Love and Wedding Traditions
“Come ti vidi
M’innamorai,
E tu sorridi,
Perchè lo sai.”
Opera “Falstaff” by Giuseppe Verdi,
Fenton speaking to Nannetta, 1883.
Describing the feeling of love, composer Giuseppe Verdi used a monolog between the characters Fenton and Nannetta, “When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew.”
Love comes in as many shapes and forms as there are people. It is a unique bond only those who are connected will understand to the fullest. “Love is the inner beauty you see in a person. It is different for everyone,” says Alexander Kreis. It is a bond only Fenton and Nannetta could see, and they knew it.
traditions of appreciation
It is a feeling that captivates mankind since its existence. Therefore, it is not surprising that many customs and symbols have come into existence, with the sole purpose of capturing and expressing this feeling.
In ancient Egypt, this unique bond was depicted by a ring on the left ring-finger. “They believed it to be a direct connection to the heart,” explains Sonja Kreis. The ring, a perfect circle, symbolizing eternal love. Later on, this tradition was adopted by the Romans and is still present in the western civilization, around 5000 years later.
Today, wedding traditions are many and evolved over time. “Old wedding traditions, predominantly in the Anglo-Saxon realm, try to capture the hopes and aspirations,” says Sonja Kreis.
“Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue and a Sixpence in Your Shoe“
On her wedding day, giving the bride-to-be “Something Old” is a connection to her past. It symbolizes the link to her family and history. “This is most often a piece of jewellery which has been part of the family’s belongings for quite some time,” designer Sonja Kreis explains. Looking into the future, “Something New” represents the wish for good fortune. It is in this regard that “Something Borrowed” is taken from a happily married couple, as to share their happiness and good fortune with the future spouses. Putting “Sixpence” in the bride’s shoe is usually taken as a wish for wealth in the future.
But, the most creative creations are with “Something Blue”. The bride is free to choose. To name but a few examples, are a blue clutch, bouquet ribbon, or a pair of shoes. But it doesn’t end there. Vanessa Kreis explains further, “a blue pendant is very well received by our clients as well. So is a blue sapphire, as in Lady Diana’s engagement ring. This is due to the fact that those can transcend generations.” These pieces of jewellery are well suited to establish a personal tradition of your very own, by creating something worthy to be handed down to the next generation.
[“The Kiss” by Gustav Klimt – 1908]