Growing up, I had always dreamed of getting a piano for my engagement, not a ring. I've played since I was young, but always on a keyboard, never having a real piano. Music has always been a huge aspect of my life, so starting out my family with something that would be a daily aspect of family life seemed like an awesome idea, especially since I was not a fan of most 'typical' bridal jewelry.
When it came to rings, I took a lot of convincing for me to get anything more than a very thin, round band (pictured on the far left, above). Most of my jewelry is made out of twine and ten cent saint medals, so the idea of spending a ton of money on something to wear just wasn't a priority for me. However, it was really important to my husband that I have a 'real' engagement ring, so we went back and forth for months trying to find a ring that we would both be happy with. I scoured Etsy for something unique, and in the end, I came across the incredible designs by
Kristin Coffin Jewelry and fell in love, especially as she uses recycled gold and many designs have Moissanite stone options instead of diamonds. Not only is the Moissanite option an awesome ethical alternative to a diamond, it's incredibly cost effective, something that I insisted on. I remember sending Jermaine an email with the links to my rings saying "Ok, I've become a girl now..." and we ordered the ring the morning after he proposed! Kristin worked with us to create a custom band with a slight dip in it to fit around the engagement ring (second from the left, above), and they are just lovely.
I also ordered a very thin band from
Scarlett Jewelry which is what I had initially envisioned having. Melanie did a wonderful job with my ring!! This is the ring that Jermaine placed on my finger during our wedding ceremony and it is beautiful. I've been wearing all three rings together most days, especially after talking with my Grandmum the day after the wedding. My grandparents have been married for 56 years (!!) and she has NEVER once taken off her wedding band. By wearing my thin band on the bottom, followed by my engagement ring and then the twig band, I can take off the twig rings when I need to, but can keep my wedding band on. Five months later, I haven't taken it off since the day after our wedding when I heard that story! I should also mention that the idea of having three rings came from my own parents - my Mom received a third 'family' ring when I was born, and I always loved that! While we are just two for now, I love knowing that we are a family, and the third ring represents that to me. It also includes our desire for God to be present in our marriage and brings the Trinity to mind when I see the rings my husband placed on my hand.
We decided to purchase a
piano together as a family during this first year of our marriage, once we're settled into our home. I can't wait to bring home a beautiful instrument to share with our family over the years!!
xoxo
mrs dobbins
