so I want to run a Paladin ish type character, so heavy armor single handed weapon and restoration tree (probably with enchanting)

But the one thing that I'm finding myself questioning is do I go with shield or utilize the Ward spells from restoration (as for magica I'll probably wind up enchanting all my armor to have reduced costs for restoration)

Ward spells.

I was thinking of making a Paladin too. I think the shield seems more warrior type and suits the paladin more, but if you play games like WoW I guess the Ward can be like a bubble or something. I don't play World of Warcraft so I don't know.

I'm thinking I'll use Sword or maybe a Mace and I will carry a shield. I will swap the shield for healing. Shields feel better against melee for me personally. Ward is great against magic though, and it also weighs nothing at the cost of Magicka. Ward negates spell damage or effects and increases Armor Rating. So it's like armor, but I don't think it blocks melee, just acts as more armor rating. I have ward on my Mage but haven't tested it as a melee shield because I don't get into close encounters.

Hmmm I wonder, could you upgrade your shield perk to block 50 percent destruction spells, then enchant your shield with a ward?

You can't enchant armor with spells directly as far as I know, at most you can reduce the magica costs to restoration but then you would have shield in one hand and Ward spell in other... which would make you one impenetrable wall but yah...

But you can still enchant the shield with absorb or resist magicka.

If you find Spellbreaker, you don't need to choose. It's a shield that has a ward spell activate when blocking