White gold, platinum and unique details are the strongest current trends, says head jeweller of Larsen Wedding Rings, Gillian Kilgour.

Latest Trends

Traditional yellow gold wedding rings have taken a back seat to sleeker, more modern varieties with an individual twist.  White gold wedding rings are popular, as is platinum, says head jeweller and manager of Larsen Wedding Rings, Gillian Kilgour.  "Fine bead settings, where small diamonds are set all around the ring, are also very pretty," she adds.

Of course, every bride could do with a touch more bling.  "I get a lot of requests for split wedding rings, where two rings are made to sit either side of the engagement ring," Gillian says.

Above all, though, the significance of your wedding ring should be at the forefront and that's exactly why Larsen Wedding Rings offers couples the romantic experience of handcrafting each other's wedding rings under the guidance of an experienced jeweller.  "You literally make them yourselves!  Any design is possible, including adding diamonds and engraving, and fitting it with an engagement ring is no problem," Gillian explains.

Expert Tips

• Always make sure your wedding ring matches perfectly in colour and style with your engagement ring.
• Don't make your rings too light-weight - they have to last you a lifetime and become heirlooms for your children.
• Making your own rings ensures quality and gives you a lifetime of memories, too.
• Remember the rings are one of the few things that you will still have after the wedding day, so don't compromise on quality.
• Make the rings as unique as your relationship - do something different.

Gillian's Current Favourites

• Fine bead-set rings, with inset diamonds.
• Split wedding bands, to keep the symmetry of your engagement ring.
• Mokume Gane men's rings, where two coloured metals are mixed together creating a wood-grain effect.
• Hand-engraved rings, with a personal saying or line from a poem or song engraved around the outside of the rings.
• Having a secret engraving on the inside of the rings - but you have to resist the temptation to look before the wedding day!

Rebecca and Rob were at their cousin's wedding in Fiji when he proposed.  "Rob and the boys had gone out on a deep-sea fishing trip the day before and that was when he asked for and received my dad's blessing.  Rob suggested a kayak trip the following day, out to a deserted sandbar he'd found.  He organised a picnic for us and so off we went.  It was so quiet and peaceful out there.  He'd reached the outer edge of the sand bank that was sitting in about an inch of water, when out of the blue, Rob got down on one knee and with an opened ring box in his hand, and asked me to marry him."

Rebecca saw an ad for Larsen Wedding Rings that featured a ring she fell in love with.  "We went to meet and get quotes from other jewellers but none of them instilled the confidence or listened to what I wanted."

"We heard about the Wedding Ring Experience, where Larsen's steps you through actually making each other's wedding rings from concept to shiny completion.  Making each other's wedding bands was a very personal and romantic opportunity and we just couldn't pass it up.  The whole process was a lot of fun.  After a concentrated but very satisfying few hours, we'd transformed two rough pieces of gold into two beautiful rings.

"Seeing the rings take shape and ultimately transform from their raw state of two blocks of gold to the beautiful jewellery that we now wear, was an unbelievable experience.  We even incorporated the fact we had made each other's wedding rings into our wedding vows and most people that we tell about the experience think it is terribly romantic!"

Click here to read more about how to make each other's unique wedding rings.

The ultimative gift of love?  Bridal couples are taking the importance of nuptials to new heights by making rings for each other at the Larsen Wedding Rings stores in Sydney and Melbourne (with the help of a professional jeweller).  The boys happily get hands-on with the soldering and buffing, while the girls adore it as it's romantic and means spending four hours as a couple making something important.

Please click here fore more information about wedding rings in Sydney and Melbourne.

Thanks to an innovative jewellery concept introduced by Larsen Wedding Rings in 2007, couples can now be their own designers when it comes to crafting their wedding rings.

Under the guidance of an experienced jeweller, couples can create any design from plain wedding bands to intricate designs that match perfectly with the engagement ring.  If precious stones or a combination of metals are included, Larsen's jewellers will complete this stage of the process.

It takes just four hours to make two perfect wedding bands and many couples enjoy the time spent together.  At the end of the process, couples can enjoy complimentary champagne to toast their experience.  The experience at Larsen Wedding Rings isn't limited to just engaged couples, and can be tailored to suit any relationship or occasion.  From commitment rings to eternity rings, this opportunity to make your loved one's ring is truly unique and personal.

Located in the historic Strand Arcade in Sydney and in Melbourne's GPO, and with plans to open in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, visit www.larsenweddingrings.com.au for more information.

Make your very own wedding bands under the guidance of an experienced jeweller. Larsen Wedding Rings specialises in providing couples with the unique experience of making each other’s wedding rings under the guidance of an experienced jeweller. It is the first and only company to offer this type of service in Australia.

According to founders, Lars and Susie Larsen, the concept was launched because “couples love the idea of wearing a ring made by their partner, which makes the rings so much more meaningful. It’s such a unique, romantic and fun experience and it only takes about four hours to make the rings.”

You needn’t worry that you have no experience or aren’t particularly creative, as you will be guided through the entire process by your own expert jeweller, who will ensure the finished rings are absolutely perfect.

Using century-old techniques, the process of making two perfect wedding bands is surprisingly easy, taking only four hours in a fun and romantic setting, and is celebrated with a glass of champagne at the end.

