One of the most important steps in planning your wedding, is choosing the wedding ring set. Finding the right rings could actually be considered the most critical part of your ceremony actually, because the wedding bands will be worn by the bride and groom for the rest of their lives.

Wedding bands have become a great deal more ornate than they used to be. And Diamond wedding bands have gotten very popular in recent years, thanks to the celebrities who proudly display theirs.

Wedding rings are no longer just your standard gold these days though. Many wedding bands and ring sets are made of platinum and titanium. And while 10k gold rings were once considered the "in" thing to buy, couples now prefer 14k gold or higher.

Simple diamonds are still a popular buy, but colored diamonds are gaining momentum too, thanks mainly to "J-Lo's" pink princess cut diamond ring with Ben Affleck. Other popular diamond colors are yellow, blue and aquamarine.

With the ever growing popularity of platinum rings, many couples are looking to shining silver and white gold as a cheaper substitute. White gold has a similar look of platinum, but is a fraction of the price. It is a great alternative.

The groom's wedding ring has traditionally been of little concern to anyone, as long as the bride's was attractive - if not stunning. These days though, men prefer nice rings as well. Sometimes they covet a flashy diamond-studded ring almost as much as the bride does.

Finding just the right wedding ring set is just a matter of choice... and time. Since rings can be bought almost anywhere these days - including online - all you need to do is start looking around. These days even department stores are offering great knock offs to the popular celebrity rings at extreme discounts.

The popular ring worn by J-Lo for instance - which was a platinum pink diamond ring with a princess cut and accented with two white diamonds on either side - can now be purchased at Wal-Mart in a white gold setting with zirconias and pink topaz stones.

So, start by thinking about the type of ring you want: White Gold? Yellow Gold? Sterling Silver? Platinum? Once you've decided on that aspect of your ring set, then you'll need to think about how elaborate you'd like your rings to be. Should they be simple, or completely plain bands? Should they have a little detail work but not much? Should they sport multiple gems? And last but not least of course, think about what you can afford to spend on your wedding bands. They are a once-in-a-lifetime investment but you may not want to spend your lifetime paying them off.

Once you have these little details in mind, then you can start your comparison shopping. Go to the department stores if you must, but consider looking around online a bit too. You'll most likely find some excellent discounts on wonderful wedding bands and sets, without having to sacrafice quality.