Something(s) Old

When I walk down The Backyard Aisle, I plan to have those four famous things with me - something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. In fact, after the ceremony I will have actually have two things that fit into the first category, because both my engagement ring and my wedding ring are old. I decided to take some photos of them after reading a tutorial on Weddingbee. I used my Canon 20D, natural light from the window and a few props - some carnations used for my (terribly ill-fated) first DIY bouquet attempt, a squishy Dwight Schrute head and a colorful toy borrowed from The Backyard Cat.

First up is my engagement ring. The diamond came from my mom's engagement ring, which she generously offered to The Backyard Groom last summer. (For those of you counting at home, that does indeed mean that he got the diamond last summer but did not propose until February, so you can imagine what a stressed wannabee Backyard Bride I was for many months.) He had the diamond placed in a new white gold solitaire setting that he picked out all by himself, and when he proposed, I couldn't have been happier with what he had chosen.

From the angle below, you can see a little more of the setting's details.

I swear we have the most generous relatives. Not only did I get a gorgeous diamond from my mom, but The Backyard Groom's aunt gave us the wedding band that belonged to his late grandmother. It's a white gold band with small diamonds set into it.

The coolest part about the ring is that it's engraved with his grandparents' names and their wedding date in 1944. They met while he was a soldier and she was a nurse during World War II and married in Italy, where, coincidentally, we got engaged 65 years later. I tried to get a good shot of the engraving, but it's in script and my focus skills are not up to snuff.

I'll post about my something borrowed soon, but I'll have to make sure The Backyard Groom isn't looking before I share my something new and something blue.