Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Contemporary Classics: Wedding Rings and Wedding Planning

By Ann Daniels


Much of what was once considered standard wedding procedure, dress, and structure was actually held over from the Elizabethan, Renaissance, and Victorian eras, when marriage was a business transaction or political move as often as it was a personal choice. Many traditions have gone out of style in the past thirty years. These days, while many wedding ceremonies follow some sort of outline that recalls the traditions of the past, changing social mores, technological advances, and new trends in fashion have allowed modern couples to make their weddings truly their own.

While the dress and the cake are definitely crucial, it's fair to say that the most important purchase related to one's wedding is that of wedding rings. Of all the accoutrement involved with the wedding day, only the rings will be worn and seen every day thereafter. Classic domed wedding bands in gold are still among the most popular choices, but modern wedding band styles gaining ground include diamond eternity rings as well as metals and materials new to the jewelry industry like tungsten and titanium.

Tungsten rings or, more accurately, tungsten carbide rings, are a distinct gunmetal gray color that sets them apart from other types of rings in appearance. Their special properties don't stop there, however-- tungsten carbide is much stronger and harder than standard jeweler's metals and is incapable of tarnishing. Tungsten carbide rings are also extremely difficult to scratch and lend themselves well to other modern elements of design, such as tension setting and laser etching.

Another important part of your wedding day is the music used in the ceremony. Music sets the mood and inspires or heightens the emotional response to an event, so a meaningful occasion like a wedding needs it. However, don't feel bound to the old standards of the wedding march and processional typically used-- I was a part of a wedding last year that used songs by Muse and from the original "Star Wars" films to great effect, and it made the day memorable and endearing for everyone.

Another factor to consider is the flowers. In the past wedding flowers were limited by convention to only a few types of flowers in mostly white. Most weddings aren't bound by that rule anymore, though, and details as varied as fiddlehead ferns and Swarovski crystals accenting orange lilies to metal sculpture and peacock feathers standing in for the standard floral bouquets have made today's wedding stand out in a wonderfully creative way.

Much like the modern concept of marriage itself, the modern wedding is definitely more about the couple and the choices and tastes they prefer rather than a strategic move or attempt to do everything properly according to outdated standards.




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