A Wedding Ring Experience

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.

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.htmlWe 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!

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.

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!

Before I found the Wedding Ring Workshop, I had been browsing rings on the internet for a while and showing them to my fiancé. At one point, he said that the ring he’d like most would be one that I made for him. Romantic as the thought was, I laughed and told him he’d have to wait a bit before I could learn how to be a jeweler and set up my own studio. Then, I came across Wedding Ring Workshop. I arranged our day as a surprise to my fiancé and the experience we had was even more intimate, creative, fun, and meaningful than either of us had expected it to be! We made our wedding bands this past weekend at the Wedding Ring Workshop in Whaley Studio in San Diego. We walked into the studio to offers of coffee and a fruit platter and were later provided with lunch, a camera, and a bottle of champagne in a very comfortable setting. From designing the rings to toasting with champagne, it was truly an experience that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. Being able to make our rings for each other was priceless! And a huge part of what made our day enjoyable was the jeweler whom we worked with, Jay Whaley. Jay worked with us through every step and down to the last detail to make sure that the rings were exactly what we imagined and that they turned out flawlessly! No one believes that we actually made them, which makes the photographs that were taken at the studio very helpful. Jay was impressively informative; and our day was made even more interesting by Jay teaching us about the metals, their characteristics, and the process of jewelry making. We’d like to have another wedding just so that we can come back! Thanks, Jay!

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.

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 metal 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!!