Were we to pick the one consistent descriptor across all the weddings we have covered it would be: “The wedding was so us.” Couples delight in seeing and feeling themselves expressed in venues, flowers, attire, menus, flash mobs, vows, and more. The experience of enjoying every little detail they specified for this one day, is without compare.

Yet, one of the details, a couple experiences every single day of their marriage from “I do!” onwards, oftentimes doesn’t get as much thought as far as making it unique and meaningful. The wedding ring—the symbol of eternal togetherness and unflagging commitment—gets lost in the shuffle of venues, flowers, attire, menus, flash mobs, vows, and more. And yet, there is no choice more intimate, long-lasting, or symbolic than one’s wedding ring.

This might have to do with the fact that, despite there being infinite ways to design a wedding band, it is often simply a traditional band of gold or platinum. However, thanks to Manderwood Custom Rings, by Matthew Anderson, your wedding band can be as expressive, meaningful, and unique as the rest of your wedding, and especially as the man to whom you’re committing a lifetime.

Matthew started Manderwood after designing his own wedding bands and realized how significant it was to do so. He wanted all couples getting married to wear on their finger, a band that, beyond its symbolic meaning, included important elements of a groom’s life and history.

Here are four  examples of unique rings and the beautiful meanings behind the design. The first is  a ring Matthew made from a piece of meteorite that his client had in his possession. He mounted it in a titanium core that included grade-5 titanium recycled from a part of an F-22 fighter jet. The part was handed down from the client's grandfather, who had worked on F-22s while in the Air Force. The design was one-of-a-kind for the client, but a first for Matthew as it was the first time he’d worked with meteorite, and one of the first times he’d machined titanium. Each Manderwood design pushes Matthew’s talents.

The second example was a tungsten ring with an inlay of eastern red cedar. The wood came from a leg of a cedar chest that was commissioned by the client’s great grandfather in the 1940's. As cedar is a fairly soft wood, Matthew finished it with a thick layer of hard resin to assure that it would be durable for constant wear. Elements that might not be typical in jewelry-making, Matthew makes so!

The third ring is made from 14k white gold. The inside is lined with a piece of the client's husband's military uniform. This one was made as a surprise for him, and he didn't see it until their wedding day. This kept the couple close even when they couldn't be together.

This final ring is stainless Damascus steel, a handsome dark color. The inside of the ring is made from a Basil Hayden whiskey barrel. But the most special part of the ring is the inlay. The client had recently lost his mother and wanted to integrate the gold from her wedding band into his. Matthew was able to stretch the ring almost 10 sizes and use it as-is, to create an inlay. That makes it not just the gold from her ring, but the ring itself.

Not everyone feels they can be this creative off the bat or knows what they want exactly, but that is where the collaboration with Matthew thrives. During the design process with him, you will first explore general design desires, such as types of metal, stones, sizes, styles. Then, Matthew asks questions about you as an individual such as hobbies, interests, meaningful life moments (a favorite climbing tree) and about you from as a couple (a shared love of the beach). From this, he can suggest materials from metals to meteorites, teak to tanzanite. Finally, it is off to the design races to create your one-of-a-kind wedding band.

While the process might be called a design process, the result is decidedly an art piece. For Matthew, creating these works of art that couples wear and look at every day is a joy. A joy that is entirely about the “us” you and your husband just became by exchanging rings. For so many couples, their wedding day is the best day of their lives. A Manderwood ring conjures that day, for all the best days to come.