Engagement Ring of the Week: Spring Fling 2013

Vintage Diamond Engagement Ring

This week’s engagement ring of the week is a handcrafted item perfect for the bride to be who wants a ring that’s not only on trend but will always be timeless. It’s a vintage diamond engagement ring centering an old Euro cut 1.00 ct. diamond within an openwork foliate mounting, fashioned in platinum. It bears the maker’s mark of the Riker Brothers, an American firm who was known for their plique-a-jour work. Plique-a-jour translated means “letting in light,” and that is exactly what this ring for spring will do – brighten your life.

This past Tuesday, Refinery29 shared an article featuring fresh new trends for 2013 weddings as told to them by some of the industries leading wedding planning specialists. Among other things, we were excited to see the evolution of the “barnyard chic” aesthetic to a look and feel they’re calling “deconstructed elegance” – think handcrafted vs. handmade – and the emergence of “new again” lawn games!

In fact, we loved the wedding styles featured within the article so much; we’ve curated our own list of fresh for spring wedding ideas, inspired by those trends we think you’ll be most keen to experiment with. All, of course, centered around the pièce de résistance – our engagement ring of the week.

First up, deconstructed elegance. Your bridesmaids and close family can all breathe a sigh of relief as this trend means less last-minute gluing/glittering/scissoring of decorations and more thoughtful collaborations with independent artisans. For those of you looking to explore, there’s already an entire “Weddings” section of Etsy dedicated to makers who can create the most wonderful custom décor and accessories. You can also source beautiful vintage handcrafted accents like these fabulously ornate vintage lassi cups. We’ve spotted a handful at Brooklyn spots like DARR, but you can definitely find these pretty babies online, as well.

The next trend on our list is certainly the most playful of all – lawn games! With the coming of Spring, people are aching to be outdoors and breathe in the fresh air. Lawn games are a great supplement to dancing and can be oh so chic – just look at how 1960’s actress Elke Sommer manages to look so effortlessly sexy while playing petanque in a white crochet jumpsuit (new wedding dress trend perhaps?).

And what better to have balanced in your opposite hand while tossing the cochonnet along the grass than a bespoke cocktail? One trend we hope never goes out of style is delicious drinks customized to the couple and occasion. Luckily for those of us who are not mixology masters, St Germain has created easy to replicate or adapt wedding cocktail ideas – complete with adorable recipe card designs.

What trends or styles are you most excited to see at the weddings you attend this year? Our vote is for more lawn games, share yours in the comments!