Hello!

June is here, July is just around the corner and August will wind up our summer.  How quickly these summer months fly!  It is easy to get caught up in the planning and execution of our wedding receptions and forget exactly why we keep some of the customs and traditions that are so popular.

One of the customs that have much history concerning our present wedding ceremonies and receptions is the custom of jewelry.  According to my manual from the Association of Bridal Consultants, the wedding ring has been around since the days of the early Egyptians.   Sometimes the ring was made from hemp or rushes and had to be replaced every year.  The Romans had a more durable solution; their wedding rings were made of iron.  They were not very decorative, but lasted for years.  Today, we seem to prefer gold or platinum for our rings and enjoy the flash of precious stones.  The shape of the wedding ring symbolizes unending love, something desired today as much as in the earliest time of humankind.

The engagement ring was once known as a betrothal ring and dates from the earliest days of marriage by purchase.  The ring was considered a partial payment for the bride and a symbol of the groom's honorable intentions toward the future bride.  Italy graced us with the addition of the diamond during the middle ages to add brilliance and symbolize enduring love.

Many couples choose to perpetuate the customs of these ceremonial rings while some couples prefer to go their own way concerning such matters.   Ring or no ring, the most important factor to consider is that the jewelry merely represents the love shared between two people who have made a life-long commitment to one another.

We here at the Rock Island Arsenal Club hope that you and yours take time to remember the little things, the important things, as you go about your planning for your event.  We wish you well!

Greta Chaney