and a range of different stones in order to make a ring truly personal and unique to a couple. We’re speaking out to all men wondering how on earth they’re going to find a special ring for their ideal woman – we urge them to get creative and allow the ring to do the talking for them!”

Bay Rings is the online subsidiary of a well-known jewellery provider – their online-only store means that they can pass on incredible cost savings to their customers. Rather than spending thousands on custom rings, customers can reduce their outlay to just a few hundred pounds, for a high-quality personalised ring that will stand the test of time.

Their selection of rings is expansive; from platinum bands to the more intricate Russian and Celtic rings, there is a wide selection to choose from. Each and every ring can be customised with engravings that come in a multitude of different fonts; whether you want something bold and traditional, or a more contemporary, elegant script, Bay Rings delivers. There is also the possibility of adding hearts, double hearts, arrow-pierced hearts and infinity symbols, to add a truly romantic touch to the band.

Taking their cue from the serving soldier, all men are now being urged to pour their heart into the creation of their future wife’s wedding ring. Whether they want to mould their own from a precious coin, or simply personalise it using Bay Rings’ value customisation services.

Visit the Bay Rings Facebook page for more wedding stories, ring-choosing tips and gorgeous rings to inspire you!

Summer is traditionally ‘wedding season’ in the UK, with August generally being the most popular month to get married. The summer sun, the school holidays and the fact that there is a bank holiday at the end of the month generally means that August is prime wedding time, and those who have chosen the eighth month as the time they will say their vows will already be deep into the planning process. But with venues to arrange, guest lists to finalise and menus to consider, the actual wedding rings are often written off as a one-day task which can be taken care of in an afternoon!

Au contraire, say the staff at Bay Rings – with so many choices regarding metal, style, stones, cut, carat and cost, choosing a wedding ring can be a very time-consuming activity. It’s important for couples getting married this summer that they pick out their rings in advance to avoid last-minute jitters about their bespoke wedding ring arriving on time.

A spokesman for Bay Rings says, “The time leading up to summer is often our busiest, and we urge all customers to get their orders in way ahead of their wedding in order to ensure that, by the time they are ready to say their vows, their rings are exactly how they imagined them. If purchasing a bespoke ring, it is always wise to leave plenty of time between ordering and delivery, as the ring has to be made up. What’s more, if you are unsure of your ring size and worry that you may need to send back a ring and order a replacement, which takes yet more time – time that many couples don’t have when they leave their rings as the last order of business!”

He adds, “Buying a budget-friendly ring early in the process also gives couples an idea of how much they have left to spend on a wedding, rather than having little to no money left at the end of the planning process for the all-important marital jewellery.”

Bay Rings have a comprehensive selection of wedding rings in various different materials and finishes on their site, and they also specialise in bespoke offerings that are personal to each couple.

Research has shown that 21% of couples struggle to pay for their big day, and are forced to take out loans, credit cards or borrow money from family.  The staggering cost of getting hitched is rising rapidly, leaving newlyweds unnecessarily starting their marriage in debt unless they sacrifice elements of their dream day.  However, budget wedding suppliers such as Bay Rings are offering brides and groom-to-be affordable wedding rings, without compromising on quality.

The certified online shop is a budget friendly supplier of wedding jewellery, catering to bride and grooms-to-be who are trying to keep costs down.  However, the online jewellery store goes much further in making the wedding planning process stress-free. By purchasing the wedding rings online, couples can enjoy the hassle-free ordering system and wait for their jewellery to be delivered directly to their door – absolutely free.

“We know how stressful it can be with so much to organise and coordinate for the big day, which is why we make purchasing your wedding rings as simple as possible,” explains a spokesman for Bay Rings.  “We assure you we offer the best value for money with out price beater guarantee, and then we allow you to sit back and relax while we deliver your rings at no extra cost.”

The established family business have been trading jewellery for over 60 years, but if customers need further reassurance before buying from the website Bay Rings offer a money back guarantee.  For 21 days after receiving the rings, if any couples are dissatisfied for any reason they are welcome to a full refund.

The Bay Rings spokesperson added, “As an online retailer, we do everything we can to put our customers’ minds at ease.  We are a trusted, certified jewellery company and have specialised in wedding rings for a long time.  We understand the level of quality that newlyweds expect, as these rings will be cherished for a lifetime.  With our affordable collection, free delivery and money back guarantee, our service is unbeatable.”

The website offers a variety of wedding rings in platinum, white gold, yellow gold and titanium, in addition to providing a bespoke design service.  For a more personalised ring, couples can design a customised piece of jewellery to give to their lover on their wedding day.

