THE CRYSTAL ISSUE 15 | APRIL 2021 £XXXXX WEDDING US RING TOGETHER Several different, but timeless The Crystal is a testament to In this life, finding a person who ring that you can choose from for enduring cohesion, sharing and really agrees to contract is an your wedding day Unconditional sympathy of souls easy thing, it is possible to go to in tune the end of life with that person more difficult and challenging CLASSIC Real Love FEELS PURE & AUTHENTIC MEANING OF THE RING This ring is made of precious metal, but it is more precious by your wearing it, for it will adorn your loving hands Maybe be a symbol of your enternal love for one another As you wear it, maybe a constant reminder to you of one another, and of the deep bond of faith, trust, and love which it represents Save the Date WE ARE GETTING MARRIED Will you be mine? YOU MAKE ME HAPPY There was a time when all you heard about were summer weddings: Ooh, she’s going to be a June bride, and all that But in the past several years, cooler-weather weddings have been significantly on the rise; the fall is always absolutely packed with them, and more and more people seem to be using the holidays — let’s ring in the new year at our reception! — as an already-festive reason to celebrate during that time of year I can tell from talking with wedding industry professionals and brides-to-be picking their dates I can tell from the invitations landing in my mailbox And I can tell by the three-wedding Saturdays the Center City church below my balcony (on which I may or may not be peeping) hosts once Labor Day has passed And I have to admit, it’s my personal favorite time of year for a wedding I just think the whole season — the colors, the smells, the weather, the aforementioned festive vibe — sets the perfect atmosphere for the biggest, most important party of your life So when we started planning this issue, we wanted to capture all that the season — and of course, everything our region’s best vendors — has to offer your fall/winter wedding There’s lots more inside this issue — from how to make sure you’ve got an iron-clad vendor contract, to how on earth you’re supposed to merge all your stuff (and finances, and families) together now that you’re getting married, to advice from a guy who’s been there on whether or not to invite your ex to the wedding. - THE CRYSTAL - KEEP THEM HAPPY WORDS BY THE CRYSTAL I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself but for what you are making of me The ring symbolised good fortune, eternity and a happy future for the newlyweds The fact that the ring would have initially been made of reeds from the Nile – a symbol of good fortune – was thought to bring the couple luck during their marriage; the unbroken circular shape of the ring was thought to represent an eternity together; and the void in the middle was said to characterise a gateway into their future of happiness together Over the years, the traditions surrounding wedding rings have changed significantly The Romans, for example, referred to their wedding bands as vena amoris which translates as ‘the vein of love’ It is thought that this is how the tradition – that still applies today – of wearing a wedding ring on the fourth finger of your left hand began, as the Romans believed that there was a vein that traveled down this finger, straight to the heart This type of ring was put together in a very particular way and if the woman removed it from her finger it would collapse and only her husband would have known how to put it back together In the past, wedding rings were intended to be worn only by women However, nowadays men are just as likely to be seen wearing one In modern times it has become tradition for the bride and groom to swap wedding rings during their marriage ceremony and nowadays the choice of material is generally much more expensive as gold, white gold, platinum and even palladium are extremely popular - THE CRYSTAL - ... families) together now that you’re getting married, to advice from a guy who’s been there on whether or not to invite your ex to the wedding. - THE CRYSTAL - KEEP THEM HAPPY WORDS BY THE CRYSTAL I... of year for a wedding I just think the whole season — the colors, the smells, the weather, the aforementioned festive vibe — sets the perfect atmosphere for the biggest, most important party of... fortune – was thought to bring the couple luck during their marriage; the unbroken circular shape of the ring was thought to represent an eternity together; and the void in the middle was said to characterise