You can choose any design, from plain wedding bands to more intricate designs that match perfectly with the engagement ring.

If you would like to include diamonds, a mix of metals or engraving, your dedicated jeweller will complete this stage of the process. For an exceptionally personal touch, heirloom jewellery can even be melted down and incorporated into the wedding rings.

Larsen Wedding Rings was developed alongside Larsen Jewellery, which makes hand-crafted engagement rings and other custom-made jewellery and supplies diamonds at wholesale prices.

Larsen Wedding Rings is located in Sydney’s stylish Strand Arcade and Melbourne's GPO.  Appointments for making your own rings can be made on Saturdays and Sundays as well as during the week, and packages start from just $1400 including both rings.

Click here for more information about wedding rings in Melbourne and Sydney.

Until recently, personalised vows, modified monograms and 'his' and 'hers' towels were the extent of customisable married life.  Now however, times are a-changing and the circus of wedding ceremonies has a whole new ring!  If vows that merely slip in your fiance's name seem to lack heartfelt intimacy, consider a customised ring that you and your fiance could not only design together, but physically make for each other.  Trust me, if Romeo could have, he would have!

Larsen Wedding Rings, as the only interactive wedding company in Australia (with jewellery shops in Sydney and Melbourne), offers a unique experience that gives couples the opportunity to extend the romantic raison d'etre of the ring into the pre-wedding process.  Designing and making a ring for your partner as a truly everlasting token of love and commitment is possibly the most romantic gesture one can make.  By replacing a generic piece of jewellery with a personal handcrafted wedding ring, Larsen Wedding Rings re-defines romance.  Susie Larsen explains why she has such a passion for the experience of self-made wedding rings: 'Couples love the idea of wearing a ring made by their loved one.  It makes the rings so much more special and meaningful as they have not only created each other's rings, but a memory that will last a lifetime."

The Personalised Process

While making a wedding ring from scratch may conjure up images of a blacksmith heating metal over a cauldron while his horse waits for new shoes in the stable, the experience at Larsen Wedding Rings could not be further removed.  The Larsen experience, which is surprisingly easy, can be completed in one visit to their stylish setting (not a stable in sight), and your efforts are celebrated at the end with a toast of champagne.  The process begins with an initial consultation with one of the jewellers to discuss exactly the ring design you have in mind; this ensures that you will get exactly what you want.  Once you are happy with your design you move to the workbench which is where the real magic happens!  The ring making process involves four main phases: melting, milling, soldering and the finishing touches of filing, buffing and polishing.  For the duration of the ring making process, which only takes about four hours, an expert jeweller will be by your side, offering guidance and ensuring that your rings turn out perfectly.  You will need no prior knowledge or experience in the art of ring making or design, rather an open mind and a loving fiance.

J'Adore Adornments

To make the process even more special, couples can add meaningful finishing touches to their wedding rings.  Variations to a standard ring are as endless as imagination allows.  Rings can be classically simplistic bands or intricately designed pieces.  By making the rings with the aid of the jeweller, couples are able to have them matched perfectly with the engagement ring.  If you choose to add romantic adornments such as diamonds and precious stones, a combination of different metals (yellow gold, white gold, rose gold and platinum are available), engraved sweet-nothings or even heirloom jewellery, an experienced jeweller can add these finishing touches to make your rings even more meaningful.

Tried and True

To give your handmade wedding rings the attention they deserve, incorporate them completely with the wedding ceremony itself.  Stephen and Megan, who made their rings with Larsen Wedding Rings, only have praise for the experience.  'It was very special to exchange the rings we made for each other on our wedding day, we even mentioned the fact that we personally made these rings for each other in our vows'.

About Larsen Wedding Rings

Larsen Wedding Rings opened their historic Sydney store in the Strand Arcade in 2007 and opened a second shop in Melbourne in 2010.  If you're a hopeful out of towner, you'll be pleased to hear that plans are underway for stores to open in Brisbane and other capital cities in the near future.

Click here for more information about wedding rings in Melbourne and Sydney.

Larsen Jewellery is pleased to announce the opening of its new and stylish studio in Melbourne's GPO, which specialises in custom made wedding rings.  To read more about our wedding ring services, please visit www.larsenweddingrings.com.au.

Custom Made Wedding Rings

As all our wedding rings are custom made, any design is possible and you can choose from a wide range of metals, including platinum, white gold and yellow gold.  We have an extensive selection of wedding ring designs on our website, and you are very welcome to drop in to our Melbourne studio to try on some rings and to discuss your preferences for the design of your wedding bands.  As all our wedding rings are made to order, we make sure the wedding band fits perfectly with and matches your engagement ring.

Larsen Jewellery also sells loose diamonds and coloured gemstones, including sapphire, ruby, emerald and pink diamonds, and can match the diamonds in your wedding ring with those in your engagement ring.

Wedding Ring Experience

Larsen Jewellery also offers the fun and romantic experience of making each other's wedding rings under the guidance of an expert jeweller.  Click here to read more about the unique Wedding Ring Experience.

Melbourne Location

Our studio is located in Melbourne's GPO on the corner of Elizabeth and Bourke Street and we are open 10am-6pm Tuesday to Saturday.  If you have any questions you can also call our Melbourne studio on 03 9662 3005.