Wedding Engagement Etiquette: when love meets tradition

8 August 2019

The engagement ring is a powerful symbol whose origins are lost in the mists of time and according to tradition, the promise of eternal love must be made official before marriage.
In the past, the ritual had a very rigid set of rules, but only the more romantic customs are still followed today by lovers faithful to tradition.

Timeless customs
According to etiquette, the engagement is a real ritual made of an exchange of gestures and gifts.
Like any ceremony that celebrates love, the engagement is marked by small and polite gestures. Here are some of the most curious and romantic:

1. Every marriage proposal should include a diamond. The ring should be chosen carefully, thinking about the essence, character and style of the wearer.
   Once the perfect jewel has been found, the fiancée should invite his girlfriend out to an intimate dinner in a special place, filled with white flowers, preferably roses, as a symbol of purity and elegance.
   During dinner, the fiancée will try to maintain that magical atmosphere and, when the moment is right, will get down on one knee in front of her, take her hand and give her the ring, whispering sweetly “Will you marry me?”
2. The future couple agree to a wedding date, which is traditionally set within a year of the proposal.
3. The couple officially announce their engagement at the future bride’s home who, in turn, invites her fiancée and his parents to lunch.
   There is also a special seating arrangement: the future bride and groom sit in the middle, the girl’s parents in front of them and, to their right and left, the fiancée’s mother and father respectively.
4. The following week, it is up to the future groom’s family to invite the girl and her family to lunch and, on this occasion, the parents of the future groom should give their future daughter-in-law something gold, usually a necklace.
5. In turn, it is customary for the bride’s family to give their future son-in-law a gift of similar value, such as a gold watch that the groom, as a token of gratitude, should not wear before the wedding day.

 

Many of these “good manners” are no longer followed today, but the essence that makes this moment magical remains and is sealed by a symbol of love surmounted by a diamond or by a precious stone like a sapphire, ruby or emerald.

Salvadori Diamond Atelier has been making engagement rings for more than one hundred years using carefully selected GIA and HRD certified diamonds.
The creations made by our designer Marzia Pendini represent a universal promise of love that combine tradition with modern design.

We look forward to seeing you in our Ateliers in Venice and Vicenza to choose the perfect ring to honour your promise of eternal love.