It’s your big day! A day in which everyone you and your groom love get to be part of the beginning of your new lives together. A day that will live on in memories and photographs for years to come. Frosting the bride and bridal party in gorgeous, personal wedding jewellery isn’t just about accessorising outfits, it has historic and heritage purposes too. We have put together a catalogue of wedding jewellery, its significance and how you can incorporate it into your big day.
Wedding Jewellery: The Rings
Dating back to the 1500’s couples would signify their intention to marry by taking a Gimmel ring (an interlocking ring) splitting it in half and each party wearing a half of the ring. On their wedding day, the groom would remove his ring and give it to his bride as a symbol of unity. It wasn’t until the late 1900’s that men began wearing wedding rings after the marriage.
Modern wedding rings are as much an expression of the bride and groom’s personality as it is a symbol of commitment. We love to design cultural, religious, and personal elements as part of the wedding rings, resulting in a deeply personal piece of jewellery that marks the start of an exciting journey together.
Wedding Jewellery Cultural and Religious Symbols
For many couples, their wedding is not just the joining of the couple, but the melding of two families, with all the family traditions, cultures and religions. What better way to recognise the beauty of “love conquering all” then with wedding jewellery that symbolises this union.
We have put together some wedding jewellery ideas to get you thinking about how you can incorporate important aspects of both the groom's and bride’s culture, religion and traditions into wedding jewellery pieces.
Christian jewellery symbols: The cross, or crucifix is, perhaps, the most commonly used Christian religious symbol used in jewellery. We particularly like a tennis bracelet with a curved cross and delicate chain, as a subtle yet beautiful reminder of the bride’s faith. For the groom, cross/crucifix cuff links add a lovely touch to the ceremony.
Jewish jewellery symbols: One of the most iconic Jewish religious symbols is the Star of David. This symbol can be beautifully worked into a necklace pendant or as part of a tiara design. For the groom, cuff links or a tie clip work well too.
Taoism jewellery symbols: The Yin Yang makes for a beautifully graphic symbol that works well for bride and groom as a bracelet or anklet element.
Hinduism jewellery symbols: The Om represents what is considered to be the religion’s most sacred mantra. In jewellery it is often written in Devanagari script, a delicate and beautiful shape that can be easily incorporated into a variety of jewellery pieces.
There are also some uniquely Irish cultural symbols that we love to include into wedding jewellery design.
The Claddagh: Representing love, loyalty and friendship we have a range of beautiful Claddagh bridal jewellery pieces that make for stunning heritage pieces.
The Trinity Knot or Triquetra: This intricate symbol is delightful woven into a tiara, ring, cuff links or flower pin for both the bride and groom.
The Shamrock: This exquisite symbol represents the holy trinity and has been used in wedding jewellery design for centuries.
Whatever your choice of religious or cultural symbol for your wedding jewellery, speak to us to find out how we can incorporate it into your wedding jewellery pieces.
Wedding jewellery as Heritage Pieces
Our final suggestions when considering the jewellery you’d like to include in your wedding is to consider your wedding party. What more beautiful way to remind family and close friends of your special day than with a piece of jewellery.
Conclusion
The wedding jewellery you choose for yourselves will quite likely remain in your family for generations to come, being passed down to children and even grandchildren. We are here to help you design the perfect array of wedding jewellery to suit your personalities as you embark on this exciting journey together. Visit us in Dublin City Centre, or contact us to find out more.
