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.
As far as the day of goes, music is an integral part of the wedding ceremony– who doesn’t immediately recall the strains of the wedding march whenever the subject of these ceremonies comes up? But it’s your day, so never feel limited to doing something just because it’s always been done. I was a bridesmaid in some beautifully unique weddings for friends last fall, and one bride entered the chapel to a string quartet playing the Beatles’ “In My Life”, while the other wedding took place in a historical theater and made use of the “Lord of the Rings” soundtrack.
The rules have changed regarding wedding flowers as well– the white roses and baby’s breath of traditional bouquets are now often edged out by bright colors, exotic plants, and non-floral accents like ribbons and crystals. For the wedding I discussed above, the bride carried a bouquet of flowers sculpted from metal and glass while we bridesmaids held bunches of peacock feathers.
There are many other ways that a modern wedding can reflect the particular personalities and tastes of the couple as well. Weddings themed to a particular era like Tudor England or American 1920s, wedding dresses in a rainbow of colors, ceremonies that include children or pets, and many more options to make your day as special as it can be are now at your feet.
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