Polly's Jewelers. Twenty year reputation, great quality, fair pricng.

Skatell's. Not cheap, but beautiful, top notch.

Hayden Croft
Hayden Croft wedding bands are individually crafted one at a time, every time. See the wedding band you love? We'll custom make it for you. In your size. In your style. In your material. All for the same price as an ordinary ring!

Mondera. Just go there. You'll see.

Blue Nile. Another fabulous site.

Wedding Band Superstore Giant site, lots of STUFF. Worth a visit.

Ice-Dot-Com. The name says it all. (It's actually "Ice-Diamond-Com," but who am I to quibble?)

Save money everywhere you can, folks. I believe that you can have excellent rings that will last a lifetime without having to take out a second mortgage on your Mom's retirement condo. Spend wisely. These are worth looking into, especially if you are on a budget -- and they are SO MUCH FUN!

WeddingBandRing. There is so much at this site, in all price ranges. I found it by accident and was there for hours.

Limoges Jewelry Search this site carefully. You will find everything here from actual 14k gold jewelry to Sterling Silver engraved bands for 19.99, or engraved with gold-overlay for $29.99, to the very interesting long-lasting budget options, like stainless-steel wedding rings with CZ for $24.99. I know you think that doesn't sound great, but the rings are beautiful, and when I say long-lasting, I'm talking platinum years, friends. Also, compare: 14k gold 2mm Wedding Band for $64.99 -- If you look at different sites online, you will see some VERY similar rings for extremely different prices!

Overstock Dot Com I was very pleased by what I found at The O in the way of wedding jewelry. They not only had an AWESOME assortment of high-ticket stuff ($5k and up), but they had great budget selections, too, like perfectly acceptable 14k 2mm half-round wedding bands for $49.99. Worth looking at, friends.

Emitations Celibrity Inspired Jewelry. I had so much fun at this site. Visit this site and never leave. There are fantastic deals to be had. There are great rings in CZ and Sterling Silver for those of us (yes, this means you) that are on a budget but want to do up the BLING. It's okay, I won't tell. I found a JLo inspired pink-stone ring that I wouldn't mind having at all. And if you think this will look chintzy, I'll have you know that I have a Sterling Silver and CZ ring that I've been wearing for 6 years now and no one is the wiser. (No, it's not my wedding ring, but many folks have asked if it is and complimented me on it. Someone even said, "That's some ROCK you got there, girl.")

Ebay Don't forget the old standby. Use caution. But I know many smart folks who have done well here.

Pearl Paradise. This is in the "other bridal jewelry" category. Very pretty things. Nice prices.

I want to say something here. Keep in mind that it is perfectly acceptable to wed with a simple silver or gold band. Classic and elegant, in fact. If you are on a budget, saving for, say, a down-payment on a house, or holding on to your money because you going on a dream honeymoon, you just bought a car, you've got college tuition, or a child on the way, whatever... It is WISE and PRACTICAL not to spend your money on things like a big wedding. This includes expensive jewelry. A simple band from one of these reputable places, or even Walmart (they have excellent prices on quality gold jewelry, with a good guarantee), Kmart (which has been bought by Sears), Sears itself, JCPenney, Sam's or Costco (they also have very fine quality jewelry at club prices). A simple ring would be appropriate, tasteful, and would be great for your wallet. No one knows where you buy your ring but you. Keep in mind that you can always get a huge diamond later, if you want one. Chances are, you will be so attached to your "first" wedding ring, that you won't want to give it up for a more elaborate one.

January 28, 2009: In my never-ending search to find something beautiful for el cheapo dollars, I searched SEARS. I found some great stuff there. The ring, below, is only $19.99. Yes, I said, "$19.99." It is sterling silver with cubic zirconia.

(More to come.)