May We Suggest: How to Make the Most of Your Wedding Band Consultation
The wedding planning world has taken a huge hit with the pandemic: all those large, glorious weddings you had slated for the year are now canceled, postponed, or severely cut back in size and scale, which is incredibly unfortunate for all our lovely clients who had their plans in order. A part of the wedding ceremony that hasn’t changed, though, is the need for wedding bands. No matter how tiny or socially-distanced your wedding is, your bands are an integral part of not only the ceremony itself, but of your future lives together.
Now more than ever, it’s the little details – and the perspective we take in experiencing them – that make our daily lives during a pandemic either downright horrible or beautifully delightful. Because of this, we aim to make the wedding band experience as fun, stress-free, and memorable in the very best way.
Make it special
It used to be that I would tell clients to keep their wedding band consultations low-key – you had enough to worry about with the wedding planning process! Now, it’s different. I highly suggest making a date of the affair – get dressed up, plan to get drinks or brunch (or spend the whole day in in Old Town!) With restaurants and bars opened up again and beautiful outdoor seating options available all over, you can make a lovely day of strolling up and down King Street after meeting about your bands. My favorite Saturday socially-distanced itinerary is:
11:00am A champagne brunch at Fontaine outside in their café seating.
12:30pm Appointment at Alx&Co. to talk through your bands (bring your masks!)
1:30pm Stretch your legs and take a walk to Dolci Gelati for an afternoon espresso and perhaps a gelato to keep things cool. Sit outside under the shade at Market Square while people-watching.
3:00pm Stroll back over to Royal Street for a glass of sparkling rose and nibbles from Brut Champagne & Wine Bar.
Once dinner time approaches, wander down to the bottom of King Street to find a table at one of the many outdoor seating options now available (Landini Brothers if you’re an old-school romantic, Mia’s Italian Kitchen it you prefer a fresher take, or – my personal favorite – Urbano 116 for amazing drinks and a flavorful experience). Enjoy a lovely summer evening, just the two of you.
Make it Memorable
It used to be that the wedding bands were kind of an afterthought to the ceremony. With everything else clients had to plan, the idea of adding another layer of complexity to the bands seemed daunting. Now, with more simple weddings ahead, I’m encouraging clients to give some mental space to thinking about how to make their bands more unique. Consider adding an engraving to the inside with a meaningful phrase, or perhaps spring for a custom diamond arrangement that only you will have. These tiny details mean a lot now and mean so much more in the decades to come.
I am always honored when clients choose us for their wedding bands because I truly believe these are, in the end, the most lasting and important element of the wedding planning process. You’ll wear these rings (ideally) forever! Let’s make the day you pick them out as fun and special as possible.
- About the company
Alexandria & Company is an Old Town-based workshop and design studio specializing in creating and restoring fine jewelry and silver hollowware. They are the in-the-know jewelers of Alexandria and have been serving clients out of their small workshop for decades. Tucked in their historic building on South Royal Street, the team at Alx&Co. brings a personalized, modern approach to their craft – this is not your average stodgy jeweler or antique shop. Visit them during their walk-in hours or online to view their collection of handmade fine jewelry or to drop off a repair project; or, if you’re feeling creative, make an appointment to talk about that custom design project you’ve been imagining.
inquiries@alxandcompany.com | alxandcompany.com
121-B South Royal Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
703.548.0659
Design Studio Walk-In Hours (all jewelry services): Wednesday – Saturday 12-6pm
Silver Workshop Walk-In Hours (all silver repair and restoration services): Wednesday or Friday 12-6pm, or by appointment
Appointments encouraged for custom design.