With wedding costs spiralling out of control, 21% of couples are taking out loans and credit cards and one in nine newlyweds admit to almost breaking up over their strained wedding finances.  The study of over 1,000 couples highlights the shocking average figures spent on catering, entertainment, the perfect venue and attire.  The honeymoon tops the list with an average cost of £3,582, and the wedding rings make number 4, with British couples splashing out up to £1,856 on sentimental jewellery.

The certified online shop Bay Rings is a budget friendly supplier of wedding jewellery, catering to bride and grooms-to-be who choose not to sacrifice their happy marriage for the sake of one day.  With most couples forced to borrow money for the wedding from family, friends and banks, it means many Brits start their married life in a lot of debt.  The honeymoon period of a marriage, thought to be the happiest time of a persons life, is spent worrying and arguing about finances instead of showing love and building a life together.  Some couples in the survey even admitted to selling items they were given from their gift list, or the bride’s dress for some much needed cash after the big day.

Modern couples planning to get hitched are now forced to be more thrifty and creative than ever before, introducing a homemade wedding trend.  From crafty home-produced invitations and wedding favours, to asking family or friends bake the cake, couples are using all means available to significantly cut the wedding budget.  This includes looking at less expensive alternatives for flowers, outfits, entertainment and the rings.  The wedding jewellery market is brimming with rings promised to last a lifetime at a cost to match; established family business Bay Rings provides a unique, more affordable selection of high quality wedding jewellery for couples determined not to break the bank on their big day.

A spokesperson for Bay Rings, says “Bay Rings are committed to providing high quality, premium wedding rings at a low cost to couples planning a wedding.  The cost of most wedding suppliers are soaring at a time when many households are struggling, so we know that saving for a wedding can be extremely tough; especially for young couples.  Our selection of the finest gold, diamond and platinum wedding rings are fairly priced, to leave more budget remaining for other costly elements of a wedding.

In addition, our convenient online shop offers an easy and reliable way to purchase the wedding rings, with free delivery straight to the customer’s home.  Bay Rings takes the stress and unnecessary expense out of searching for and purchasing the wedding rings.”

Bay Rings is an online-only supplier of beautiful rings for weddings and other romantic celebrations, and they endeavor to offer those who shop at their online boutique the very best quality for the very best price – perfect when planning a wedding. With more people than ever heading online to compare prices and find the very best suppliers to enhance their wedding, the bespoke ring supplier are offering couples a comprehensive service which includes free delivery, a Price Beater policy and the option to customize every beautiful ring on the site.

A spokesperson for Bay Rings, who have been sourcing and supplying stunning rings for over sixty years, says, “The internet is a fantastic resource for couples searching for the best suppliers for their wedding, whether they are sourcing caterers, bridesmaid’s dresses or the wedding rings themselves. At Bay Rings are pride ourselves on being a modern, online-only business, and this allows us to focus all of our time on the clients that are finding our rings through online searches, offering them the very best customer service and a comprehensive collection of beautiful wedding jewellery.”

Bay Rings is the online department of a renowned wider jewellery manufacturer. The fact that this department operates solely online gives it a huge advantage when offering beautiful rings at low prices. There are no costly overheads for the company to pay in order to maintain and stock a retail unit, and with just a small team of highly-trained jewellery experts, Bay Rings are able to focus all of their resources on ensuring the most beautiful rings at the lowest prices. With Bay Rings, the online boutique is crucial; the sole focus of all efforts to provide the very best customer services and the most stunning premium rings to couples looking to keep their wedding budget modest.

With more couples carrying out internet searches than ever before, and with the figure expected to increase over the next few years as online spending goes through the roof, Bay Rings are committed to remaining at the forefront of platinum wedding rings and bespoke jewellery.

1. Kate Middleton

Thousands of women across the globe fell in love with the Duchess of Cambridge once Prince William proposed to her and she was set to join the royal family.  The stunning sapphire engagement ring, surrounded by a cluster of 14 diamonds was originally Princess Diana’s engagement ring, and has been passed down as an heirloom to Kate.  Ever since the royal engagement, jewellers have seen a phenomenal increase in the sale of replica rings as women everywhere attempt to wear a classic sapphire ring designed for a princess.  A Kate Middleton inspired ring is one of the most sought-after in the world, and in particularly in the UK where sales of sapphires have increased 15% since the engagement was announced.

