Freda Payne, You Can Keep Your Band of Gold!
August 15th, 2008 @ 5:45 pm by Mrs. Shortcake
We’re a couple of simple tastes, really. We grow our own vegetables, bake our own bread. We recycle like it’s a mandate, and I DIY like it’s going out of style. 
When it came to rings, we were pretty sure that we wanted plain, traditional gold bands. The symbolism would be heavy, and our wallets wouldn’t become as light. Easy peasy.
Witness Mr. Shortcake’s 6mm yellow gold “comfort fit” band:
…and my 3mm “stove pipe” gold band…. NOT!
When I tried on this simple ring, Mr. Shortcake took one look at it, and shuddered. “That is SO not you,” he exclaimed, and I whooped for joy - his training was finally complete! Just joking, but seriously, the man understands me at last…
Witness my real (unsized)wedding ring:
Where my engagement ring has yellow gold borders and a white gold middle, my wedding ring ying-yangs it as a white gold band with a yellow gold inner milled edge around the nine channel set diamonds (say that five times fast!) Kind of like me - it’s a ring of dual natures.
I. LOVE. IT.
It was completely unexpected, but sometimes, you can’t stand in the way of fate, just like you can’t always plan for the future with a pancake for a brain.
What does your ring look like? Was it different than you had expected?
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20 Responses to “Freda Payne, You Can Keep Your Band of Gold!”
I always thought I was gonna go with something thin, understated and fairly modest. I fell in love with a 19th century antique ring, thick rose gold band with black and white forget-me-nots. (I’m not a diamond girl…) It’s so stunning and I love it.
Mine is a plain band of yellow gold. I think it is a 2mm, which is about as tiny as they come. My thinking at the time was if we ever traded up with the diamond I could keep the original band.
we took a workshop to make our bands ourselves, and it’s still my favourite thing about getting married.
(always happy to give Sara Wan of The Devil’s Workshop, Toronto, a plug.)
Wow, i’m not sure you intended it to be that way, but this post sounds very shallow and vapid.
I don’t agree that the post sounds shallow- I think she really did intend to buy a more understated gold ring and then fell in love with a more ornate one. I don’t think she was saying that anyone who choses a less ornate ring is wrong- it sounds like it just wasn’t for her. I think this blog does a great job of supporting each individual decision that comes up during wedding planning, and that is the reason I choose to read and post on this site over other national sites- I hope that understanding and open-minded state of mind continues here.
I have a heart shaped white gold engagement ring and my wedding band is kind like yours but every other stone is a pink saphire. He picked it out and it’s so me but not what I would have thought of. 
Shallow and vapid? I don’t agree with that at all.
I’m so glad you got something you love, Shortcake!
wowerz……….your wedding band is Beautiful with a CAPITAL B! love it. I want a wedding redo with more DIY items ….hahah J/K so glad that it is over with.
Aww, I think this post is quite sweet, actually…
Its harder to pick the wedding ring than you think, isn’t it? I thought it would be a no-brainer, but we’re struggling to find just the right one too.
I LOVE THE ENGAGEMENT RING!
i absolutely love it
i was personally a fan of the simple gold band. i had no idea that style was called a “stove pipe”. but the second one is a ring that definitely take my breathe away.
but you like what you like. and as long as YOU are happy and completely in love with it… that’s all that matters.
CONGRATS ON THE RING!
I just DO NOT agree with the shallow and vapid comment.
I would have to agree with your FI, Shortie. That first ring didn’t have enough personality…and really I don’t think is about the stones.
Beautiful rings!
@Coconut: thanks! It’s true, I went in wanting and loving plain gold rings - I love simple! But sometime’s, things just work out differently
@Judith: I think it’s flat, non-rounded rings that are called stovepipe…or maybe our lady was completely making things up!
@Selina: oh, your wedding band sounds beautiful! Alternating pink sapphires? gorgeous!
@Ms Popcorn: that would be very cool - custome bands are a great way of showing individuality. What do they look like?
I ended up with a prong-set eternity band. Originally, I wanted a simple band (no bling). When I tried them on, they looked a bit blah. Then I was going to get a channel-set w/diamonds around half, but the channel set looked too heavy.
The ring I ended up getting fit me perfectly out of the jeweler’s case and really compliments my e-ring. I got a great price for it because they didn’t have to do any custom labor to make it fit.
HA! I was exactly the opposite–my eye was drawn to this super pretty white-gold-diamond-and-sapphire-confection that I thought I loved, but then I tried on a platinum band (which matches the platinum band of my engagement ring)…and I was set on my bum with how awesome both looked together, and how big my stone looked as a result. Like a dress, it’s the perfect example of how what you think you want may be completely different with what you get.
@Miss Shortcake: we still went with the traditional and simple, sort of the sentiment that you went in with, I guess. their uniqueness is only in their providence
My ring is an antique, from the 1930’s. It’s very art deco, and I love it. I always thought I wanted something plain and simple, but nope! I stare at my ring all day. It suits me so well. Congrats to you for finding your perfect ring!
Mrs. Shortcake, Vancouver
Age and Occupation: 24, Marketing Manager/Children's Lit Writer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Master's Student/Personal Trainer
Engagement Date: August 7, 2007
Wedding Date: October 2008
Blogging Since:
Venue: Ceremony in a historic church, tented lawn reception at a golf and country club
About Me: 1950's housewife sent to the future, reborn as crafting-obsessed, jill of all trades. I enjoy decorating, writing, baking sweet things, singing show tunes/dancing in public, wearing pearls, and knitting sweaters for my furbaby, Harvey, to chew upon. I heart pink, and believe that sparkles are the new black.
Ha, I have a simple ring almost exactly like the ’stovepipe’ one in your photo. I’m not a blingy person I suppose, but yours is gorgeous.