A *little* switch-a-roo

So...we'll start this entry with a little background...

when Mark and i got engaged it was a total surprise to me. I mean, I knew in my heart that we'd eventually be married...I just didn't know when. Mark and I had never talked about engagement rings and certainly had never gone to look at them...i had never dropped any hints or anything. So, the ring Mark picked out was an emerald cut diamond ring from Levy's Jewelry in downtown Birmingham. They told him when he purchased the ring that no wedding band had been made to go with it and that he might have to have one custom made. 

Fast forward to us getting engaged and several months later going to look at bands..... we looked everywhere. Seriously....everywhere we could think to look in Birmingham. None of the bands i tried on looked good with my ring. My ring has a unique curve in it where the diamond sets and the curved bands didn't fit nor did the straight ones. The diamond setting also wasn't high enough for a band to slip in under it. So, we realized that our decision was going to come down to 2 options. 1 - have a custom band made to go with my ring or 2 - switch the diamond into a setting that comes with a wedding band. After MUCH thought and searching we decided to go with option 2. We switched the diamond into a different setting. We found an amazing setting that came with a band at Diamonds Direct in Birmingham. The people there we so friendly and helpful (they don't work on commission!) and the set was an awesome deal. It actually ended up being less for us to change the setting than it would be for us to have a custom band made. So we ordered the setting and 5 weeks later it came in. I went today to make the switch.....and here's the result:

I love it!!

It turned out so beautiful!!! I could not even imagine it would turn out so well! I couldn't be happier. I had so much anxiety about this decision. I'm such a sentimental person...I felt so torn making this decision. But...in the end, the thing that settles my mind and my heart is that I am able to keep my original setting. Mark and I plan to put a sapphire in that setting and I'll wear it as a right hand ring. The thing that makes me happiest is the thought that Mark and I will have 2 rings to pass down to our children and their children and on down. :)

and just for good measure (what started this entire process!) here's a shot with the matching wedding band...

I'm still getting used to seeing this ring on my hand. It's so strange to look down at my hand and see this ring instead of the ring I've worn throughout our engagement - 8 months now! And...I still have a piece of the other ring on my hand...the main part actually!...the diamond and the sentiment of my man! :)