2. J-Lo

Pop star J-Lo has been engaged numerous times, but the ring given to her from Ben Affleck cost an insurmountable $1.2 million.  The 6.1 carat diamond had a characteristic that truly made it stand out from all the rest – it was pink.  Pink diamonds are not only beautiful; they are incredibly rare, and ever since J-Lo flaunted one people all over the world have been imitating her.  It seems J-Lo set a trend in coloured diamond engagement rings, as other celebrities also started wearing other stones and colours rather than the traditional white diamond.

3. Kim Kardashian

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian has also been married more than once, and it was going to take something amazing to beat the first 20.5 carat emerald cut diamond given to her from first husband Kris Humphries.  This was reportedly valued at $2 million, but second husband Kanye West was heavily involved in the creative process of designing Miss Kardashian’s new engagement ring, and chose the most flawless diamond possible.  Kanye’s ring is speculated to be valued anywhere from $1.5-$8 million, which leaves replicas of Kim’s ring highly sought after.

4. Mariah Carey

Singing sensation Mariah Carey was also given a diamond engagement ring with a coloured hue from Nick Cannon.  The pink emerald-cut diamond-centre stone is surrounded by 58 intense pink diamonds and two more rocks either side.  No wonder this feminine dazzler is adored and desired by many women who have been asking for imitations of the ring ever since.

5. Angelina Jolie

When Brad Pitt got engaged to gorgeous actress Angelina Jolie, it only took days for Angelina inspired rings to hit the jewellery stores.  Brad spent an estimated $1 million on the engagement ring, but other large sized emerald cut replicas of the jewellery were soon available for smaller budgets.

Click here to find out how to design your own imitation ring.

Customers who require a bespoke wedding ring can browse the Bay Rings website for inspiration, then request a certain type of ring with different features. For example, it is popular for clients to desire a yellow gold ring manufactured with white gold, seeking extra diamonds in a particular style or request an engraving on the inner edge of the ring.  Couples planning to wed across the UK will be able to take advantage of Bay Rings’ bespoke service to acquire rings at a fraction of the price they are advertised elsewhere.

A spokesman for Bay Rings said, “Our custom jewellery service is extremely popular, as modern couples crave individual, bespoke wedding rings at a fair price.  Bay Rings is the online department of a wider jewellery manufacturing company who have been trading for over 60 years; therefore we have a huge amount of stock which means not all designs and items are listed online.  When clients describe to us the style of ring they are looking for, we often have genuine examples we can suggest to them and make the adequate modifications.”

He adds, “Brides and grooms-to-be find the majority of their wedding suppliers online and they often come across their ideal wedding rings; most of which are well out of their budget.  In most circumstances, Bay Rings can design and manufacture any desired ring from a simple photograph, for a significantly reduced price.”

The price of the average wedding is soaring, and couples across the nation are being forced to tighten all areas of the budget in the hope of ever getting married.  Instead of paying extortionate prices for wedding rings, Bay Rings provide a more affordable selection of high quality wedding jewellery for couples determined not to break the bank on their big day.  The unique custom ring service is a great alternative for people who have their heart set on a certain style of ring and simply can’t afford the investment.

Bay Rings is an established family business, specialising in competitively priced platinum, gold and diamond wedding rings.  Their bespoke service allows modern couples to design their very own personalised wedding jewellery that is well within most budgets.

The Bay Rings spokesman added, “We are thrilled to be of service to modern couples, who can now spend more of their wedding budget on tying the knot and making their big day even more memorable.”

Martin Lewis, from Money Saving Expert, has advised all those planning a wedding to bear in mind that one of the biggest causes of divorce is debt and financial worries. He said on his website, “If the cost of your wedding leaves you financially crippled and in debt for most of your married life, it’s a pointless waste.” The advice is to think of the wedding as the launching pad for a marriage; why have the wedding at all if you’re going to put the marriage at risk through financial woes?

A spokesman for Bay Rings fervently agrees with this sentiment, saying, “We understand that some people want to have an extravagant celebration with all of their families and friends when they get married, but this isn’t always financially viable. Rather than splashing all of their cash and getting into debt before they commence their married life, why not be conservative with the budget, search for high-quality, low-cost alternatives, and start off their marriage with plenty in the bank?”

Bay Rings has in stock a beautiful range of silver, white gold and platinum wedding rings that can be personalised with engravings, jewels and stunning embellishment, for less than what you’d pay on the High Street. With no retail outlet to support and no costly overheads to pay, Bay Rings can focus all of their resources on ensuring that their clients get the ring they desire for the lowest possible price, allowing them to put some money back into the pot for that all-important period post-wedding when couples are supposed to live in marital bliss.

