This might be my favorite part of the wedding planning. My fiance and I wanted to do something different and I found A Wedding Ring Experience on google. First, it is expensive, we got two 14k white gold bands for about $1800. But if it's in your budget, I would definitely recommend it. We went to the Washington DC location, which is actually in Warrenton, VA. Chris was extremely nice and helped us through the process. He took photos for us and documented the whole process, which is awesome! All in all it took about 5 hours for plain bands. I have small fingers and was actually able to get 2 bands out of the gold provided. Keep in mind, the guys make the girl's bands and vice versa. Sergio complained that my bands were hard to work with (and he had to make two) and I thought that his was very cumbersome. But in the end we have two beautiful bands that we made for each other to symbolize our love.

My husband and I did the Wedding Ring Workshop in Oakland, California with Alba Urbina. We set up the appointment throught the main WRW website (http://www.weddingringworkshop.com/) The experience was A.MAZE.ING. We started with little bowls of gold flakes, and at the end of the day, went home with the rings that we had made for each other. We used blow torches, and milling tools, and mallets, and saws, and sand paper... It was a very cool and meaningful experience. Working with Alba was great - she helped us decide what we wanted our rings to look like, and guided us through the process. She provided just the right amount of help. We both love our rings, and love that we made them for each other! The cost is high - much higher than you'd pay for a pre-made ring. But I personally think the experience is worth it.

A Wedding Ring Experienced is wonderful and fun shop where we got to make our stunning bands. It truly was a memorable experience that we will remember for the rest of our lives.

I would definitely recommend the Wedding Ring Workshop to anyone who would like to make the process of finding the right jewelry more personal and meaningful. The whole process was fun and fascinating. I started with little bits of metal and ended up with the exact ring I wanted. It was so satisfying to see the beautiful finished product. Alba was definitely a key part of making this experience so fun. She was charming, friendly, and very good at explaining exactly what I needed to be doing. She made me feel like I had known her forever and I was just working on a project with a friend.

Although this review lists the San Diego location. My wife and I actually hand crafted each others wedding bands in Berkeley, Ca. We met with our jeweler Alba who was very very sweet, and she guided us through the entire process while taking photos and feeding us lunch. At the end of our day we had two amazing wedding rings that look like they could have been bought right from a jewelry store except we knew that WE got to make them ourselves. If anyone is able to afford this process I definitely recommend this experience is once in a lifetime!

One of the best experiences we had during our wedding planning! I even blogged about it: http://buffaloniagarabride.blogspot.com/2010/06/we-made-our-own-wedding-rings.html We went to the WRW near Washington, DC. Chris was fantastic and we've told so many people about this unique experience -- it's a conversation starter to begin with. Everything was just so perfect!

This is the most amazing experience. You spend a day working with a jewelry designer and metalworker, creating your own wedding bands. You get to choose from a variety of metals, though we used beautiful 18K. We did this yesterday, and it was incredible. Starting with a pile of gold balls, we ended with rings that we would never have been able to afford from (different company) or whatever. We were guided through the process by Alba Urbina, an amazing jewelry designer in her own right, and it was like getting to watch a master at work AND take a high-level class. We started the day at like 9:30 am, in a beautiful studio with a mellow cat and dog looking on. First, Alba showed us different ring styles and talked us through the process. We designed our rings with her. Then we melted, poured, milled, and stamped our way to the most perfect ring we could imagine. Anything we couldn't handle, she took over -- gently and encouragingly. They base the price on the cost of your meta... Read morel of choice, so it fluctuates. But based on the ring shopping I had already done, I think what we got was, essentially, personally-designed rings at warehouse prices, and a fun, romantic, amazing day to boot.

The Wedding Ring Workshop was amazing! Not only was it fun and easy to make each other's rings, but now every time I look at my ring, I remember how much love went into making it!! A truly unique experience!!

On a beautiful, sunny morning in April, we trekked to Brooklyn on the L line, stopped in a deserted park for a NY bagel and coffee breakfast, and then made our way to Andrea Cobb's studio. With her able, steady and patient assistance, we spent the day making our own wedding bands from scratch! Check out these photos to see us in action: http://s1078.photobucket.com/albums/w484/sarahdachos/Facebook/Wedding%20Band%20Making/ You will really make your own quality, professional and amazing rings!!! We are beyond happy with your experience - a week later, we are still in a glow from it! Sincerely, Bas and Sarah

The day that my groom and I spent making our wedding rings was quite possibly THE most romantic day of our lives (and we've had quite a lot to choose from!) If the thought of making your own wedding rings has ever crossed your mind as a romantic and everlasting way to demonstrate your love and commitment to each other - don't even hesitate, do it. At the Wedding Ring Experience in Emeryville, CA you are guided through the entire process by Alba Urbina, an incredibly laid back artisan jeweler who will hold your hands (sometimes literally) throughout the day. Alba is supportive, patient, creative, and flexible, infusing a sense of kindness and joy throughout the whole incredible process of creating our rings. We met with Alba once before the workshop to discuss design ideas. We decided to go a bit "off-piste" with what we wanted for our rings, to create something completely unique and a bit experimental. Alba was completely up for it, and helped us to get to designs that would be m... Read moreanageable for us within the boundaries of the workshop. There are limits, as you can't go in to a one-day workshop as a novice and expect to come out with the most complicated, multi-material, intricately designed wedding band crafted by your own hands, just as you can't reasonably expect to copy that extravagant $1million designer wedding band you saw on this or that celebrity's hand - although you could use it for inspiration, and Alba will use her talent and experience to get you to a design that she has confidence is achievable for you. You can expect to come out of the workshop with a beautifully finished wedding ring that looks like it was crafted by a professional. Even if you go for the most simple, classic, traditional wedding band or pair of bands, you will always know that it was made by YOU for your spouse, and you will have that for the rest of your lives together. At the end of our day (and yes, it really is only one day of working on the rings) we couldn't believe what we had done over the previous few hours. The rings were SO beautiful and so personal to US, we just kept laughing and smiling. And the best bit is that we get to see them every single day now and forever! It is a raw process, and we were nervous and excited at the outset. You are dealing with molten metal, hammers, tongs, blow torches, and metalworkers' masks - but if that sounds daunting, it really isn't. You aren't allowed to make a mistake, and Alba's gentle guidance and friendly instruction is there to help you through it all. A note about the half star I dropped for "professionalism", as it needs context. Firstly, Alba is a complete professional in her craft and in caring for the happy couples who arrive, somewhat nervous and perhaps a little giddy, in her workshop. But, as I said, this is a raw process, and somewhat industrial, so naturally the surroundings of her workshop reflect this. This is how it should be, and my husband and I LOVED it. But you just have to be down with the fact that it's a creative, working studio, not a presentation space. It's a bit like going to a Turkish hammam to have a real steam bath experience and expecting it to be like a fancy hotel spa, all wood panels, patchouli oil, and soft towels. It won't be, and it's all the better for it! In terms of value, there is no price that we could put on the day we spent together melting, pouring, stretching, soldering, hammering and polishing, and there is no value that we can ascribe to all that it means to look at our bands now and know that we made each one for the other. Our rings are the primary symbol of what it means to us to be married to each other, and the vows we made, so it was worth everything to put something unique of ourselves into them.

A fun filled day and a totally unique experience with completely individual rings. We know that no one has the same wedding bands as ours!