Make your own wedding rings in Essex

"I found Benchspace on Facebook, and signed up to do a beginners ring making course which I really enjoyed.

I asked Karen about the possibility of making wedding rings, as we were struggling to find rings that we really liked. Karen was so enthusiastic about the idea that we decided to go ahead.

Initially I’d thought I would make both rings with Karen’s help, but she suggested that it would be much better to make each other’s!"

"Karen was absolutely brilliant in the workshop. Firstly, she helped us come up with a design to fit around my engagement ring – we went for a Russian wedding ring which I LOVE.

Then she guided us through a trial session in silver, to test our designs. I loved every minute of being in the workshop and working through the process of ring making from start to finish. I wasn’t sure that Michael would feel quite the same, but he loved it too!

Even though he had to make 3 delicate little rings and join them all together, and I only had to make one! I hammer textured Michael’s ring and stamped a special message inside that means a lot to us, so it was uniquely personal."

"Karen is an excellent teacher, letting us crack on and know we did actually make the rings ourselves, but ready to step in to stop us making a mistake.

We were delighted with the rings at the end of the session. They are beautiful, and even though they aren’t factory perfect – we love them more because we took the time to learn how to make them ourselves."

"We exchanged them at our wedding last week, and so many people said how beautiful they were, and how wonderful it was that we’d made them, and not bought them from a shop.

If you are getting married, then forget buying rings – make them yourselves. I can’t recommend the experience highly enough.

We laughed together and overcame challenges together which is what marriage is all about, and we have the rings to prove it!"