If you’re planning to tie the knot with a member of the armed forces, you know your marriage will be unique. When shopping for a ring, you want to honor that tradition and keep it in mind when making your final decision.
You don’t have the luxuries of marrying a civilian. Sorry about it. If you wanted those, you should’ve married Adam from your hometown like your mother always hoped. You’re here now, so let’s get a ring that makes sense.
What to Know When Shopping for a Soldier’s Ring
They Can’t Wear Just Anything
Some of this may seem like repeat information. If you’re at the head of the class, you can just skip to the ring recommendations. If you need a bit of a refresher course, here it is.
Your soldier will be limited in ring choices and times to wear rings. In the field, rings of any kind may be a no-go. Your best option here is to go with neutral-colored silicone rings for men. Silicone is durable, matte, and can break when necessary. Those are all characteristics you want in a ring for a soldier.
You May Want to Get More Than One
Owning multiple rings isn’t a bad idea for most people, but especially for someone in the service. Consider a silicone ring that can be worn on a daily basis. Also, consider a more formal ring he can wear when home on leave or to events that require dress uniforms. Obviously, you still want it to look sleek. Tungsten wedding bands are a great choice for those looking for affordability, functionality, and looks.
What to Know Before Marrying Someone in the Service
You’ve probably already considered this, but it’s worth a refresher to think about
It Can Be Incredibly Difficult
This really isn’t for the faint of heart. Deployments are long and can be hard on both of you. Of course, these difficulties can also come with great rewards and can strengthen your relationship. It isn’t all bad, but it sure isn’t easy.
You Will Need a Support Network
You need people around you who understand, especially at first. It won’t get easier, but you’ll get better equipped to deal with it. Eventually, you’ll be the one new military spouses come to for support, which is pretty cool.
It’s for the Flexible
You may have to uproot yourself with some regularity. You sacrifice stability for this life, but that’s how it goes. You’ve probably already prepped for this, and hopefully, you have people around you who can help.
These aren’t the only things to consider, but they’re definitely big ones. While there are plenty of other things to go over, here’s a good start for resources.
What to Know Before a Military Wedding
If you haven’t heard of these, you might be a little bit behind. No worries, though. We’ll catch you up.
Seating Chart
On the bright side, you don’t have to play the worst game of Tetris ever. Your seating chart is traditionally organized by rank. While that’s going to cause its own issues and stresses, at least it’s defined.
Arch of Sabers
Top two coolest ways to leave a wedding (and it’s not two). You get to walk out under two lines of crossed swords and head out into your new married life. That is absolutely sick, and we’re a little jealous, honestly.
Venue Options
While you can have your wedding wherever you want, you’re in the unique position of being able to utilize a military chapel for the ceremony. While it’s customary to offer a donation, you can save yourself some serious coin.
Dress Code
Things are a bit more conservative at a military wedding when it comes to dress code. That being said, consider this a chance to flex your style muscles and pull off a cool take on some classic looks.
Wedding Rings Your Soldier Will Love
Black Silicone
Nothing fancy, but it works and can be worn often. If he wants to wear a ring all the time, there’s really no better option than this. If he breaks it out in the field, it’s easy and cheap to replace. Maybe get him a backup or two, just in case.
Dark Tungsten
This is a great piece of formalwear, especially if it has any sort of dark wood accent. While he won’t be able to wear it daily, when he does, he’ll be the coolest person in the room.
Gold
Simple, clean, and classic. You can wear it with anything for any occasion. While maybe not best in the field because of how soft it is, it’ll look great with a dress uniform without being too flashy for daily wear on leave.
Wood
Nothing says rugged like a wood ring, right? While he may not get the most wear out of this, it’s a great secondary ring for casual occasions.
Black Zirconium
If you wear this, you automatically turn into Batman. Seriously. We don’t make the rules. It’s just how it goes. If you want to look badass at all times, it’s hard to beat black zirconium.
Sure, you don’t get to see your soldier all the time. That’s just the nature of military life, and it’s really a bummer. However, when you do see him, rest assured he’s going to have a dynamite ring on his finger.