How a Shared Love of Bourbon Became a Pair of Custom Wedding Bands
Some couples connect over hiking trails or concert tickets. For this couple, it was bourbon. They met online and quickly discovered a shared appreciation for America's native spirit. They loved the slow ritual of tasting, the stories behind each distillery, and the warmth of a good pour. Their first date was at a whiskey bar, and it set the tone for everything that followed.
Over the years, they made multiple trips to Kentucky's Bourbon Trail, with Buffalo Trace becoming a favorite stop. When it came time to choose wedding bands, they knew exactly what they wanted: rings that carried a piece of the tradition that brought them together. Not a symbol of bourbon, but an actual piece of it - wood from a Buffalo Trace barrel stave, shaped into something they could wear every day.
Their custom wedding ring designs took shape around two distinct, yet cohesive styles. His ring featured a black titanium band with a hammered finish and a bourbon-stave inlay. Hers was crafted in 14k white gold to complement her engagement ring, with the same barrel wood set into a more delicate profile.
Bourbon barrels are built from white oak staves, charred on the inside before aging begins. Over years of contact with the spirit, the wood absorbs color, aroma, and character. Using that material in a ring meant carrying a symbol of their connection and shared story.
The groom’s ring’s hammered texture added visual depth, but it also made the finishing process more demanding. Resin used to seal the inlay tends to settle into the low points of a textured surface, and removing it without scratching the black titanium coating required careful, deliberate work with specialized tools.
The bride's band posed a different complexity. Barrel wood is fragile, and cutting it into the thin, curved pieces needed for a narrower ring risked splitting the grain. We shaped the inlay in two separate sections and blended them at the center to preserve the wood's integrity. It was critical to set the wood below the surface of the gold. That depth allowed the resin to fully seal the material. If the wood were left exposed, it would eventually absorb moisture and separate from the band. Every cut of barrel oak had to be precise to preserve both the visual beauty and long-term durability required for a ring meant to last generations.
Both rings were finished by hand, polished, and checked for durability before leaving the shop.
The finished bands share the same origin but express it differently. His is bold and textured, built for hands that work. Hers is refined and elegant, shaped to sit alongside her engagement ring. Together, they hold a piece of the ritual that brought them closer.
Oak represents patience. It takes years for a barrel to do its work. These custom rings carry that same sense of time and transformation, shaped from something aged and meaningful into something new.
At Honest Hands, we believe the best rings aren't just worn, but lived in. If there's a tradition, a place, or a material that means something to you, let's build it into something that lasts.
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