I decided to start a new blog series this year showing some of my favorite things from each of the weddings I photograph. Since I love to focus on creating a unique wedding experience for each of my couples and pride myself on sharing their personalities in my photos, this blog series has been a great way for me to showcase these unique details. I am sharing something specific that stood out to me from each wedding which I thought was special to the couple. Something that immediately stood out to me at Emily & Ian’s wedding was the ring Emily had on her right hand. After taking some photos of the ring and hearing the history behind it, I knew this would be something I would use for this blog post. I asked Emily a few questions about the ring and what it meant to her.
What was the stone on the ring you wore on your right hand for your wedding day?
This ring has been in my family for 95 years! It originally belonged to my great grandmother, Mary Ellen. Her father, my great-great grandfather, gave it to her when she graduated high school in 1924. After high school, she pursued higher education and became a teacher. She ended up finishing her degree at my Alma mater, Kent State University, when she was in her 50s. She passed away shortly after I was born, and the ring was then passed on to my Grandma Lucille, one of her 12 children. At the time of her passing, she had 29 grandchildren and 46 great grandchildren!
Who gave you this ring?
My Grandma Lucille surprised me with this ring on the morning of my wedding day. As I was getting my makeup done, she sat beside me and shared the story behind the ring. She then handed it to me and asked me if I would like to wear it on my wedding day. Not only was it a sweet surprise, but it also matched the wedding colors perfectly. It meant a lot to me and my Grandma Lucille to have it be a part of our day.
What did it mean to you to wear that ring throughout your wedding day?
Ian and I are both very family-oriented. The ring was so meaningful to both of my grandmothers, so it was very special to have it be a part of our day. The ring ended up being quite the surprise for both me and Ian. We chose not to see each other before the ceremony, so he had no idea that I was going to wear that ring on my right-hand ring finger. During rehearsal, I told him it would be easy to know what finger to put the wedding band on during the ceremony because it would be the only finger that already had a ring on it. Wearing a second ring caught him off guard at the altar - oops! This is now a funny (and sweet) memory that I know we'll share for many years to come.