Sourcing stunning rings is Bay Rings’ forte; with over sixty years in the jewellery business, they know quality when they see it. Just because they have priced out many High Street providers and offer beautiful jewellery for lower prices, doesn’t mean that any compromise on quality has taken place. Whether opting for a traditional court-shaped band, an enameled titanium ring or a set of bespoke Russian rings with a difference, Bay Rings’ collection are all quality-assured and come with free delivery, a deluxe gift box and a price-beater promise – the perfect choice for brides and grooms that want to get their married life off to an affluent start and still boast a lifelong symbol of their love on their ring finger.

Beyonce – The ‘Single Ladies’ hit-maker was only too pleased when her boyfriend of many years, Jay-Z, decided to ‘put a ring on it’, especially as he broke the bank to present her with a 20-carat engagement ring. The Lorraine Schwartz creation features a bedazzling 18-carat diamond cut in an emerald style, and is rumoured to have cost $5 to have made. Wow!

Jessica Biel – When pop star Justin Timberlake proposed to girlfriend Jessica Biel, he went all out on the search for something his wife-to-be would truly love. Shunning the traditional solitaire rings that adorn the ring fingers of many, he opted for a vintage-inspired six-carat diamond that his new fiancée is said to love. A little thought goes a long way when choosing jewellery you must wear for life!

The Duchess of Cambridge – Perhaps the most famous engagement ring in the world, Prince William proposed to his then-girlfriend Kate Middleton using the stunning sapphire ring that belonged to his late mother, Princess Diana. The gorgeous ring consists of a twelve-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire, set on a bed of fourteen solitaire diamonds and displayed to perfection on an 18-carat white gold band. A ring truly fit for royalty.

Katie Holmes – Although she is sadly no longer with her A-list ex-husband, Tom Cruise, her engagement ring will go down in history as one of the most beautiful celebrity wedding rings we’ve ever seen. The five-carat Edwardian-style ring was featured an oval-cut solitaire diamond, set in platinum and rose gold. The price for such a piece? A mere $250,000.

Anne Hathaway – With a jewellery designer for a fiancé, Anne Hathaway wouldn’t have expected anything less than perfection for her engagement ring! In a collaboration with Kwiat Heritage Jewels, her husband-to-be Adam Shulman personally created a six-carat diamond set on a thin diamond band for his movie star fiancé.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Some of the biggest disagreements you will have between other members of the bridal party are over really silly things.  It is not the be all and end all of the wedding if the cake has 2 tiers or 3, or if there are an odd number of bridesmaids and groomsmen.  By all means you only plan to tie the knot once, so make sure you do it your way; but don’t stress over the tiny details.

Stay on Budget

To avoid years worth or fights and arguments, it is critical that you stay on your agreed budget.  It is very easy to get carried away with your wedding day, especially if you attend other weddings which are more extravagant than you can afford.  Just remember why you are getting married – it’s just for you and your fiancé – not for the sake of anybody else.  There is plenty of inspiration online on how to be a thrifty bride and keep costs down; make sure you also do your research on the suppliers and get the best value for money.  Wedding rings, cakes, dresses and transport are all competitively priced so make sure you find the cheapest option in all areas.

Don’t be a Diva

In the run up to the wedding, you will want to get all your girlfriends together a few times to help with the wedding planning and of course, the hen party! Then as the big day gets nearer, you may ask for their help in making the invitations, attending dress fittings and bridal fairs, and before you know it their life revolves around you.  Don’t be a diva and demand everybody’s attention for the whole year – it will lead to resentment within your friend circle and possibly your family.

Don’t Forget About your Fiance

Most brides-to-be are guilty of the slur “my wedding…” rather than “our wedding.”  Women get carried away with the planning and put their organisation skills to good use, but not all fiancés enjoy taking a back seat.  It’s their wedding too, so never make a big decision about the wedding without him.  Also as the wedding gets closer and your planning duties and appointments take up more time, don’t forget to arrange date nights for just the two of you before you’re a married couple.

Don’t Forget your Parents

Parents and in-laws can be a bit of a nightmare during the wedding planning process, as they can be very vocal about your decisions, budget, guestlist etc.  Just remember that they have your best interests at heart, and they just want to be a part of the process before, in their heads, they lose you forever.  Watching a daughter get married and leave the family can be a very emotional time for parents, so involve them in the planning as much as you can.